Contest: Win 2 tickets to see REZZ in Toronto on October 7th!

/

Almost no one else has had a bigger year in the scene than REZZ. The 22 year-old Toronto artist has rocked all of the big Canadian festival stages while making doing more of the same in the United States. With her debut album "Mass Manipulation" recently released, REZZ has stuck true to her darker raw style and has consistently grown her fanbase. 

REZZ will be bringing her debut headlining tour to Toronto on Saturday October 7th at the Danforth Music Hall and EDM Canada would like to give you a chance to win 2 tickets. Simply log into Instagram, find the post and like it - and follow @edm_canada on Instagram and you're in! You must be 19+ to enter, the contest is open now and will close on October 4th and a winner will be selected soon after. Get on Instagram and enter now! 

Fashion of Veld (Pictures)

/

Last weekend the Veld Music Festival brought together thousands of fans from Toronto and across Canada/U.S. to party and see their favourite artists. Fortunately some of these fans take their devotion to the next level by dressing up which adds to the flavour and personality of Veld. Below you'll find a nice cross section of the fashion found at this year's Veld, enjoy.

(Warning: depending on where you work, the pictures below could be considered NFSW)

All photos were taken by Sinejan Ozaydemir. You can follow her on Twitter by clicking here. 

6 other reasons why Veld was amazing

/

Top-notch security team

Safety was priority #1 for every member of the security team at the festival. They were responsive and in tune with the crowds, and handled any issues that arose quickly. They were happy to spread some good vibes by encouraging people around them to jump and dance to the music. They anticipated the needs of individuals around them before they were needed and helped make sure the festival ran smoothly. 

Games area & rides

Having more activities on site was such a bonus for everyone involved. It was a happy distraction while walking from stage to stage and many enjoyed the view and music from the Ferris wheel and made bracelets with friends. 

Shaded/resting tents

We all need a few minutes to recharge our batteries. The placement of the tents were perfect as you could see the main stage from most of the tents. This way, no one had to miss out on the excitement! 

No line for bathrooms or water

Throughout the whole weekend, I never once had to wait longer than a minute or two to access the water stations or bathrooms. I don’t know about you, but I really don’t care for port-a-potties. I did, however like the fact that if or when you needed one, it is a much more pleasant experience having access to one without having to wait in a long line! 

Flags

Although the Canadian flag was a favourite (#Canada150!), many other countries flags were well represented. Not only were people celebrating their diverse backgrounds but their love of different foods, shops and brands. I saw many flags ranging from McDonald's to Home Depot, but my personal favourite flag of the weekend was the TACOS flag reminding me of my love for tacos every time the beat dropped. 

The weather

Anyone who’s spent the majority of this summer in the GTA understands that it may rain randomly throughout any given day even if the weather forecast doesn’t say that it will. The team at Veld were ready to party rain or shine, but we as the audience enjoyed the great breezy weather with no random downpours to rain on our parade. The grounds were muddy in many areas on day 1 but got a lot better on day 2. The partially cloudy days also helped a lot of people avoid heat exhaustion which I believe significantly  affected everyone’s mood and energy levels in a positive manner. 

Review and photos by Sinejan Ozaydemir. You can follow her on Twitter by clicking here. 

11 impressions from the Veld Music Festival 2017

/

Tiesto

“Are you ready for some Tiesto classics?!” exclaimed Tiesto on the mic as the large crowd screamed. Toronto was SO ready to witness the global sensation’s skills on stage. He played us remixes of some favourites such as ‘Calabria' (Enur ft. Natasja), 'Feel it in my bones' (Tegan and Sara), 'Pump it' (Black Eyed Peas), 'Mr. Brightside' (Killers) and ‘Wasted' (Matthew Koma). Favourite moments during the set were: 1) When he played 'Just Be' as it is an old favourite, 2) When he apologized that he had to speed things up because he’s running late and the crowd decided that no matter how fast the beat was going, they were going to jump along! Nothing short of awesome, Tiesto proved to us once again, why he is such a powerhouse in the DJ world. 

Madeon

Taking DJing to a whole new level— Madeon seemed to be enjoying being intertwined with so much technology and song power at their fingertips. He would pick up his midi controller and show the audience which buttons he was really pressing up there! Not only was he good with his tools, but he also danced just as much as the crowd if not MORE! His transitions were quick and effective with the perfect amount of highs and lows and the audience was engaged from start till finish. His dance-worthy song 'Imperium' was a big hit. Some of the side screens were lowered until Zedd’s performance and yet Madeon’s visuals stood out beautifully without being excessive. Overall, his energy and dedication to the spirit of DJing was very impressive. Not the stereotypical jumping up and down from the crowd that we commonly see.

