Electric Island: seeing the light

by Jackie Willson

Finally, there is a light at the end of this dark, cold, long tunnel! This weekend, Toronto is welcoming summer (with open arms) with a new series of Electric Island weekends. Kicking off its third season, Electric Island is moving to Hanlan’s Point to increase capacity for attendance and fun. Presented by Platform, Embrace, and Footwork, this summer concert series includes four events taking place each long weekend Monday. This Victoria Day, Electric Island is presenting some of the greatest talent from around the globe in electronic music.

Starting off the festival is a very special collaboration of artists, Seth Troxler and The Martinez Brothers. They have created a label, calling themselves “Tuskegee,” and we are extremely excited to hear what they have to offer. All coming from a solid and equally influential musical background, this musical mash-up is bound to be amazing. Troxler, an American DJ from Detroit has been voted number three among top DJ’s, founded the record label Visionquest, (also head of Tuskegee) and toured the world, collaborating with the likes of Art Deparment, Deetron, and Matthew Dear. The highly sought after Martinez Brothers are returning to the Island and are leaders in the global house music scene. They have a distinctive ability to connect to any crowd and are famous for their remix of Green Velvet’s, “Bigger Than Prince,” from 2013. Lately, they have been involved in the European fashion scene and are contributing to media campaigns for Nike. With plans to tour the Asian scene, there is no end to the success of this dynamic duo.

Next up is Steve Lawler, who is highly regarded by his musical peers and also by fans everywhere. His musical background and experience defines his talent and he is known to push boundaries and break in new talent from around the world. He has released some of the industry’s most collectable mixes and has held a nine year residency at Ibiza’s Space. There is no doubt that Lawler will keep the Island afloat and energized.

Another two-man show hoping to gain the love of Toronto fans is Pan-Pot. Tassilo Ippenberger and Thomas Benedix are both from Berlin and both were hoping to break into the electronic scene when they met. This duo came together when they were studying music at SAE and have not looked back since.  Their defining moment being in 2007, with the release of their album, Pan-O-Rama (don’t judge, it was their first time). Always touring and remixing in the studio, Pan-Pot is creating a family dynamic with their musical peers and hoping to achieve success that has no limits with industrial techno sounds and refined drops.

Lee Burridge is originally from Hong Kong and has been taking the rest of the world by storm since 1990. A true veteran, Burridge always hopes to achieve a relationship between himself and his fans. This understanding has led him to become one of the most respected DJ’s of our time and also allowed him to play at the most famous festivals like Coachella, EXIT Festival, Ultra, and Burning Man. His records are never inside the box and he makes a point to say that he does not want to ever be generalized. We are sure to hear something original from this artist.

Dutch performer, Tom Trago, is returning to North America with three critically acclaimed albums and collaborations with the best of the best. His sound brings funky, disco beats, which will be sure to kick off the summer vibes all over the Island. His singles like “Hidden Heart Of Gold” and “Only Believe” have become instant classics and we are sure he has plans to keep that record going.

Looking forward to heading into the light with the rest of Toronto this weekend.