Digits @ Synthfest Showcase #1
WITH STOP DIE RESUSCITATE, EN FRANCAIS. THU, JAN 28. RANCHO RELAXO, 300 COLLEGE. $5.
Last summer’s inaugural SynthFest brought almost a dozen local synthesizer-centric acts together over the course of two nights, and its success has led to a new showcase series. Here, multi-instrumentalist and versatile songwriter Alt Altman, formerly of the rock band The Ghost Is Dancing, opens the evening in his solo electronic indie-pop guise, Digits. Altman began crafting tunes as Digits in March of last year and soon gained praise for his melodic and introspective debut album, Hold It Close, which earned him comparisons to similarly emotive artists like Arthur Russell, Junior Boys and The Whitest Boy Alive. The bill also includes Hamilton duo En Francais and headliners T.O.’s Stop Die Resuscitate.
DJ Sneak @ Haiti Relief Fundraiser WITH HALI. FRI, JAN 29. TOI BAR, 577A COLLEGE. $5 MINIMUM DONATION BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
It’s been heartening to see a number of Toronto club events organized quickly in support of Haitian earthquake relief efforts. This one may be among the toughest to get into given Toi Bar’s limited capacity, but it’s guaranteed to be a sweaty, feel-good house music celebration as DJs Sneak and Hali generally play much larger venues. Both men are just returning from the Caribbean and are volunteering their time, as is the club’s staff. Arrive early and give generously.
Kingdom @ Sophisticated WITH BONJAY (LIVE), DJS BARBI, LUCIE TIC. FRI, JAN 29. THE DRAKE UNDERGROUND, 1150 QUEEN W. $5.
Straight up, Brooklyn DJ/producer Kingdom is rinsing a sound I can’t get enough of. His mixes are eclectic, bass-heavy and full of female vocals, skillfully melding house, R&B, kuduro and dancehall influences into a tasty, American take on UK garage. A budding producer who’s already won praise from the likes of Diplo, Annie Mac, The Fader and Discobelle, Kingdom is set to release original EPs on Fools Gold and Night Slugs as well as remixes of L-Vis 1990 and Kanji Kinetic for Mad Decent and Sleazetone respectively. Soulful, bass-bumping local duo Bonjay open the show at 10pm, and Sophisticated residents Lucie Tic and Barbi are also on deck.
Rusko @ Digital Saturdays WITH KRAZY BALDHEAD, XI, HYDEE, VANESKA. SAT, JAN 30. SOUND ACADEMY, 11 POLSON. $18.50 ADVANCE TICKETS AT ROTATE THIS, SOUNDSCAPES, PLAY DE RECORD, TICKETMASTER.
One of the biggest underground success stories of the past two years, British producer and DJ Christopher Mercer a.k.a. Rusko has brought dubstep to the masses. Although purists will diss him for stepping away from dubstep’s dark musical origins in favour of melodic, happy nods to house, hip-hop, jungle and electro, tour photos and frequent Twitter posts show that our boy is having too much fun to care. Why should he? Recent projects include remixing Little Boots, Basement Jaxx, Skunk Anansie and Medina, producing for M.I.A. and plotting an upcoming U.S. tour alongside Major Lazer. Here, Rusko is joined by Ed Banger hip-hop and jazz man, Krazy Baldhead.
Victor Calderone WITH DJS CARLO LIO, THE JUNKIES. SAT, JAN 30. FOOTWORK, 425 ADELAIDE W. $25 BEFORE 1AM.
Brooklyn-based and world-renowned dance figurehead Victor Calderone is reinventing himself yet again. After more than 20 years in the biz, the globetrotting resident DJ of Ibiza’s revered Pacha nightclub and remix artist to megastars like Sting and Madonna is out to showcase a darker, rougher tech and tribal side. Check his personal website (
www.victorcalderone.com) for Calderone’s new Manipulating Waveforms podcast series, particularly the third episode which features a rough edit of his new original track, “Terminal B,” for a sense of the depths to which the man may go in the intimate confines of Footwork. The buzz for this gig is huge, so do arrive early or expect a lengthy wait.