TranceAddict Forums (www.tranceaddict.com/forums)
- Canada - Toronto & Southern Ont.
-- 2010 in clubland: A year in review
Pages (4): [1] 2 3 4 »

2010 in clubland: A year in review

2010 is almost over, so it's time for the annual roundup.

At the end of 2009, I was getting pretty tired of the "same old, same old" and struggled to find music and parties that interested me. It's not that there wasn't anything interesting going on in the city, it's just that I've been going out for a long time, so it is becoming harder and harder for me to find new and interesting things related to this scene. Nonetheless, I decided to go to my first WMC this year. I didn't go out from New Years until WMC time in order to "deprive" myself, so that I could enjoy WMC to the fullest. Needless to say, WMC rekindled and supercharged my enjoyment of dance music and of the scene. I was introduced to new sounds, DJs and party atmospheres that I didn't know existed.

Although my interest was sparked again, I didn't have much of a desire to go to the big parties in Toronto this year, and opted to wait it out for big events/parties outside of the city. Therefore, it's hard for me to comment on the going-ons of the party scene in Toronto in 2010. Also, it is worth mentioning that I missed most of the parties during the crazy fall we had this year due to work, so I feel like I missed most of the year by missing those 2-3 months.

Here is a list of best/worst categories for 2010. Feel free to use some or all of these, or add your own.

Best parties in Toronto: Seth Troxler & Robag Wruhme Magda @ Cobra, Matt C @ Cherry Beach, Paco Osuna & Markus Schulz @ Guv, Platform @ Cherry Beach
Best resident: Val (The Junkies)
Best resident(s) gone international: Kenny and Johnny (Art Department)
Best sets heard in Toronto: Magda @ Cobra, Val @ Roaches vs. Junkies Oct 29 @ Footwork (I know I'm missing some here, but will add to this as people remind me with their entries)
Best Club in Toronto: Footwork
Most Disappointing party: Steve Lawler @ Circa, NYD

Best parties outside of Toronto: Get Lost @ Electric Pickle (WMC), Loco Dice vs. Luciano @ Shelborne Pool (WMC), Ben Klock @ Centre Street Social (DEMF), Red Bull Stage @ DEMF, Need I Say More @ Old Miami (DEMF), DJ Vibe @ Stereo
Best overall club: Stereo (by far)

Best DJs of 2010: Lee Foss, Magda, Matt Tolfrey, Matthew Dear, Ben Klock
Best Labels of 2010: Wolf & Lamb, Crosstown Rebels, Tigersushi, DFA, Ostgut Ton
Best Producers of 2010: Lee Foss, Tensnake
Best Podcasts: Beats in Space, Ibiza Voice, Wolf + Lamb,
Best downloaded sets: Matthew Dear @ Clinic 4 hour set, Jeremy P. Caulfield GTC podcast, Lee Foss Ibiza Voice Podcast, Droog GTC Podcast, Zev @ Sunset W+L Podcast, Reboot RA Pocast

Biggest Surprise of 2010: Excision @ Red Bull Stage, DEMF

Most Disappointing DJ of 2010: Richie Hawtin

Now that we are at the end of the year, I find my interest in going out to traditional "scene" venues and parties in Toronto has waned once again. There are lots of interesting parties and venues to check out in this city outside of this scene, so I have been doing a lot more of that lately, and hope to do more of this in 2011.

The vast majority of tech house and techno has become generic, and there are less and less DJs who are staying ahead of the curve in this genre. I notice a lot of the trend-setting DJs and groups of people of the scene checking out and playing with different sounds and parties, such as the slow-house/nu disco sound that has been gaining a lot of momentum this year.

It is also worth noting that other venues in the city such as Wrongbar are capitalizing on this shift in sound faster than other venues in the city, and may have a first-mover advantage if this sound catches on. This should have an interesting effect on the way the dance music market and different fragments of the scene in Toronto are structured, and on the balance of power between different clubs and promoting groups.

You clearly don't like Trance lol.
Good review though!

Graham, can you link me to some good Matt Tolfrey sets?

graham, do you keep a journal? a party journal?

i can't even remember last week, let alone the entire year.

Solid. That was a good read. Was thinking about my year in review a couple nights ago, I think it's time to put it on paper.

Best Toronto Party: Magda & Houle @ Cobra, Romboy @ BoK, Platform @ CB

Best Local: Jamie Kidd

Best Local Gone International: James Teej, Art Department

Most Disappointing Party: Villalobos @ Maison, M.A.N.D.Y @ FW

Best Toronto Club: ?

