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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.
Last edited by The Highroller on Dec-14-2010 at 19:02
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