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Ni-Cd's 2007 in review....
As I was driving to work today, taking in the beauty of the snow-laden evergreens and horse-ranches providing winter trails to riders (imagine coming over a hill to a string of horses galloping across the wno-laden field beside you!), I realized that tonight I would be dancing it up to electronic music at CiRCA tonight for new years. dun dun dun.
I'm sure all of us reflect on the year's happenings as we come to the end. Another 365 days around the sun, and another 8760 hours to account for.
So before we all go out and go nuts tonight like it's 1999, here's Ni-Cd's 2007 in Review!
Best set of 2007
Look. I'd love to be all socialistic and family-oriented, the way your guidance counselor was and say 'you know what, all sets are good... there's really no "best" set...they're all good, in their own special way.' But we all know that's CRAP. Save it for the commies. We're capitalists, and we know what we like dammit, and there damn well IS a best and a worst...just gotta find it. I will footnote this and say that "perhaps" each person's best and worst varies....a little.
With all this said, I think, without a doubt, the best set of the year, in my books, goes to The Roaches - Their 6 hour CZ set. Though the marathon 10 hour tried to recreate the vibe and energy those two guys (Nathan Barato & Carlo Lio) managed to accidentally (through sheer talent and timing) that awesome morning, the 10 hour set still pales in comparison to that 6 hour set. The vibe, the energy, the mixing those two guys performed... I'm sure anyone who was there would agree with me here. Kudos guys, and i hope you get that 6am - 12pm slot again for another wicked early morning high energy set. (p.s. - a close second would be Danny Howell's set at Footwork, a mere week or two before the legendary 6 hour set).
Best party of 2007
This is definitely based on taste...but I would have to say for me, the most fun party I had been at all year was my first time to CiRCA. Johnny Action and I were sitting on our fat arses at home scrolling through the xbox to see what movie to watch, when suddenly I said "Dude. Let's check out CiRCA." (Check the full review hereThe rest is history...DJ Addy rocked it that night in the sky vodka room, and Pettigrew and Doman thew it DOWN in the main room. To them, it was just another night at CiRCA. But to us, it was legendary. I can't wait to party there tonight.
Best club of 2007
I hear all the old skool peeps talk about System and the old Boa and how it was home for them. I think that everyone has their own "best club" -- and this is the club that is "home" for them. Every club is going to have its regular crowd that it 'clicks' with...and then it is up to that club to take it up a notch and make it something special so that not only is it home, but it is also something that garners respect and recognition in the scene for contributing positively to it. In my mind, this club is Footwork. Their Friday nights are legendary, and though they put the coat-check right where my favourite chill spot was (i'm assured it'll be back soon  the club continues to rock it. Saturday nights, they bring in all sorts of talent, ranging from SWITCH to Danny Howells and Claude Von Stroke. They bring in some serious talent and keep the residents pounding it out week after week. The promoters and the staff are awesome, and truly want the patrons to have a good time. It has also traditionally been the club to host Dance 2 da beat -- the fund raiser against cancer that David Ace heads up on a semi-annual basis (I hear another Dance 2 da beat is RIGHT around the corner!! shhhhhhh)
Freshest energy of 2007
This is a weird one... I guess this to me, defines where I see really different things happening... the energy that I feel may have come from such clubs-gone-by as Boa, System, or SONIC. It's the MOD club. That place seems to bring in some really fresh energy, week after week. I've been there a few Friday nights and always have a good time. The crowd is really respectful and generally older. Though the venue closes down "early" (4am) it always delivers the full package. It isn't as comfortable a venue as say, Footwork or the Gallery, being in a massive theatre, but the venue is very cool if you want that 'koolhaus' room feeling with some really great tunes. JennyPie has done a great job of sticking some reviews there for us, and I think she's right on the money. Last time I was there, they amped up the sound system too, so it was putting out from the back as well as the front. DJs Neno, Jeff Button, Addy, and other provide strong residencies and promotions that keep the people coming to hear the fresh talent. If you haven't been--check out their xtend your new year even with Ceballos happening New Years Day. Hope he plays some Tribal!!! <3
Favourite new DJ(s) of 2007
For me, being a tribal lover, this is easy. After Eric Entrena's set at zone a few weeks ago, I had a brief chance to thank him for spinning 'some' deep tribal into his set. He told me that I had to evolve, that the world doesn't want to hear tribal right now...no one is producing good tribal anymore. I told him that I would never evolve--my primal calling was to tribal, and it will always be my favourite genre. He shook my hand and told me he felt my pain--he was there too. There's a new DJ pair coming up that gives me hope against the dark foretelling Entrena gave me: D-Unity. This pair are tribal-to-the-core and have a huge following. They have spun at zone and the guv at least twice now, and both times were fantastically recieved. They are tribal producers and are only now being pulled out to spin for their fans behind the decks by Miss Raquel. It couldn't have come at a better time--when this scene is so desperately lacking for tribal! Check out D-Unity's facebook group here.
