Check out EDC Las Vegas and Shambhala's lineup announcements!

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Two major festivals have announced their impressive lineups. The first is EDC Las Vegas, a festival that has always been well attended by Canadians, have brought out all of the stops as they seem to have invited almost literally every big artist to Las Vegas this summer. The lineup is so immense that you can get mesmerized by just perusing the names on the poster (see above).

The second festival of note to reveal their lineup was The Shambhala Music Festival. This B.C. festival has been consistently growing their lineup for the past several years, but this year seems like their biggest one yet. With names like Kaskade, Silk City (Diplo + Mark Ronson), Zhu, and Bonobo (DJ Set), Shambhala has truly emerged into a major festival player on the circuit. Check out the lineup below:

Sunset Festival takes on dance music

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By Ryan Hayes

Last Saturday was a first— a Lululemon festival headlined by Diplo, acting as the official after party for a half marathon. Initially filled with apprehension, past iterations of the Sunset Festival have hosted more eclectic indie rocker bands like Young, but the night continually surprised. As the event unfolded it exceeded my expectations at every turn. From a purely organizational standpoint there were no lines, no one waited for food or drinks for longer than a few minutes, everyone had space, the vendors/market were varied, and most importantly everyone in the crowd was respectful. There was definitely a clear divide between attendees who had purchased their tickets to see Diplo/Felix Cartal and those who were there as an extension of the half marathon; but everyone enjoyed themselves.

Felix Cartal took the stage first and weaved together an hour long set packed with originals like Mood, Faces, and a stellar intro edit of Fakin It. What impressed me the most about Cartal's set was it's cohesion; even when he was playing other artist's tracks. Every twist and turn fit neatly within the new soundscape that Cartal has carved out for himself over the last few years. It was a tight, well selected set, welcoming the diverse crowd at Seawheeze and easing them in to a world they may not be accustomed to. As the hour progressed Cartal picked up tempo preparing the audience for Diplo. Britney Spear's Toxic (played in full), and Cartal's final track, his rendition 1998's hit Get What You Give, unified the crowd of over 10,000 runners and dance music fans.

As a musical curator and track selector, Diplo is unrivaled in his field. Weaving together Diplo originals from all four of his side projects (Jack Ü, Major Lazer, LDS & Silk City), his set defied genre's. After announcing that this was his last festival of the 'summer season' (it was the first day of Fall) Diplo laid down one of the most fun, and free, festival sets I had seen in ages. The secret was that it didn't take itself too seriously. From decade spanning hits for the Seawheeze mainstream—Vengaboys' We like to Party & the Macarena, through to Kelis' Milkshake & Drake's In My Feelings—to future bass, house, & festival mainstay mashups—Ping Pong vs Tremor vs Freak & Beyonce Run The World (Girls) vs Duke Dumont's remix of Swish Swish—Diplo blazed relentlessly through his hour long set surprising marathon runner's and exceeding the expectations of dance music fans.

After declaring he had one last track for us, Diplo proceeded to play for an extended twenty minutes past his scheduled set time. While many Seawheeze attendees proceeded to file out, hoping to be the first in line at the shuttles, Diplo delved in to Shiba San's Okay; seemingly signifying it was time for the pure house portion of the night. Whether it was Anti Up's Pizza, Fisher's Stop It, or Camelphat & Elderbrook Cola...Diplo didn't seem to have a road map anymore, he was simply feeling house music. It was an after party hidden within a festival. Traversing through extended mixes of tacks void of traditional festival drops/hooks groups of die hard dance music fans began to pop up and cluster together throughout the crowd—smiling because they knew what was going on and were excited, even if the majority of the audience didn't. It was a risk, but that's what Diplo does best, he exposes people to new genre's of music and pushes them to the forefront.

When all was said and down Seawheeze Sunset Festival was a massive success. Everyone, regardless of their musical leanings, enjoyed themselves, and both artists walked away from the night with legions of new fans. Here's to hoping Seawheeze 2019 also has a dance music lineup.

11 impressions from the Veld Music Festival 2017

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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. 

Listen to Diplo's 7th year anniversary live set at XS from Las Vegas

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Diplo has been a resident DJ at XS Nightclub for a long time and this past weekend in Las Vegas the establishment celebrated its 7th year anniversary. Getting to hear a 2 hour plus set from Diplo is rare, so make sure to check it out in all of its glory below. 

