CARAS announces the 2019 Nominees for the JUNO Awards

By Sinejan Ozaydemir 

The nominees for the 2019 JUNO Awards were announced today in Toronto. 

We at EDM Canada have been eagerly waiting for the nominations, particularly in the Dance Recording of the Year and the Electronic Album of the Year categories. 

And here they are: 

Dance Recording of the Year

• Gotasoul AZARI - Get Physical - *Independent/Zebralution

• Jackie Chan (ft. Preme & Post Malone) - Dzeko & Tiësto - Universal

• Avatar Beach - Jacques Greene - Arts & Crafts*Universal

• CURA - Keys N Krates - Keys N Krates*Dim Mak

• Body - Loud Luxury - Armada Music B.V*Sony

Electronic Album of the Year

• Crystal Eyes - Ekali - OWSLA/Atlantic*Warner

• Next Season- Felix Cartal - Physical Presents*Fontana North/Universal

• Give It a Rest - iamhill - Independent

• Deception Bay - Milk & Bone - Bonsound*Sony

• Certain Kind of Magic - REZZ - mau5trap*Kobalt

REZZ, who won the JUNO for Electronic Album of the Year at the 2018 JUNO Awards, is nominated again this year in the same category for her album 'Certain Kind of Magic'. Felix Cartal, who was nominated for the Dance Recording of the Year last year for his song 'Get What You Give' is now nominated for his album 'Next Season' in the Electronic Album of the Year category. First time nominees Loud Luxury are the EDM artists nominated for the greatest number of JUNOs this year with 4 nominations in the JUNO Fan Choice, Single of the Year, Breakthrough Group of the Year and Dance Recording of the Year categories. 

This year’s JUNO Awards and JUNO week will be hosted in London Ontario. The awards will be broadcast live on Sunday, March 17th on CBC worldwide at cbcmusic.ca/junos. 

For the full list of nominees in all categories visit : https://junoawards.ca/2019-juno-award-nominees/

Congratulations to all the nominees! We are excited to see who will win at the 48th Annual JUNO Awards!  

Contact Festival 2017 Ryan's Top 6

By Ryan Hayes

Contact 2017 was a festival interwoven with surprises, and upsets. I attempted to go to the event with an open mind, nonetheless I couldn't help head in to day one with a curated list of my favourite acts already picked out. By the end of day two however the majority of my preconceptions were proven false. Originally anticipating a day one blowout, four of my top six acts played during day two and the biggest letdown of Contact was formally a front runner for the festivals number one slot.

1. Cash Cash

Going in to Cash Cash I literally had no expectations—their set time was initially my planned food break. I knew I would recognize a handful of their tracks, but there wasn't a chance I could identify a single one by name. Despite my obvious disinterest I walked away a huge fan. Their set was energetic, accessible, fun, and packed full of catchy original productions. The duo never fell pray to the generic festival trope of dropping popular banger X right after announcing they were about to take the festival up a notch. Instead Cash Cash stuck to their arsenal of anthems (which I now know) including “Matches,” “Take Me Home,” and “All My Love.” Transition tracks were fun, light-hearted throwbacks the likes of Nelly's “Must Be The Money,” and Eiffel 65's “Blue.” I didn't leave to get food, and smiled the whole way through.

2. Rezz

Initially I was worried that Rezz would fall victim to the mountains of hype surrounding her rise; fortunately for all in attendance her set did not disappoint. Often her sound seems to be polarizing, with audiences either clambering for more or missing the party entirely. Luckily for Contact, Vancouver gets it. From the opening seconds “Relax” Mass Manipulation introduction edit I was transfixed. Slow, grinding, and oddly melodic—her hour on stage melted away in a mesmerizing daze. Selections from 2016's Somethings Wrong Here, and The Silence Is Deafening EP's including “Purple Gusher,” “Selector,” and “Edge” were standouts. But, it was “Diluted Brains” that really floored BC Place drowning a packed house under torrents of thick relentless bass. Rezz was at home on the big stage, and she surely left Contact with new fans. The Cult of Rezz is strong in BC.

3. Destructo

A coherent, well built set consisting predominantly of originals goes a long way. Much like Rezz, Destructo's set was a trip through a very specific soundscape, and the artistry that takes is always appreciated. With strong west coast G-House vibes Destructo took Contact through his aggressively laid back bass filled productions. From “Dare You 2 Move,” to “Catching Plays,” and “4 Real,” Destructo cruised through his set, spanning the breadth of his discography. Finishing with “Loaded,” his new single featuring Yo Gotti, Destructo left the stage easily elevating day two of Contact to an early high day one never attained.

4. Tchami

Having just come off a back to back tour with Malaa, Vancouver was treated to a very special set by Tchami. Not worrying about pandering to main stage pressures Tchami took his time and warmed up Vancouver with about thirty minutes of proper club music, keeping his heavy hitters for the second half of his set. Initially dropping tracks in line with “The Sermon,” Tchami worked his way towards a higher tempo, transitioning to,”Prophecy,” and “Summer 99,” vibes before delving into monster hits like “Promessess,” and “After Life.” His timing and progression were impeccable, solidifying day two of Contact as a platform for real dance music artists. Finishing with an extended cut of “Adieu” cleansed the audiences palate and was a perfect send off for his set.

5. Ekali/Alan Walker

There is one simple reason for the tie between Ekali and Alan Walker; of the entire festival these two sets felt most at home following one another. Ekali set the tone for Contact, filling the stadium early and eliciting a great reaction from the crowd, with his slow tempo, driving as it built a narrative. Alan Walker then took to the stage to knock down what Ekali had set up for him. Offering up a proper main stage set with loads of sing-along worthy originals. This was probably the most consistent two hours of both days of Contact.