Major lazer

As the main stage crowd took a moment’s break realizing they had JUST seen Tiesto, Major Lazer got ready for what they called ‘the largest crowd in Canada yet!’. They played a lot of their remixes and tracks (ex. 'Watch out for this (Bumaye)’, ‘Light it up’, ‘Lean on’, ‘Front of the line’, ‘Sua Cara’, ‘Bun up the dance remix’, ‘Shape of you remix’, and more). Most notably, they took audience engagement to a new level as Diplo himself jumped in a giant hamster ball and rolled over the crowd. The group was so impressed with the diversity in the crowd noting the different flags and wanting to celebrate the moment by taking a group picture with “all the flags up!”.

Their light show/visuals did not disappoint and it was refreshing to see an ending that just faded away rather than had the usual big bang. They helped us not feel left out celebrating the Caribbean festival by doing a shuffle lead by their amazing dancers. They repeatedly exclaimed their love for the city and the festival crowd there on Sunday. The show closed off the successful festival strong and the audience rushed out to their cars and ubers, a lot of them trying to get to Rebel nightclub to see Diplo for the afterparty. (Ps. Hey Major Lazer! Just in case you didn’t know, the feeling was mutual and Toronto loves you too!) 

Zedd

As expected, Zedd delivered a wonderfully well-rounded performance with amazing visuals and just the right amount of his songs sprinkled in with remixes. Although I really enjoy the fact that as a DJ, one is able to add their own touches to popular songs and mix them with creativity, It was also enjoyable to hear a DJ's own discography live, for longer than a chorus at a time. This is why Zedd’s performances are so energizing because he knows what his fans want to hear.. He is a talented artist and producer who is capable of showcasing his talent while the crowd was happy to sing along. "Clarity" was still one of the biggest sing-along moments for the crowd while my favourite part of the set was the appearance of the dancing hot dog meme on screen during his newest single ‘Get Low’ ft Liam Payne. Some notable remixes were of songs by Clean Bandit, Bruno Mars, Missy Elliott, Nelly, Maroon 5, Kendrick Lamar, Queen and Daft Punk. He also ended the show with fireworks which never hurts! 

French Montana

Veld fest was happy to announce the last minute addition of French Montana to the schedule replacing Lil Uzi Vert, who unfortunately had to cancel his appearances in Canada due to due to immigration and border issues. The Remy Martin Stage was happy to welcome French Montana with excitement. Although he had not prepared to perform at Veld this year, he easily delivered an excellent set. He greeted the crowd with smiles and great energy as they sang along with him the whole time. He repeatedly mentioned how much he loves performing in Toronto and judging by the crowd’s reaction, it is no wonder why! Everyone from the front row to people sitting in the ferris wheel were engaged. The festival attracted a crowd that is well versed in both hip hop and EDM. Everyone knew the words to his newest song ‘Unforgettable’ as French asked everyone to sing it loud grinning from ear to ear. A great performance through and through by French Montana.

Getter

Following French Montana, the majority of the crowd excitedly waited as Getter took the stage. Getter’s set was full of head bangers and it seemed like the crowd was expecting just that! A group got so into it, they almost knocked over the barrier wall surrounding the sound tent! They celebrated in synchronicity while holding nothing back. The visuals were very detailed and interesting, really adding to the overall look of the Remy Martin stage. 

Grey

As things started to pick up on day 1 at Veld, Grey, 2 brothers from L.A known most recently for their song with Hailee Steinfeld called ’Starving' took the main stage.  What made these brothers most interesting on stage was the fact that they brought in a live guitar and drum machine for their set. Not only did this give the viewers a more authentic live sound but also really had us all engaged and wondering whether the next song would feature some live instrumentals or not. The duo both alternated between live instruments and mixing, played their new song "Chameleon" which was well received. They also incorporated a fair amount of top 40 tracks, some throwbacks and Zedd remixes into their set. Although it seemed like they had some technical difficulties just over halfway through their set, they recovered quickly by gracefully ending their set strong. Throughout their performance they enjoyed moving around the stage as much as possible and entertaining the crowd until the end. 

Dzeko

Torontonians know how to celebrate when one of their own comes to town! Dzeko had no trouble keeping the crowd interested as he played the most diversified set of the day. His remixes of classics such as "Sweet Dreams" and "L’Amour Toujours" were all well received and he even threw in a bit of Blur in there somehow! He ended his set with his new remix of Jonas Blue’s ‘Mama'. 