Tracklist: 

Major Lazer - Light It Up (Quintino Bootleg) v2
ASAP Ferg & Future - 2016-ASAP Ferg & Future-New Level (Benzi Faster & Shorter Edit)
jungle bae VIP
Wiwek - Riot
jauz feel face
Tiesto & KSHMR ft Vassy - Tiesto & KSHMR ft Vassy - Secrets (Don Diablo VIP Mix)
Autoerotique - They Know (automstr)
Lil Wayne x Kill FM - Steady Mobbin (Deville's Filthy Bass House Bootleg) Dirty
Shiba San - OKAY (Dave Winnel Mix)
TRAP QUEEN HOUSE TO NIGLIO
be right there white iverson
Bingo_Players - Rattle_Original_Mix_16bit
The Bloody Beetroots Feat Steve Aoki - WARP 1.9
Steve Aoki ft Chris Lake & Tujamo - Boneless
Eurythmics vs. Halfway House - Sweet Peak Dreams (MAKJ Edit)
Valentino Khan - Deep Down Low (VIP)
MY LOVE jauz
Armin van Buuren vs Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Martin Garrix-Ping Pong vs Tr - TREMOR POP
daft april freak edits
Carnage ft. A$AP Ferg, Rich The Kid, & Lil Uzi Vert - WDYW (Dirty)
O.T. Genasis ft Young Dolph - Cut It (Zea Edit)
Kanye West - All Day (Dirty)
T-Wayne - Nasty Freestyle (Intro - Dirty)
Beyonce - Formation (Dirty)
Ty Dolla $ign ft. Future & Rae Sremmurd - Blase (Intro - Dirty)
ASAP Ferg & Future - 2016-ASAP Ferg & Future-New Level (Benzi Faster & Shorter Edit)
7A - No Type vs Carnage (TJR mashup)
Big Rings X Bing Bong (Grandtheft Short Edit)
Fetty Wap - Jimmy Choo (Dirty)
Fetty Wap - Couple Bands (Deville Party Break Club Mix) Dirty
K Camp ft. Kwony Cash - Money
FETTY WAP FT. DRAKE - MY WAY (FLOSSTRADAMUS X 4B REMIX)
Kanye West Ft. Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz - Mercy (RL Grime + Salva Remix)
The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) - 3._Niggas_in_Paris
FLOSS live - All I Do Is Bing Bong
Travis Scott x RL Grime - ANTI-SCYLLA (Benzi x S&C Edit)
711 Gta SHORt
JUMPMAN JUMP (DF EDIT)
Lil Wayne - A MILLI LIVE EDIT
D4L - Laffy Taffy
Yo Gotti - Down In The DM (Intro - Dirty)
Yo Gotti ft. Nicki Minaj - Down In The DM Remix (Dirty)
Big Sean - A$$ (Remix) (Feat. Nicki Minaj)
TNGHT - Higher Ground
dem franchize boys - Oh I Think Dey Like Me
Rich Homie Quan - Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh) (Dirty)
Crime Mob - Knuck If You Buck
IAmDLOW - Bet You Can't Do It Like Me (Intro)
Yung Joc - It's Going Down
Ludacris - Move Bitch Ft Mystikal I-20
SNOOP Bobby schmurder - DROP IT HOT NIGGA
DeJ Loaf ft. Big Sean - Back Up - Tall Boys Boss Mode Bootleg (Dirty)
intro idea jack darth into new rickysan
Carnage ft. Migos - Bricks (Intro - Dirty)
Future x Showtek - Commas (BENZI EDIT)
edits feb 2016 booty bounce tjr
Desiigner x Kanye West x Ookay - PANDA (BENZI EDIT)
G-Eazy & Bebe Rexha - Me Myself & I - Clips X Ahoy Remix (Zea Edit)
BBHMM X EPTIC [4B EDIT]
POWER REVOLUTION CAN'T STOP
drake vs souljah boy - CRANK DAT HOTLINE BLING
STAY HIGH Where are U now intro
FLOSSTRADAMUS - WHERE ARE U NOW ALLEN IVERSON? white iverson
BOI TO GET LOW JACK U
Kronic & MM - LIL JON BEND OVA -- MM 1 R1 W Tyga
express edits 2016 aazar
Juvenile,Mannie Fresh,Lil Wayne,DJ SCOOTER - Back That Ass Up (DJ Scooter Twerk Remix) Dirty
big freedia - Bounce 2016-Big Freedia-azz everywhere
work bass drop
Jidenna feat Major Lazer and DJ Snake - Classic Man ( Lean On Edit)
LEAN ON south america into twerk
The Chainsmokers ft. Rozes - Roses - Tall Boys Club Edit
Nicky Jam x Kidd B x Gregor Salto - El Perdon (Audio1 VIP Edit) (Clean)
caked up hold up edits long for boom bye mix
pass courvoisier animal style
Mariah Lynn - Once Upon A Time (i Was A Hoe)
2 Chainz - I'm Different
FM & Sidney Samson - Bang It To The Curb (Dirty)
FiNaTTicZ ft. Tyga - Dont Drop That (Thun Thun) Remix
Mystikal - Danger (Been So Long)
Rae Sremmurd - Come Get Her - Airia Twerk Remix (Dirty)
Low Pros - Muscle (feat. Juvenile) [gLAdiator Remix]
J. Cole - No Role Modelz (Zea Hook Only)
Kendrick Lamar - Alright
Que - OG Bobby Johnson_DJ Diplo
Trinidad Jame$ - All Gold Everything (Dirty MixShow)
Drake - Legend
Rihanna - Needed Me
be right there white iverson
Fedde Le Grand - Rhythm Of The Night
Green Velvet - shake and pop
JERIMEH EDIT 2 BOSS ASS PARTY UP
Jeremih & The Weeknd - Pass Dat (Remix)