Besides offering a day-long sunshine session of pumping beats, the TIME Festival is hoping everyone can come together and just be friends. The lineup is a clever curatorial gambit designed to reach two factions of electronic fans often at odds with each other: nu-rave indie electro kids and tru-rave seasoned techno heads. Though separated by two stages, the “On TIME” and “TIME Out” stage, here’s a sampling of those who should bridge that gap between the sweaty pill-poppers and the white Ray-Bans set:
Soulwax Headlining the fest are these mash pioneer Belgians, who have their work cut out for them if they want to get back in Toronto’s good books. There are still plenty of hurt feelings since their shambolic last “performance” here (One of the members walked off before finishing a single song). Chances are, they’ll bring the party extra-hard to make amends.
Matthew Dear Not only is he the handsomest DJ on the bill, but Matthew Dear is a must-see because of his total unpredictability. While you know what to expect from most of these acts, Dear can hit you with anything from his landmark minimal-techno pop Leave Luck To Heaven to his left-field vocally focused Asa Breed.
A-TRAK Back again? It seems like the prodigal turntablist-turned-party-rocker plays in Toronto more often than Mats Sundin. Nevertheless, he’s usually worth checking out, since his Serato skills are finely honed and he usually has the hottest tracks before anyone else.
Heidi For a Windsor kid who had her head turned around by Richie Hawtin, moved to London, started a killer record shop, then landed on the Get Physical roster with Berlin’s M.A.N.D.Y boys, Heidi’s come a long way, to say the least.
