Osheaga – Top Festival for Eclectic Music Lovers

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By David Mann

Last weekend was special for a variety of reasons. For one, it was the first event I've attended since COVID; for another, Osheaga featured a few key names I'd been eyeing for some time and couldn't wait to see. Amelie Lens, a breakout star from the techno scene, was headlining day 1 and was one of the top names on my list. Kettama headlined day 2 and has quickly vaulted to the top of my playlists with his mishmash of styles, which includes techno, breakbeat, and UK bass. Finally, Subtronics has risen through the bass ranks for years, and that climb has recently culminated in top headline slots all across the world. He has become a force to be reckoned with, crossing over from niche headliner to mainstage mainstay. His fast-twitch style — mixing popular track clips with massive bass interludes — played remarkably well with the crowd. Let's dive into the highlights.

Day 1

The xx

The xx triumphed, showcasing their biggest tracks while offering dance-beat breakdowns that got the crowd moving. A lot of the credit for the dance blend in their sound can be traced back to Jamie xx, who stands on his own as a well-known producer when he's not touring with the band. The first half of the set was filled with well-known tracks from their discography, but they pumped up the volume in the second half with fast breakbeats, delivering full-on dance beats on command. Hybrid acts like The xx are a beautiful thing, as they expose fans who aren't normally accustomed to EDM.

Amelie Lens

Amelie Lens closed the stage at Osheaga to an all-too-willing crowd that had long awaited the moment. Amelie doesn't usually venture out to these parts, so when I saw her listed as one of this year's headliners, she became one of the reasons I absolutely had to go. Her energy is contagious and her beats even more so, inviting you to dance and leave your inhibitions behind. She really let us have it with the heavy techno: this was not the more accessible, vocal-friendly Amelie Lens — this was Ibiza-at-3-a.m. vibes. She even ventured into psy-trance territory with "Rainbow Body" by West Galaxy and Akasha. She brought the heat with "Domino" by Oxia (Space 92 remix) and "Proton" by Space 92, a brand-new release. Amelie dropped more fresh tracks, including one by Franco Smith called "Misil," a solid techno belter. One of the closers was also a fresh release on Armada Music, titled "1998," by the legendary Paul Oakenfold with Marie Vaunt and Binary Finary. The last track was the classic "Falling for You" by Amelie Lens, ending an amazing set with a rare vocal reprise that sent the day 1 crowd off smiling.

Day 2

Zulan

Pairing big hip hop tracks with dance beats never felt so good as when Zulan delivered her mashup set, which the sold-out Osheaga crowd adored. She brought about 100 people on stage to bring the energy, and it worked — everyone was hyped. Zulan kept the energy up and jumped up and down the entire time with a smile on her face. A highlight was a special mashup with Drake's "Janice STFU." I had no expectations heading into her set and came away impressed.

Kettama

Kettama is a relatively new name in this part of the world, but the 29-year-old from Galway, Ireland, who has since relocated to London, has actually been DJing since the age of 17. He made quick work of winning over the crowd, who were hyped from beginning to end. The beats were relentless, with some beautiful vocals including his remix of Calvin Harris's "Blessings." Kettama's set shone with his own productions — an obvious statement, I know, but the crowd was knowledgeable and seemed acquainted with all of his big tracks. The enthusiasm was infectious; you could hear cheers between drops during "The Miracle Makers" by Kettama and Ewan McVicar. This set up his run of big hits, which were absolute belters, starting with "Pretty Green Eyes." Kettama's confidence in cutting the first vocal drop and letting the crowd chant it confirmed that this was clearly a Kettama crowd. That was followed by one of his biggest hits and a personal favourite of mine, "It Gets Better." The track reminds me of Underworld's vibe, and Kettama strikes me as the inevitable next big act from that region, carrying the torch of the UK sound. Winding down his set, he went old-school UK with Robert Miles's "Children." Kettama then threw in a wild hip hop track, "4 Raws" by EsDeeKid, taking everyone by surprise. The drop was absolutely dirty, with the bass at 11 and reverberating throughout the stage. The last 10 to 15 minutes were an ID fest, and we all loved it. Kettama was a highlight of the festival.

