Last weekend, critically acclaimed up-and-coming artist Giraffage (Charlie Yin) took over the Velvet Underground in Toronto. Kicking off his first nationwide Too Real tour, with fellow artists Wingtip and Sweater Beats, Giraffage played his show with confidence and clear intent.

Fellow friend and DJ, Sweater Beats took the stage before Giraffage to get the party started. Other than announcing to the crowd that he was “Happy to be in Montreal”, his set was a hit. After realizing he was in Toronto (and apologizing to the forgiving crowd) he kept the vibes flowing. His songs were original, taking beats from classics like Outkast and Girl Talk, and he provided a variety of mixes from different genres and decades. Sweater Beats loosened up the young fans and set the mood for Giraffage to take the stage.

Originally from San Fransisco and with an education background in political economics, many would be surprised that Giraffage had decided to pursue a career in music. With something to prove and a lot to learn, he is certainly on a path to success. With his new album out Too Real, Giraffage is touring the nation and allowing his fans into his world. The album is a story of his life, with each song representing an experience he has had. For many, listening to music is therapy, but for Giraffage, writing and producing music about his life is his own therapy and a journey on which he is taking his fans along. His beats are unique, taking samples from 90’s R&B, pop, and some dreamy electronica.

Giraffage opened with a remix of  “Soulja Boy” maintaining the energy of the crowd then eventually got more personal and emotional with his original tracks. Yin played with more confidence than in the past, and it was comforting to see how loyal his fan base is. After two studio albums and touring with the likes of  DJ Porter Robinsion, Giraffage can confidently work a crowd and read exactly what room wants and likes. His show is as intimate as his album and with the addition of his drumming throughout he has enough originality and talent to set him apart from the rest.

Giraffage puts everything he is into his music and he has the drive to be successful and remain humble. This tour is just the beginning of his journey, but the road is endless and opportunities will continue to come for this artist. We look forward to seeing how far he takes it.

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With a major venue change from Toronto Island to the East End of the city in Woodbine Park, many festivalgoers didn’t know what to expect (other than a ferry-free commute). The festival grounds had three major stages: Main Stage, which delivered big acts like Odesza, Tame Impala, Grimes, and The Cure; Bollywood Stage was a tribute to the arts and culture of India and hosted Tom Trago, Lee Foss, and Art Department; and lastly, for all hard-core electronic fans there was The Big Top stage, which was located in a tent and hosted the likes of Thugli, Shaun Frank, and Thomas Jack. The festival also set up an intimate party tucked away on a hill called Sunday Best Balearic Bar, which embodied the spirit of an ‘Ibizan’ summer providing specialty drinks and DJs, like Martin Davies and Mojo Filter, spinning tropical-themed tracks.

One of the daytime highlights for Saturday was Caligornia’s Giraffage (Charlie Yin) whos pop-infused electronic beats immediately shook up the Big Top. Yin not too long ago came through Toronto with Small Magic which clearly created a positive residue of a fan base in the city. Yin’s set was fun, energizing and entertaining with dashes of surprising throwbacks like “Who Let the Dogs Out” between the usual remixes of Miley Cyrus.

The evening line up at the Main Stage was perfectly executed, starting with Jamie XX, the producer, and at times vocal, half of The XX. Since breaking out into the music scene on his own in 2009, Jamie XX has been nothing but a beacon of success among the niche electronic music groups. His 2015 album, In Colour, brought him up to the mainstream and consequently to the main stages of mass festivals. His set was diverse, upbeat, and as always featured a combination of his original tracks and some unique remixes.

Next on the program were Odesza, one of the most anticipated acts of the weekend. The duo, made up of Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight, created an extremely devoted fan base since their inception in 2012 by releasing a bulk of their music for free and well, just being insanely talented all around. Mills and Knight took the stage just as the sun was setting and put on a performance showcasing their usual live drum set duo. It was undoubtedly a highlight of the weekend.

Wrapping up the first day Tampe Impala lit up the Toronto’s East Side with a performance people will not want to forget. Without a doubt this was the most attended set this weekend from the beginning to end. Between last year’s Currents and 2012’s Lonerism Tame Impala have an incredibly strong following. Whether or not Impala are on your repeat playlist or you’ve just heard (seen) “The Less I Know the Better” you too will feel the band’s all-encompassing live set, it’s the kind of sound you will randomly wake up with on a Tuesday morning and skip to work to.

One of the most awaited acts on day two was tropical house DJ Thomas Jack known for his island-like vibe mixing in live instruments like the sax and the flute. Performing in the Big Top, which created a more intimate, a bit sweaty vibe, Jack appropriately played some of his most popular remixes like “You Were Right,” and “Is This Love,” as well sharing some of his new work with the excited crowd. Always a pleasure to watch, he was a perfection addition to Bestival and epitomized the true relaxed and positive spirit of the weekend.

Canadian songwriter and producer Grimes preformed Sunday evening as one of the closing acts of the festival. Those familiar with Grimes knew what they were in for, those who were not were surprised, shocked, and entertained. Joined by dancers and additional singers on stage Grimes played a variety of her old and new tracks while fighting through a gnarly cold. Needless to say being a bit under the weather effected the set but her limitless energy compensated where the voice was lacking.