6. Carnage

Let me start by prefacing Carnage spent most of his time on stage simply pumping his fists in the air and screaming nonsense into the microphone. His transitions were often awful, and sections of the set were borderline indistinguishable noise. That being said, I can't stop thinking about his set. He worked the crowd into a frenzy the likes of which I have never seen. From start to finish the entire stadium collectively lost their mind. After announcing that he was there to deliver “some loud ass obnoxious music,” that was exactly what he did. At times his set was nearly paint by numbers, but at other times it was genuinely surprising. It was jarring, abrasive, and arrogant—but that's what made it good? The crowd’s energy was infectious, and if you suspend all sense of musical taste, the set was loads of fun. Carnage left the stage with one final proclamation, “Contact 2017 RIP, I just murdered your ass.” I honestly don't know what to say...but I think he did?

Honourable Mention: Armin

Armin showcased the harder side of trance for his Contact audience, maybe because he was following up Carnage, or simply because he wanted to do something different. Either way, melodic trance is more my speed meaning this particular Armin set did not really sit well with me. Running through tracks like “If It Ain't Dutch,” and “You Are,” Armin dialed up the energy and hammered Contact. While it may have not been my style I recognize the artistry of a set expertly woven together. As always, Armin knows how to take on a main stage.

Biggest Disappointment: Marshmello

Because of the endless hype, my expectations for Marshmello were high, and sadly his set fell victim to over inflated promise. Keeping my disappointment in check, Marshmello did deliver about forty five minutes of music that plastered a smile on my face. He played his originals and that's what people wanted to hear. Outside of his trademark sound there was a lot that could have been trimmed from his set. It was evident that he was attempting to hype the audience up with a banger or two, but it was generic. It wasn't woven together particularly well, and it didn't fit the happy-mello persona I had come to know and love. Ultimately, for me, Marshmello fell short and left me wondering if his set was more suited for a one hour time slot.

Ryan Hayes is a Vancouver based writer who has contributed to many EDM publications over the past few years. You can follow him on Twitter: @VanCityDanceNrd.

Read Sinejan's top 6 of Contact Festival 2017! 

5 must-see artists at Bud Light Dreams Festival

Bud Light Dreams Festival is coming up fast as Echo Beach will feature 3 stages and a whole host of artists for this 2-day festival. It's easy to recommend the festival headliners as a must-see act but this post is taking the hard road as it finds the gems in the lineup that you may not have thought of checking out. Some of these names are newer faces like Ekali, while others have been around the scene for a long time and deserve a bigger spotlight. While you're making your final personal set schedule amongst your friends, consider making room for these 5 fantastic artists below. 

Ekali (Friday, Echo Beach: 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm)

Via FB

Ekali, a Vancouver based artist who has been making waves thanks to his strong productions and mixes that have been played millions of times on Soundcloud. Known for his future bass tunes, Ekali is currently much bigger in the States than in his own country as he's about to make his Eastern Canadian festival debut at Dreams. If you like your mixes to feature bass, future bass, and a bit of trap - seeing Ekali is a must. 

Anna Lunoe (Saturday, Echo Beach: 6:00 pm - 7:15 pm)

Photo by Jasmine Safaeian

Anna Lunoe is well known amongst electronic dance music connoisseurs but is quickly getting her name out there as one of the premiere live performers in the scene. Her performance at this year's Coachella was one of the highlights of the festival as she puts genres aside and mixes a multitude of different tracks into her sets. Expect a dynamic, fun, and light hearted set to kick off the evening portion of Saturday's festival lineup.

Orjan Nilsen (Saturday, Dream House: 5:20 pm - 6:35 pm)

Via FB

He is well known within the trance community and is a monster in the studio as he's been responsible for creating the most heart pounding trance records. He's been skirting at the edges of trance by pushing the boundaries between that sound and big room without it sounding trashy. Even though he's playing at an early time slot, I can guarantee that Orjan Nilsen will be giving fans a set worth coming in early for. 

DJ Hanzel (Saturday, Waterfront Stage: 7:55 pm - 9:00 pm)

Photo by Rukes

DJ Hanzel is Dillon Francis' techno meme alternative personality that somehow managed to snag a primo time slot at this year's Dreams Festival. I predict this set to be one of the more popular ones as curious fans will pack the waterfront stage just to see what "DJ Hanzel" will do. Will he pull a reverse Deadmau5 and try to troll the underground scene? Will Hanzel give the crowd a diva moment or two at any point during his set? Or will he simply smash the festival crowd with the hottest tracks? Who knows what will happen, and that's why you have to be there. 

Malaa (Saturday, Waterfront Stage: 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm)

Via FB

Ever since the mysterious French artist known as Malaa made his big festival debut at Ultra Miami back in 2016, the buzz has been full on. Fans have been looking for something fresh to experience since big room has taken a sudden downturn. Artists like Malaa have given these crowds exactly what they needed by showcasing the new wave of future house sounds. The new French wave of talent have taken that sound to new heights and has made Malaa a must-see at any festival as a result. Being given a headlining slot on the Waterfront Stage is a big honour, and Malaa is ready to deliver.

For all information regarding Bud Light Dreams Festival including set times, afterparties, and ticket information - click here. 

Fresh: Flux Pavilion - "I Can't Stop" (Ekali Remix)

Vancouver artist Ekali took on one of the classic bass tracks in Flux Pavilion's "I Can't Stop" and gave it a new feel. He brought in some beautiful piano work and a trap vibe which breathes new life to the classic track. If you're into the chill/future bass sound, Ekali is someone to watch out for. Check out his other tunes on Soundcloud by clicking here.