Worst EDM moment of 2007
The realization that tech-house minimal would be accepted and loved in clubs as the mainstay for more than a healthy period of time. Again, don't get me wrong. I enjoy listening to minimal...but it doesn't get my blood going like some other tunes. I don't really want to drive all the way to t.dot to dance it up to minimal...it just isn't my thing. That being said, the crowd seems to LOVE it (amply demonstrated in the first few hours of The Roaches 10 hour set at zone). You guys can have it! I'll take the left over tribal, vocal-house, funky-house, whatever. lol
Favourite "big" party of 2007
Read the review
The Guv. Labour of Love 2007. The back to school special that rocked my world. Whoever says 'the guv is dead or dying' is, in my opinion, ignorant of simple economics. Unless city hall or developers intervene, there is simply no way this place is going down. All of its events are well attended and they continually bring in the big names to appease the EDM lovers. Whenever the koolhaus is open, i hit that place, because I love dancing it up to the progressive/hard hitting trance in that room, something that is definitely lacking in this city as a regular offering (oh...i said it...ouch!). Danny T, Armin Van Buuren...and our residents...what can i say, what a great event. The new renovations don't hurt either, except for the audio/visual hole of hell in the main room.
The most missed party of 2007
Plain and simple...daft punk. Sure wish I had been there. *sigh* Read all about it here.
Best productions of 2007
The RawTHENTIC (Nathan Barato & Bro) label has been POUNDING out the tracks. They are a such a great contributor to the EDM scene. I can't comment on all the tracks, but Carlo Lio's stuff is always gold, and the remixes they release with the EPs they post are sic. (I won't mention here that minimal really isn't my thing, ha ha). However, one of the favourite productions I enjoyed in 2007 was Faxing Berlin by Deadmau5. I heard the track and loved it while it was anonymous, and only learned later that it was by Deadmau5. I loved the insta-remix The Roaches did of that track during their 6 hour set. Kudos to that guy--he's giving Canadians a lot to be proud of in terms of EDM production. Between RawTHENTIC and Deadmau5, we have quite the spread of solid productions rocking our EDM world.
Worst club of 2007
Duh. It's zone. And we like it that way. Things are changing there lately though... maybe it's just me. The music is still great, don't get me wrong. But there's no dudes in the washrooms anymore, so the bathrooms are WORSE than they were before (can you believe that?) The bouncers are even MORE unfriendly than before, and some of the mood is different. Hard to describe. Rumour has it that the new owner is putting lots of pressure on the staff of zone to keep it 'just so.' Rumour also has it that zone was bought by the new owner with a 2-year shelf-life before developers come along and buy the area for .... you guessed it...condos! This is all just hearsay though. Carry on.
All this being said, with parties like the Halloween party, the long weekend monday parties, the upcoming 24 hour NEW YEARS party, and marathon extenda sets like the 6 and 10 hour sets the Roaches pounded out in the last six months...tell me that zone isn't delivering the goods to us in terms of music. Get out there and enjoy it while you can.
Conclusion
2007 was a crazy year. There was a lot of stuff going on in 'the real world' that made enjoying the scene that much more of a challenge, but at the end of the day it is our release and our therapist. Hearing those beats weekend after weekend speaks to a certain part of us that needs some relief and reprieve from the hard work that we've put in all week. This is the balance. Working hard, playing harder. In 2008, one of my resolutions is to maintain this balance more carefully; throwing the balance out one way or another can have disastrous consequences. You know what I mean...you've seen them. The people that can't stop partying... they start Thursday night, and you see them at zone on Sunday. They look like zombies. They've forgotten the spirit of the thing and gotten caught up in something else that is not what we worship about EDM. On the flip side, those people you never see out anymore...maybe they got nailed by the drama (can't we just leave that behind?), or maybe they've gotten caught up in work, and just "can't get out." Maybe the afterhours is too much to handle...you DO have to build up fortitude to handle those kind of hours. As true friends to these people, it is our intrinsic duty to remind them that the beats will always be there, always calling, and that their favourite DJ is ready to rescue them from the madness we call daily life anytime they need it.
This is Ni-Cd, signing off for 2007...and we'll see you all in 2008. Happy new year everyone!
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