Sunday being an overall lighter day was mostly spent relaxing on the grass and dancing to electronic beats of Catz and Dogz, Unlike Pluto, Lee Foss, Classixx and Tchami. While the more mature crowd were singing along to The Cure, Dubfire closed out the weekend at the Bollywood stage with the fire flares shooting out of elephant tracks bidding the crowd goodnight.

More image from Bestival Toronto can be found on Facebook. 

photos by Erik Shaw

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Pomo has been gaining a steady profile since leaving Vancouver for Montreal, with the release of The Other Day, a fantastic debut EP via HW&W, and one of the factors to his growing popularity, besides the feel-good grooves, is his touring schedule. Pomo has been snagging favourable opening slots for himself, last year opening for Skylar Spence back when he was still called Saint Pepsi at Fortune Sound Club, and it’s great to see his music associated with similar up-and-coming artists that are beginning to reach wider audiences. Dropping tracks like “Start Again” as well as his AlunaGeorge remix, “Supernatural” into his set, Pomo worked towards upbeat momentum.

Although Spazzkid was not on support for Giraffage during this leg of the tour, local opener, James Deen, proved more than up for the part. Listening to Deen’s On Vacation EP that was released earlier this year, it’s a no-brainer why the Kelowna transplant whose work of trap bounce, similar to the happy style of Australian producers like Wave Racer and Cosmo’s Midnight, would start the night right. The jury’s out on whether Brennan Henderson will, like Saint Pepsi, also have to change his name to avoid legal action from the real James Deen, otherwise known as the American Porn Star Next Door.

Light vibes and gentle builds, Giraffage was sweet with a minimalistic attitude. Quickly incorporating new, original tracks like “Tell Me” and “Hello,” Giraffage exuded personable energy with his perpetually relaxed smile. Giraffage’s released recordings are often optimized for listening during sedate activities that do not require a lot of movement, so it is interesting to see an artist like him live. The entertainment factor would be there, what with his extensive touring history, on the road with established EDM idol, Porter Robinson, and  XXYYXX earlier on in his career. Delivering a futuristic set that was a blend of previous influences, PC trap, cloudy hip hop, downtown indie tempo, Giraffage was enjoyable, to say the least.

If last Wednesday was a showcase, it was bedroom artist talent. Innovative electronic beats collide with humourous pop culture references on the internet, a win-win situation with real world tremors. Return soon, Giraffage.

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Depressed and isolating himself in his room to make music, Yin soon caught the favourable notice of big blogs like Pitchfork and XLR8R with his onslaught of richly engaging R&B remixes that resonated with listeners at home as well. Touring on support for XXYYXX in 2012 and Flume in 2013, Yin’s efforts paid off with the positive spread of word-of-mouth about his music. Simply put, observing Yin’s profile increase exponentially in popularity, when he was one more bedroom producer releasing bootleg remixes on Bandcamp, is watching a success story unfold in action.

A stylistic chameleon, Yin began learning how to play music with the drums at age 10. His teenage love was metal, which speaks to his voracious appetite and lack of discrimination towards polar genres. Right before signing with A-Trak’s label, Fool’s Gold, it appeared Yin would be a likely fit with any number of spacey hip-hop imprints such as Soulection or HW&W. His previous releases, such as the single, Even Though, released through Kitsune Maison, as well as his remix album of The Dream’s Love/Hate were strong indicators of this. However, with his debut Fool’s Gold EP, No Reason, coming out last fall, Yin skillfully switched courses again.

No Reason was promoted as Yin’s first sample-free album, something that made it stand apart from his past works. Having made a reputation for himself as a bootleg connoisseur, this feat culminated in the R. Kelly “Ignition” bootleg Yin released on Soundcloud last summer. Not only did the rapper himself pay Yin the compliment of re-tweeting the track, but it was also, in Yin’s opinion, poised to become his biggest remix. However, Yin’s bootleg met an untimely death with R. Kelly’s label stepping in, demanding it be taken down. The very real threat of legal action seemed to fuel Yin’s creative choices. He chose to source his samples from scratch, using specifically recorded a capella vocals as well as internet sounds from a dial-up connection to push notification such as in “Hello.”

Most significantly, No Reason was not glitch hop, the sound Yin is memorably associated with. Instead, in a return to early Giraffage form, Yin expressed dream dance vibes through pop again. Pretty Things, his 2011 EP, had odes to chillwave and dream pop in tracks like “Waste Yr Time”, and even Needs had tangible memories of vaporwave. Pop was certainly not new terrain for the producer. Prior to taking on the Giraffage moniker, Yin was releasing chiptune tracks under his Robot Science project. If Spazzkid, his current supporting act on tour, is an indication of Yin’s current path of exploration, his deconstructions of pop in a PC world will continue.

From interpreting R&B hits to touring with Porter Robinson and Lemaitre, Yin is a poster boy for bedroom producers, and the bursts of talent that can be found in the rough.

See full Giraffage tour dates here. 

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