Robin Schulz

There was a steady influx of people flowing in throughout the day and by the time Robin Schulz came on, the area by the main stage was full. Robin Schulz’s set gathered attention from not only the people close surrounding the main stage, but all around the site as people recognized his popular tracks. His remix of "Prayer in C" was a big hit as expected. He also had the chance to bring on a guest artist: Francesco Yates, to help him perform 'Sugar’. The crowd was clearly entertained and cheering them on. 

Loud luxury

The duo from London Ontario took stage as larger numbers of people started to dance-walk their way towards the main-stage area on Day 2 of VELD. Loud luxury, who has been touring North America the past year, delivered a steady set filled with classics and chart toppers. Tracks like 'Still D.R.E', 'You Don’t Know Me', ‘Goosebumps', Hype, 'Bad and Boujee', ‘Work remix’ and 'Show me love' received the biggest crowd response. Throughout their set they delivered a good mix of rap, dance, hip hop and top 40 to engage all members of the crowd. They also had a special guest Nikki’s wives who joined them to perform their newest song ‘Show me what that body do’ which currently has almost 2.3M views on Youtube. Nikki’s vocals were great as she strutted the stage with her black sequinned onesie. Their visuals were colourful and active but more minimalistic in design with a spinning Loud Luxury logo above them for almost the entire set. 

3LAU

3LAU delivered a solid performance featuring 2 special guests. His visuals featured his logo 3LAU flashing up on all main screens of the stage in different colour arrangements for most of his performance. The crowd was enjoying the set as they sang along to songs like ‘Day n night’, ‘Goosebumps’, ‘Humble’, ‘Light’, ‘Waiting for tonight' and ‘Sandstorm. He also had two special guests come join him on stage. The first was WWE wrestler Mojo Rawley and second Madison Beer for her new track 'Dead'. Both guests enjoyed dancing with 3LAU on stage. 

Review and photos by Sinejan Ozaydemir. You can follow her on Twitter by clicking here. 

12 impressions from WayHome Music & Arts 2017

/

The WayHome festival grounds was impeccable

From the pristine lawns, the stage setup, the food options, the VIP layout, and more - the festival grounds at Burl's Creek for WayHome was almost perfect. The stage sound systems were ideal for the allotted areas with limited sound bleed between stages. There was plenty of room to dance and never once did I feel claustrophobic. The areas behind the main stage were perfect for sitting down with friends and relaxing, while hearing the music without any noticeable degradation. The food options were diverse, there were plenty of water stations, and thanks to Perrier, we even had a stylish air conditioned space to relax in with a full schedule of DJs playing a wide range of music. Overall you couldn't ask for a better layout than what was found at WayHome. 

Porter Robinson

The last EDM act of WayHome came from none other than Porter Robinson, who recently graced the mainstage of Coachella with Madeon. His atmospheric tracks from his now classic album Worlds filled the WayHome stage which was accompanied with vivid anime graphics and abstract computer generated art. Porter's set up is elaborate for a single artist as he had a mic for singing, 2 keyboards, a mixer, and a drum pad. At times he would be busy manipulating two stations at the same time, which was captured on the big screen in all of its glory. The simplicity of his set was magical. Listening to his big tracks like Shelter and Sad Machine was an emotional experience for everyone there, as the crowd did not hesitate to show their appreciation every chance they got. This was an intense Porter performance, and the best set I've personally seen him play out of the 4-5 times prior. His set at WayHome will not be soon forgotten. 

Justice

Justice possibly played the best individual set at WayHome this year. Seeing this French duo live with their full stage setup takes their music and overall atmosphere to a whole new level. The stage lightning would morph multiple times throughout the performance to suit the mood, and even though the lights were awe-inspiring, Justice's famous minimalism came through as the colour schemes did not surpass 1 colour at a time out of 5-6 total. While Gaspard was mostly busy at the controls, rarely looking down at he crowd, it was Xavier that took the time to interact and get the crowd even further into their performance. Both of them have such good chemistry that it was a treat to watch them riff off another during the set. 