Best Promoter: Platform, BoK, Milkrun

Best Photographer: Jill Dennis


Best International Party: Champagnerama @ Malzfabrik (Berlin), Magda & Click Box @ Centrum Club (Erfurt)

Best International Club: Bar 25, Club der Visionaere, Harry Klein

Best International Promoter: Miss Tipsy, Bachstelzen

Best DJs of 2010: Magda, Jake The Rapper, AKA AKA, Mathias Kaden, Heinrichs & Hirterfellner, Britta Arnold, Beaner

Best Labels of 2010: Minus, Mobilee, Bar 25, Ostgut Ton, Rekkids, Crosstown Rebels

Best Producers of 2010: Dirty Doering, Beaner, AKA AKA, Magda

Re: 2010 in clubland: A year in review

quote:

Originally posted by The Highroller Now that we are at the end of the year, I find my interest in going out to traditional "scene" venues and parties in Toronto has waned once again. The vast majority of tech house and techno has become generic, and there are less and less DJs who are staying ahead of the curve in this genre. of

Definitely agree with this point.

Too much techno/tech-house with no personality, it all sounds the same now, so boring and monotonous.

I also had a great time listening to Magda @ Cobra a few weeks back!

Had an interesting year as well...

I would agree with you Graham that my taste has expanded yet again.

I went to some really great parties this year. Most were outside of Toronto as I moved in May.

Best Party in Toronto - Seth and Robag @ Footwork
Best Party in NYC - BlkMarket 4th of July - Guido Schneider, Dyed Soundorom, Konrad Black and Pedro
Best Party of the year - Get Lost during WMC
Best Set - Ben Klock and Marcel Dettman back to back at the Warehouse Project
Favorite DJs of 2010 - Lee Foss, Ben Klock, Seth Troxler & Alexi Delano

I haven't really listened to many sets but have all of the Lee Foss sets in regular rotation and never seem to be sick of them.

Looking forward to doing even more things in 2011. Hoping to make it to Mutek for the first time and really looking forward to Burning Man.

I've been out to an event only 7 times this year due to work, and I really regret missing out on Toronto scene this year. From some awesome deep house (Shur-I-Kan & Milton Jackson) to funktastic (Luke Fair vs Add2Basket), some awesome trance bookings (Stoneface & Terminal and most of what Vola booked), it's been refreshing to see so many variety of genres to have a look into. And I hope the trend will continue next year cuz I don't want to miss out again!

Not going out often also gave me an appreciation for the scene, and instead of being overly critical of music being played, I find myself enjoying the party for what it is. (Hanging out with friends help)

Toronto scene is awesome. Having been to an event in Melbourne, (it was like Comfort Zone for trance) I was like, this sucks compared to Toronto. We really do have it good in Toronto

great review G
Seth and Robag @ Footwork was easily one of the best parties i've been to

quote:

Originally posted by LightsOut Best Toronto Party:[b Platform @ CB[/b] Best Local: Jamie Kidd Best Photographer: Jill Dennis

Can't forget about these.

Jamie has really recreated his sound this year, and I'm loving it.

quote:

Originally posted by Yohan Graham, can you link me to some good Matt Tolfrey sets?

Heidi & Matt Tolfrey @ Voidd | Studio 80 (08.05.2010) by Studio 80

The Prim Sessions with Matt Tolfrey EKO Radio, Serbia by prim

quote:

Originally posted by Summerlover You clearly don't like Trance lol. Good review though!

I'll leave the trance reviews to someone more qualified.

Markus Schulz @ The Guv in May was great though.

quote:

Originally posted by She_Fitz Best Party of the year - Get Lost during WMC

Glad to have experienced most of my favourite parties of the year with you and Bobby!

Re: 2010 in clubland: A year in review

quote:

Originally posted by The Highroller 2010 is almost over, so it's time for the annual roundup. At the end of 2009, I was getting pretty tired of the "same old, same old" and struggled to find music and parties that interested me. It's not that there wasn't anything interesting going on in the city, it's just that I've been going out for a long time, so it is becoming harder and harder for me to find new and interesting things related to this scene. Nonetheless, I decided to go to my first WMC this year. I didn't go out from New Years until WMC time in order to "deprive" myself, so that I could enjoy WMC to the fullest. Needless to say, WMC rekindled and supercharged my enjoyment of dance music and of the scene. I was introduced to new sounds, DJs and party atmospheres that I didn't know existed. Although my interest was sparked again, I didn't have much of a desire to go to the big parties in Toronto this year, and opted to wait it out for big events/parties outside of the city. Therefore, it's hard for me to comment on the going-ons of the party scene in Toronto in 2010. Also, it is worth mentioning that I missed most of the parties during the crazy fall we had this year due to work, so I feel like I missed most of the year by missing those 2-3 months. Here is a list of best/worst categories for 2010. Feel free to use some or all of these, or add your own. Best parties in Toronto: Seth Troxler & Robag Wruhme Magda @ Cobra, Matt C @ Cherry Beach, Paco Osuna & Markus Schulz @ Guv, Platform @ Cherry Beach Best resident: Val (The Junkies) Best resident(s) gone international: Kenny and Johnny (Art Department) Best sets heard in Toronto: Magda @ Cobra, Val @ Roaches vs. Junkies Oct 29 @ Footwork (I know I'm missing some here, but will add to this as people remind me with their entries) Best Club in Toronto: Footwork Most Disappointing party: Steve Lawler @ Circa, NYD Best parties outside of Toronto: Get Lost @ Electric Pickle (WMC), Loco Dice vs. Luciano @ Shelborne Pool (WMC), Ben Klock @ Centre Street Social (DEMF), Red Bull Stage @ DEMF, Need I Say More @ Old Miami (DEMF), DJ Vibe @ Stereo Best overall club: Stereo (by far) Best DJs of 2010: Lee Foss, Magda, Matt Tolfrey, Matthew Dear, Ben Klock Best Labels of 2010: Wolf & Lamb, Crosstown Rebels, Tigersushi, DFA, Ostgut Ton Best Producers of 2010: Lee Foss, Tensnake Best Podcasts: Beats in Space, Ibiza Voice, Wolf + Lamb, Best downloaded sets: Matthew Dear @ Clinic 4 hour set, Jeremy P. Caulfield GTC podcast, Lee Foss Ibiza Voice Podcast, Droog GTC Podcast, Zev @ Sunset W+L Podcast, Reboot RA Pocast Biggest Surprise of 2010: Excision @ Red Bull Stage, DEMF Most Disappointing DJ of 2010: Richie Hawtin Now that we are at the end of the year, I find my interest in going out to traditional "scene" venues and parties in Toronto has waned once again. There are lots of interesting parties and venues to check out in this city outside of this scene, so I have been doing a lot more of that lately, and hope to do more of this in 2011. The vast majority of tech house and techno has become generic, and there are less and less DJs who are staying ahead of the curve in this genre. I notice a lot of the trend-setting DJs and groups of people of the scene checking out and playing with different sounds and parties, such as the slow-house/nu disco sound that has been gaining a lot of momentum this year. It is also worth noting that other venues in the city such as Wrongbar are capitalizing on this shift in sound faster than other venues in the city, and may have a first-mover advantage if this sound catches on. This should have an interesting effect on the way the dance music market and different fragments of the scene in Toronto are structured, and on the balance of power between different clubs and promoting groups.

Nice review!!!

LEE FOSS ALL THE WAY!!!!

Re: Re: 2010 in clubland: A year in review

quote:

Originally posted by Man_Devil Too much techno/tech-house with no personality, it all sounds the same now, so boring and monotonous.

News flash for ya...

It was always boring and monotonous...

You were all just trending too much to notice...

quote:

Originally posted by The Highroller I'll leave the trance reviews to someone more qualified.

Can't review a party that hasn't happened yet...

quote:

Originally posted by The Highroller I'll leave the trance reviews to someone more qualified. Markus Schulz @ The Guv in May was great though.

So true about the Markus set. The company was amazing too.

I'd agree with you in terms of how the TO scene is. This year was "ok" but not mindblowing by any stretch. I keep wanting to go to more parties at places like Wrongbar or the Social etc but this year I managed to not hit up many at all. Only one or two (mostly I hit up more last year). In 2011 I will do my best to hit up more of those. Same with BoK, Milk, etc. I've never had a bad time at those and the music and people rock (so friendly, tons of hotties, no pretentiousness) with people just having a good time.

Best Toronto Party: Roaches vs. Junkies @ Footy (August) & Paul Ritch @ Footwork (August)

Best Local: Kotov & Wilde

Most Disappointing Party: Villalobos @ Maison

Best Toronto Club: Footwork - best bookings out there

Best Promoter: Platform

Best Photographer: chinamon


Best DJs of 2010: Carlo Lio, 2000 & One, Sander Kleinenberg

Best Labels of 2010: Hotfingers, Starlight, Great stuff Recordings, Mar186, Stereo Productions

Best Producers of 2010: Manuel De La Mare, Stimming, Stefano Noferini, Carlo Lio, Oxia

Re: Re: Re: 2010 in clubland: A year in review

quote:

Originally posted by VDub News flash for ya... It was always boring and monotonous... You were all just trending too much to notice...