Day 3

Subtronics

Day 3 was a wet affair all day, but that didn't stop the crowd from coming out and bringing the energy. The Osheaga crowd had been listening to more vocals and chiller vibes throughout the day, including the sultry sounds of SG Lewis on the electronic stage. When it was dark and time for Subtronics to take the stage, he descended like an alien from outer space and delivered a sound not yet heard by the masses at Osheaga. He brought the bass to 11 and the energy to the red line from minute one. One of the first bangers was a "Titanium" remix/mashup that combined absolutely nasty bass drops with Sia's beautiful vocals from the David Guetta original. The mashups continued, combining bass drops with classics like the Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps" and Bruno Mars's "Locked Out of Heaven," along with clips from well-known hits by Daft Punk, Vanessa Carlton, Rihanna, and even House of Pain. When he played Skrillex's "Cinema" and combined it with what I believe to be a MUST DIE! remix of "Maze of Punishment" by SVDDEN DEATH, I did think for a moment that maybe, just maybe, Subtronics is the natural successor to Skrillex. Jesse praised the crowd multiple times, and the crowd paid the love back in kind. Subtronics was the best set of Osheaga.

Overall

Osheaga proved once again why it is the best festival in Canada, delivering a lineup that combines vastly popular names like Zara Larsson and Lorde with the likes of Subtronics and Kettama. If you have a varied and eclectic taste in music, you'll love Osheaga. Nestled right in the middle of the city, Parc Jean-Drapeau is a natural oasis, offering plenty of trees and greenery between the massive stages. If you've never been to Osheaga, I highly advise you make plans for next year.

Alison Wonderland crushing the Bud Light House Party Tour

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By Dominic Wren

Alexandra Scholler, also known under her stage name of Alison Wonderland, has been one of the most exciting names to come through the electronic music scene in the last couple of years by creating her own distinct sound and collaborating with artist within and outside the electronic music scene, such as Trippie Red, Dillon Francis, and Chief Keef just to name a couple. EDM Canada was more than grateful to have a chance to sit down with this unique artist and discuss a couple topics so we can all understand her, her music, and her message a little bit better.

The Fortnite Pro-Am in July saw many celebrities participate in the charity event including Alison Wonderland. She explained that she started playing only 2 days before the event and she still beat 20 people before eventually eliminating herself because she was too good. Even for herself…

One thing she can undoubtedly be crowned as a world champion for is creating her own snacks. I’m talking about finding the new best topping on a pizza; I’m talking about mixing the most random ingredients to imitate a real food. For example; she explained that when she first started touring, she would get the milk creams and the sugar from the hotel room mini bar to mix them both in her mouth to imitate the taste of vanilla ice cream. Now that’s unique!

Source: Bud Light Canada FB Page

As some fans may already know, the now successful DJ/producer was a very talented cellist for the Sydney Youth Orchestra. Today she dominates the electronic music scene, but how/when did she make the transition from classical music to raves? She explained cello was her passion for most of her youth but after coming back to Australia from an overseas experience studying cello, she decided that this instrument wasn’t for her anymore. With no plans for education, Alexandra started playing in an underground punk band and working at the doors of nightclubs to earn extra money. She then heard the DJ play the song “Silent Shout” by the Knife and she became obsessed with it so she started making music like The Knife to later become the beloved Alison Wonderland after years of grinding and hard work.

For a long time, at the beginning of her career, Alexandra used a cracked version of the DAW Ableton where she taught herself how to make her own tracks. She only had a few sample packs to start with, including a Deadmau5’s sample pack, and pure passion that led to the creation of her own sound. She then started DJing closing sets almost every night in clubs around Sydney. She would make music during the day and would DJ until 4 am at night.

She made a clear point that DJing and producing music are two very different aspects of music. The Aussie artist explained that in those days, she would DJ under the name “Alison Wonderland” and produce under the name “White Fang.”

Pssst… *whispering* She also hinted a possibility of new music being released under her old name of White Fang.

We eventually went on to talk about the Bud Light House Party event that she was DJing that same night. Alison Wonderland was very excited for involvement with Bud Light and she mentioned that she would not have said yes to an event like this if it weren’t an authentic experience between her and her fans. Bud Light made it so much easier for her to connect with her fans and support her as an artist. Big ups on that Bud Light!

Alison Wonderland is one the most authentic and interesting electronic artists out there in my opinion. From humble beginnings to crushing headlines, her musical career has been a journey that even a Hollywood movie couldn’t encompass the whole story. We hope to see more of this talented female artist in the near future and hope to see her come to Canada more often! We need more artists like her in the industry.