Flume

Flume closed out the mainstage on day 1 with a goosebump filled showcase of his tracks. The electricity of the crowd was palpable as they sung loudly to the Australian's many vocal hits including "Never Be Like You". The music was backed up by his impressively crisp graphics and simple yet beautiful cubed DJ booth. As much as Flume's originals soar, listening to his remixes and edits are equally as pleasing as he dropped his remix of Lorde's "Tennis Court", the remix of Hermitude's "Hyperparadise", and his edit of Rustie's "Slasherr" track. A lot of fans got to see what an exceptional artist from the electronic dance music world can offer as Flume put on a master class of a show to end the night on the right footing. 

Illenium

Once the day turned into night on day 1, the crowd was pining for a higher tempo performance in which newcomer Illenium provided in full. By 9:40 pm on day 1, Illenium was the first EDM act to play at WayHome, and put on a show filled with melodic bass music. He previewed a brand new track that fit in right into his emotional wheelhouse with soaring female vocals paired with future bass. His set up was ambitious as he made room for live elements into his setup including drum pads that he used frequently. His set was short, only 50 minutes, but provided the landscape to set up the rest of the evening with Flume and Justice.

Louis The Child

Unlike some future bass producers that will remain unnamed, Louis the Child did not succumb to the idea that they need to play harder stuff to woo the crowd. They stuck to their guns and showcased the sound that got them to WayHome in the first place. I give credit to this Chicago duo as they brought their feel good tracks and remixes, including their remix with SteLouse for "Inside Out" by the Chiefs, or the re-imagining of "Genghis Khan" by Miike Snow. Saving their best for last, Louis The Child wound down their afternoon set with "Love Is Alive", their hit with another upcoming artist Elohim. 

Marshmello

Quick cuts into the meat of the track that got the crowd hyped. Day 2 was a more relaxing day but after a day of acts on the relaxed side, fans were ready to rock the WayBright stage once Marshmello took the stage. The "mystery" DJ brought it heavy with quick cuts filled with bass ("Throwing Elbows" by Excision/Space Laces) and hip hop anthems ("Humble" by Kendrick Lamar). The focus of Marshmello is to make his fans happy and dancing, which he successfully accomplished through his set. 

Jagwar Ma

This Australian band gave the intimate crowd at WayBright a special surprise - a flawless performance showing the full capacity and range of their tunes. Gabriel Winterfield was in top form as his voice lifted despite the sweltering 30 degree Toronto heat as the crowd enjoyed the show despite being baked. The electronic beats may not match the big room rhythm of a Martin Garrix, but Jagwar Ma cleverly incorporates electronic aspects into their live show that complements their sound. At times it turned into a rave as the beats took over in an amazing display of energy by the band. The set was only 30 minutes long but their impact on the festival was felt.

NON-EDM IMPRESSIONS

Schoolboy Q

Credit: Kara Ramos

Schoolboy Q played his show infront of the biggest midday crowd on the mainstage of the entire WayHome experience. The huge crowds underlined the shift among music tastemakers as the ascendancy of hip hop has arrived. The L.A. rapper dressed for winter with his tuque and a windbreaker, despite the near 30 degree heat. To his credit, Schoolboy Q stuck to his style and did not remove his original outfit. With multiple moshpits happening at once, WayHome fans went wild for his unique hip hop sound. 

Jazz Cartier

Out of all of the JUNO winners this year, none have used the platform better than Jazz Cartier, the winner of the best rap album of the year. Where Schoolboy Q left off, Jazz Cartier took it to the next level with his more in your face aggressive hip hop. At one point he invited the crowd to follow him to the food trucks near the stage where he got up on the roof of the poutine truck and rapped. Overall a memorable show.

Tanya Tagaq

Watching Tanya Tagaq is an experience that no one should miss. The vocal range and the multitude of sounds that she can create is out of this world. The more extreme the sound, Tanya's body motion becomes even more intense. Her songs leave plenty of room for experimentation as her band follows her lead. For those that want to hear something more experimental from a talented Canadian artist, then Tanya Tagaq is for you. Once it was over, the intimate crowd gave her an effusive applause which elicited an ear to ear smile by Tanya.

Frank Ocean

Ambitious, intense, and perfect - it's hard to put into words what the crowd had the honour to see on the final day of WayHome but Frank Ocean put on a performance for the ages. Having only played a handful of shows in the last few years, Frank Ocean was stoic yet vulnerable on the big stage and was not afraid to re-start songs that felt short of his lofty expectations. He did not use the mainstage like the other acts from the past 3 days as he created his own stage island out in the crowd filled with movie quality cameras, a full band, and more. The love for Frank Ocean was real as the Toronto crowd happily sang every word to his songs, which he fed off of, even removing his headset at times to feed off the energy.