I agree it was always monotonous... it was just more fun to listen to when it was a new sound.

little early to pick best party what with addy @ zone and nightmare before christmas still to come

Re: 2010 in clubland: A year in review

quote:

Originally posted by The Highroller The vast majority of tech house and techno has become generic, and there are less and less DJs who are staying ahead of the curve in this genre.

This. Great read Graham. I like the idea of an annual summary rather the traditional "5 best parties." Here's my take:

2009 for me was the best year of my professional partying career. I finally had the privilege to experience WMC for the first time, and as a result enjoyed it better than I had anticipated. Also, 2009 was my favourite year for DEMF, and there was also the long-awaited reopening of Stereo during Labour weekend which was epic. And then there was the opening of Cobra, which set a the standards high for Thursday parties. Boat cruises were one of the only downsides of the year, as they became intolerable after all the issues including earlier arrivals and late departures.

Surprisingly, 2010 didn't live up to 2009 overall, as most parties in Toronto were flops, and the same old venues were getting too predictable with the parties; going out was more of a chore most of the time. It's partly because I'm becoming a tiny bit jaded as I've been doing this for 5 years. (I know it's not as long as most, but I'm getting bored!) And as Graham mentioned, tech house.. or what I like to call Toronto Tech House has become way too generic, and I find that most talent in Toronto are from the same cookie tray.. it's been a few years that this musical convention has been popular.. time for something refreshing! Unfortunately Circa closed this year, and that was also a factor in the way I feel about 2010 because it gave us less options. Most of my memorable parties were outside Toronto but I'd like that to change for 2011..

On the plus side, 2010 had some of the best parties I've ever been to that have made my top 10 list, none of which were in 2009. Boat cruises have also improved, as promoters are starting to listen to our needs which is awesome.

I decided to add a few categories as I thought they were important to me and discarded the ones I had no input for:

Best parties in Toronto: LOVEMusic @ The Sound Academy, Bounce By The Lake (all of them), Omid16B and Demi cruise, Labour of Love
Best Summer patios/bars/parties: Keating Channel Pub
Best resident: Nitin
Best sets heard in Toronto: Satoshi Tomiie @ Sound Academy, Satoshi Tomiie @ Footwork (May), Digweed @ Kool Haus, Add2basket & Luke Fair, Demi & Omid16B @ boat, Sasha @ TIL,
Best PA in Toronto: Stephan Bodzin
Best Club in Toronto: N/A
Most Disappointing party: Ricardo Villalobos @ Maison

Best parties/sets outside of Toronto: Old Miami, Magda @ DEMF, Danny Tenaglia @ Stereo (Augusst) (Party of the year and party of my life), DJ Vibe @ Stereo,
Best overall club: Stereo

Best DJs of 2010: Danny Tenaglia, Satoshi Tomiie, John Digweed, Magda
Best Labels of 2010: Bedrock, M-nus, Cocoon, Crosstown Rebels, Systematic Recordings, Drumcode,
Best Producers of 2010: Slam, Guy J, Gui Boratto, Layo & Bushwacka, Resey Robot, Denis A,

Biggest Surprise of 2010: Ricardo Villalobos playing in Toronto

Most Disappointing DJ of 2010: Danny Howells

2011 in Toronto could have lots of potential given that deep and progressive house have drawn more of a crowd. There's also Abode and Maison that just recently opened.. perhaps they'll flourish in the new year.

Re: Re: 2010 in clubland: A year in review

quote:

Originally posted by Cribby Most Disappointing DJ of 2010: Danny Howells

Really? He was stellar both times I saw him in Miami, and that set from the Vancouver Olympics is one of the best of the year IMO.

Re: Re: Re: 2010 in clubland: A year in review

quote:

Originally posted by The Highroller Really? He was stellar both times I saw him in Miami, and that set from the Vancouver Olympics is one of the best of the year IMO.

I had a hard time choosing between him and Paco. Howells @ Stereo was the only time I've been to Stereo where I did not enjoy the music. He was playing borderline industrial sounding music.. and then dig deeper a few months ago was such a big disappointment. He's lost it for me.

quote:

Originally posted by kotsy little early to pick best party what with addy @ zone and nightmare before christmas still to come

MO's Gift is always my party of the year...

Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright © 2000-2021, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.