Written by Taylee Buttigieg
Photos by Kurt Hoop
That’s a wrap! My body is still recovering from all of the dancing I did over the long weekend and I can’t believe Summer is really over and so is the 2019 season for Electric Island Toronto.
The Toronto Island has been experiencing record high water levels but that didn’t stop the team from putting together an excellent event Saturday, August 31st and Sunday September 1st at an all new location; Ontario Place’s West Island. Many were skeptical about this new venue, but based on all of the positive feedback I’ve seen via social media I think it’s safe to say it exceeded expectations.
The venue’s permanent structure provided more REAL bathrooms and less outhouses, more water stations, multiple viewing platforms at the main stage, more distance between stages, a rec room, neat hide outs for vendors in the Hippie Market and food trucks that created curated areas for each. Being on the mainland was a massive bonus. Although the island vibe seems pivotal for “Electric Island”, avoiding the ferry and water taxi makes for getting to and from significantly easier, especially when it rains.
On August 31st, day one started off with perfect, sunny weather. The Moog Audio Stage started up with minimal techno from the likes of Selfserve and Roberto S. Toronto local Stacey Sexton continued the party. Raf Reza switched it up with sounds of UK garage and electronica and a deeper set from Azari and don’t forget Marie Davidson’s Live performance.
The Main Stage featured acts such as Hauy, Toronto based duo Nature of Music, Anja Schneider and Adriatique. Things really heated up once Chris Liebing took over. The energy of the crowd skyrocketed and it stayed way up through Boris Brejcha day 1 closing set.
The final day of Electric Island 2019 was bitter sweet. The morning looked gloom but the weather cleared up shortly after the gates opened and we saw no rain for the remainder of the evening. Toronto’s own Rudee Nik opened up the decks on the Moog Audio Stage and it also saw acts from many Toronto natives; Rudee Nik, Casualties of Sound, Jeremy Scott and Addy. Japanese producer Koki also made an appearance and finally Greg Gow closed the Moog Audio Stage.
On the main stage, minimal tech started the day with Wess, Toronto based duo Arman & Beynon. Highly anticipated sets from Francesca Lombardo, Pleasurekraft; and Joris Voorn exceeded all expectations! It seems to be a tradition that Claude Vonstroke makes an appearance on the final installment of Electric Island. This year he spun an experimental set that offered sounds I’ve never heard from Claude before (and I’ve seen a lot of his sets). He even threw a little drum n bass in.
I can’t believe how quickly this weekend blew by, just like that Summer is over. Start your countdown until next year when Electric Island returns for Summer 2020!