Sara Simms @ Sister Act With DJs Melle Oh, Sokes. Thu, Jan 15. Riva, 584 College. Free.
Late last year, DJ Sara Simms returned from a stint in Berlin to launch house and techno event Sister Act. Appropriately, this weekly affair finds Simms tag-teaming with her younger sis, visual artist and DJ Melle Oh, while also joined by bi-weekly co-resident Violca and various guests. I joined the sibs last month and can report that the duo’s engaging blends of instrumentals and vocals sounded extra-sweet on the system in Riva’s beautiful back room. Here the sisters are joined by the versatile DJ Sokes of Siamese2Hearts.
DJ Spen Vs Karizma @ Garage 416 With Marc Evans (live), DJs Blueprint, Moreno. Sat, Jan 17. Revival and Stone Lounge, 783 College. $20 tickets at Play De Record, Cosmos, Delphic.
Baltimore’s Basement Boys were house-music royalty. From 1999 to 2005, DJ Spen and Karizma turned out gloriously soulful originals and remixes for artists including Mary J. Blige, Everything But The Girl and Roy Ayers. Separately, both have remained hugely active DJs and performers. Here, Spen and Karizma play together all night — their first time on the decks together in Toronto since 2001 — with Evans joining them for a live vocal set.
Friction @ Projek: CiRCA With )EI3, Marcus Visionary, MCs Caddy Cad, JD. Fri, Jan 16. CiRCA Ballroom, 126 John. $15 tickets at Play De Record, Numb, Unicus, Wantickets.com. $20 door.
No doubt DJ/producer Friction will put the CiRCA Ballroom booth and fantastic sound system to excellent use, as the Brighton-based artist is a notoriously skilled decksman. He’s won numerous awards, hosted a popular mix show on BBC’s 1Xtra and has almost a decade’s worth of releases under his cap. Check Friction’s 2007 chart-topping remix of “Back to Your Roots” for a taste.
DJ A.skillz @ Make It Funky With Killa Kela, DJs Big League Chu, Farbsie, Mickey D. Fri, Jan 16. Wrongbar, 1279 Queen W. $15 tickets at Soundscapes, Play De Record, Rotate This, Shanti Baba, Sonic Temple, Slinky/Moog, Wantickets.com.
NuFunk’s beats and breaks night, Make It Funky, features encore performances by two famed Brits, DJ/producer A.Skillz and beatboxer Killa Kela. A.Skillz is a party rocker who cuts and scratches his way through funk, hip-hop and breaks, while the hugely entertaining Killa Kela can turn out any party with just his mouth and a mic.