Notes from the Electronic Underground: O, Canada! Edition
On this edition of Notes from the Electronic Underground, we’re taking a look at music coming from our neighbors to the North, a place with which a large number of Americans became intimately familiar with their immigration policies and protocols around mid-November of last year.
When thinking of hotbeds for dance music, rare is it that Canada receives a mention alongside the classics of Chicago, Detroit, New York, London, Berlin and the like. However, with the sold-out Bass Coast Festival taking place earlier last month in its most impressive iteration to date, it’s clear that the scene across the northern border is alive and well.
Through the years, tracks from Canadian artists never fail to make my ears perk up. It’s difficult to describe, but the depth of sound and willingness to wander outside convention is a pervasive trait in many of the country’s most captivating tracks, as the variance immediately arrests listeners’ attention.
Enough pontificating: onto the music!
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You Might Know: Kaytranada
Hailing from Montreal, the Haitian-Canadian DJ and producer’s work has made it clear that funk is an international export. Notably collaborating with Chance the Rapper (a favorite on this blog) on “All Night” from Coloring Book and the yet-unreleased “And They Say”, Kaytranada’s sound is impossible to label as anything other than uniquely his own and immediately recognizable upon listening. He’s also hugely prolific in his work, providing production for everyone from Alicia Keys to Anderson .Paak and remixing Snakehips, Missy Elliott and even Hilary Duff, among others.
– Quick Listens –
Drive Me Crazy (feat. Vic Mensa)
Flume — Holdin On (Kaytranada Edit)
– Long Play –
Over Hear Vol. 1 (45 mins)
DJ Set at Mixmag Live 2014 (75 mins)
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Scene Stalwart: Caribou
You’ve probably heard a Caribou song at some point. “Can’t Do Without You” was everywhere in 2014 and 2015: the original version took over the airwaves (and recently appeared in The Edge of Seventeen) while Tale of Us and Mano Le Tough’s remix dominated clubland alongside other cuts from Our Love. Manila Killa’s cover even made it into a mix I put out that year, despite my usual aversion to things that make me seem relatable.
Don’t let the surge into pop culture fool you, though: Dan Snaith is the real deal. His Essential Mix on BBC Radio 1 earned the show’s Mix of the Year honors for 2014. In addition to performing with his live band (featuring longtime friend and Canada-via-San Francisco DJ artist Taraval) as well as alongside NftEU alums Four Tet and Floating Points, Snaith showcases his dancefloor-first side in his productions as Daphni, with the latest edition of Fabriclive consisting of all-new material from his DJ-focused alter ego.
— Quick Listens –
– Long Play –
Live at Pitchfork Paris 2014 (75 mins)
Dublab Radio — Four Tet + Daphni + Ben UFO DJ Set (120 mins)
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Artist to Know #1: Blond:ish
Hailing from Montreal, Anstascia D’Elene Corniere and Vivie-ann Bakos are hailed as visionaries, releasing their work on some of the most prestigious labels in the world. Their productions are artfully pulverizing and never hamfisted in their relentless energy, and with experience playing around the world (enviably chronicled on their Instagram), these two are standard bearers for Canada and female DJs alike.
– Quick Listens –
Monkey Safari — Woo (Blond:ish Remix)
– Long Play –
Live at Burning Man 2013, Robot Heart (110 mins)
Live @ Get Physical Showcase, SXM Festival 2017 (105 mins)
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Artist to Know #2: Project Pablo
Project Pablo aka Patrick Holland is another Montreal-based DJ and producer, notably delivering the best set I’ve seen live since arriving in San Francisco earlier this year. His popularity has undergone a recent explosion, coinciding with the uptick of interest in “lo-fi house” to which his music harkens. However, his delicate-yet-funk-infused productions display a singular sound standing apart from any fads, and his worldwide bookings (including at Berghain’s Panorama Bar, a strict bastion of fashionable house and techno) demonstrate an ability to adapt his mixes to suit whatever an occasion calls for.
– Quick Listens –
– Long Play –
LYL Radio — Project Pablo (06.16.17) (60 mins)
Live in Concert @ MUTEK 17 (50 mins)
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Artist to Know #3: Esette
In the interest of lowercase “d” disclosure, Esette is a friend of mine I’ve had the good fortune to know for a couple of years, as well as for whom I’ve contributed a guest mix for her label’s Subcast series.
This in mind, it’s important to make the distinction that when I say “her label”, I mean that she is one of the head honchos of west Canada’s Substation Recordings in addition to being a gifted producer and DJ. I first came across her work while studying abroad in Ireland: I stumbled across “The Circle” while assembling a mix aiming to capture the deep tech sounds of Burning Man, an event which has provided some of my favorite DJ sets over the years. Her breakout track “That Thaang” was a highlight of Jamie Jones’ B2B set with Seth Troxler at the inaugural CRSSD Festival in San Diego, and her star has been on the rise since. Substation Recordings champions a sound and mood that’s difficult to describe, but immediately distinguishable upon becoming more familiar with it, and the quality of the tracks it signs combined with its underground status means I’m never without secret weapons that get a reaction.
– Quick Listens –
That Kid Jack feat. Miss Fudge — Cast Away (Esette Remix)
Oak feat. Zzenith — Breathe (Esette Remix)
– Long Play –
BassBus Radio at Hifi (80 mins)
Night Vision Podcast Episode 31: Esette (100 mins)
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Artist to Know #4: Bwana
The winter capping off 2013 and taking us through the first 3 months of 2014 was notably brutal, as the particularly-Arctic conditions were popularly dubbed “the Polar Vortex”. Amid demonstrations (many failed) of the instant ability for boiling water to become snow upon becoming airborne, I found myself making bus trips from Evanston to Chicago with regularity. Hour-long bus rides, a new pair of Sony MDR headphones I’d received for my birthday, and a since-discontinued unlimited data plan providing utopic conditions for beginning an underground dance music education.
It was during this time that I — as well as listeners worldwide — discovered Bwana, or Nathan Micay by the name on his citizenship documents. Sasha’s 2013 Essential Mix live from Manchester’s famous Warehouse Project introduced the world to his melodic techno mastery. Since then, he’s put out releases for the prestigious Aus and Fort Romeau’s new boutique label Cin Cin, as well as remixing the powerhouse British duo Dusky.
– Quick Listens –
Dusky — Ingrid is a Hybrid (Bwana’s We’re All In This Together Remix)
– Long Play –
Groove Podcast 97 (65 mins)
Beats in Space Radio #868 (75 mins)
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Artist to Know #5: Khotin
We close this edition of NftEU with a bit about Khotin. He’s my most recent discovery from this list, though I’m kicking myself for not becoming aware of him sooner. My initial exposure to Dylan Khotin-Foote’s music came from a Ben UFO Rinse FM set which opened with the then-unreleased “Canada Line”. Further research led me to his remix of “Subdivided” (below), a lush track rife with detail encouraging repeated listens. Expect Khotin’s sounds to make their way into DJ sets worldwide.
– Quick Listens –
Gonima — Subdivided (Khotin’s Bubbler Mix)
– Long Play –
n10.as Radio Broadcast — June 23, 2017 (55 mins)
Live at Faraway (110 mins)
That wraps up this edition of Note from the Electronic Underground! Is there a certain scene you’d like me to cover next? Let me know in the comments below, and I look forward to exploring the new sounds.
