Must-read article on the Footwork nightclub in Toronto

The GridTO has written a must-read article on the history on the recently closed Footwork Nightclub, here's an excerpt: 

"Smye and Philion met in the early 2000s, while waiters at Brassai. The two talked music. Philion got to hear Smye DJ, loved his take on house, and invited the DJ to check a club sound system that was just gathering dust at the time.

“I expected a couple of JBLs beside a TV or something like that,” admits Smye. “But, basically, the bass bins that would later be in Footwork were laid out flat across Steph’s bedroom floor. He had to crawl over them to get to his bed."

This should be required reading for Toronto clubbers wanting to know more about the scene and how Footwork was integral at keeping the underground vibe alive for years. With the opening of CODA late last year, Toronto underground lovers now have multiple venues to call their home. 

Click here to read the full article now.

(VIA @GrooveTheGlobe)

Weekend mix: Jonathan Rosa's Fall Mix 2013

In the mood to listen to a nice house mix with serious groove to help pass the time this weekend? Then look no further than the Fall Mix 2013 from Footwork's own Jonathan Rosa:

Jonathan Rosa will be behind the decks this Friday as part of Footwork's final farewell parties this weekend.  

Very sad news from Toronto: Footwork to close

View fullsize

This news will come as a big blow to clubbing in Toronto as the well regarded Footwork Bar has just announced that it will be closing its doors by mid October. Footwork has been open since 2005 and has been host to practically every major underground act. This club has been a very important venue that showcased the very best in underground music so with its impending closing, that will leave a major hole in the Toronto EDM community which will be up to other venues to fill up. Not only did Footwork host some of the best DJs in the world, but they were fundamental in promoting local talent as well.

Footwork currently sits at #36 on DJ Mag's top 100 clubs in the world, so if you want to experience this venerable club before they close their doors next month, there are still a few great parties that you can still attend:

For further information, please visit their website and Facebook page.

 *Update: Is Footwork just moving to a bigger space? Could this news be linked to the new club Ryze (Formerly Moskito) which has already booked Nicole Moudaber and James Zabiela? Or will the new place be called "The Circus"? Stay tuned. 

@doro_yu. Don't worry ;) News coming soon!

— Footwork | Toronto (@FootworkToronto) September 27, 2013

@edentates @edm_canada lol we're moving to a bigger space -- news tba

— Jonathan Rōsa (@_jonjon) September 27, 2013

DJ Mag releases top 100 clubs results *Updated

Link.

Canadian results: ​

• #22 - Guvernment (Toronto)
  
• ​#36 - Footwork (Toronto)
  
• #62 - Beta Nightclub (Waterloo)​ (​Thank you @DJMalek)
  
• ​#69  - Circus Afterhours (Montreal)
  
• #86 - Stereo (Montreal)

Last year it was Circus Afterhours that carried the flag as DJ Mag's top Canadian club at #19 while the Guvernment came in at #27. Beta was ranked at #40 while Footwork and Stereo were unranked in 2012. Klub OMFG from Alberta was ranked #49 while Cobra London came in at #44 in 2012, but both clubs did not make the 2013 cut.

From what I noticed from this year vs. last year was that Circus Afterhours, the Montreal afterhours club, was engaged in an active campaign in 2012 to encourage fans to vote and as a result they were awarded the 19th spot in the 2012 rankings. This year, I have noticed virtually no campaigning of any kind from either Circus or Stereo, while Guvernment in Toronto was by far the most active campaigner in 2013, highlighted by this promotional video.​

The takeaway lesson is that if you want to rank high in the DJ Mag rankings in the future, you must invest a lot of time and effort and in return your fans will take the time to vote for you.