Night Vision 1.14

(Co-written with Clifford Brown)

Since this column is called "Night Vision" we shouldn't even be covering the sun- worshiping cult called Piknic Electronik. On the other hand: we like sects. It's just sad that the Piknic season had to start with cold weather and rain, and only about 50 people in attendance.

So, what's going down in Montréal? Well, lots, but everybody was just about ready to shoot themselves on the count of 10 fucking consecutive days of RAIN, and now the sun's back… But is it here to stay? Bring on the pain, Jesus. Just make sure we never see a cloud again this summer…

Week-End Review

Thursday, Zombie Nation's gig at Parking wasn't bad at all, although Mr. Starlight seemed like he was a zombie himself, at times, rarely turning off the auto pilot. We expected more, but instead got a carbon copy of his set from a year and a half ago. If that's what evolving is all about, then I'd like to go back to being a fish, thanks.

Friday, my sources tell me Alex Bau's extended set at Aria was pretty cool, with Marco G opening with a HARD techno set.

On Saturday, Headman's visit to La SAT turned out to be a surprisingly good Neon party after all. Laptop-jockey Thomas Von Party's opening set was pretty sweet, and Headman got everyone dancing with a good load of sure-fire electro hits. The crowd was nice, as always are people brave enough to go out in the rain. Now if you all could stop smoking in public places, that would be the extra icing on the cake. Oh, wait : it's happening soon.

Sunday was the first Piknic of the summer, and it was also raining and freezing. Need we say more?

Sunday night, however, was another matter: Stephan Bodzin's visit to Balroom was a blast! We can't get enough of that German electro right now, and it was about time someone brought in the master. The place wasn't quite ready for such a massive party, but overall it was a good evening. Did I mention Bender's unreal opening set? Well, I fuckin' should've! Until next time: just chill.

Monday, man… Mondays are fucking harsh: I was sleeping it off.

… And getting ready for Tuesday night's Dizzy, featuring Piknic survivor Jeff Samuel and the mighty MightyKat. Both DJs rocked Academy Dancehall with minimal grooves, with Samuel busting loose from 2h30 on to the end. Awesome evening!

On to current events…


News en Vrac

Well, the big news is that we've finally found the time to update our calendar. Therefore, at the end of this Night Vision, you'll find out who's coming to town and when, and who's throwing the wickedest parties for the next few months.

Okay, I'm going to be nice and assume you've all got short attention spans: First, Mustache aficionado David Carretta will play a live set at Parking on June 22nd for our weekly Overdose night, and you'll never guess who's coming to dinner on July 19th? Fucking PEACHES, that's who!

We also learned that MSTRKRFT were hosting a CD launch party at Le Showcase (WTF ?!) on July 20th. Their album "The Looks" is coming out on Last Gang Records soon enough for you to boogie in the record store, and in order to be good neighbors with our Toronto friends, showing up would be a good idea.

If that ain't a hook to read on, I don't know what is…


Thursday 25/05

Ernesto will be playing L'Esplanade de la PDA, from noon to 1, for an Audio Lunch. Check it out, weather permitting!

Mini's Overdose night is still going on strong at Parking. I hope that doesn't come as a surprise, because if it does you shouldn't be reading this. Go away, now.

Looking for something to do in Villeray? Check out Adrenaline, featuring Axel Klein & Omni, at Café Lounge De Lima.

David Lager's going on an all-night Circus rampage.


Friday 26/05

Stéphane Cocke Audio Lunches it, still at L'Esplanade de la PDA, from noon to 1.

A Crackhaus double-bill is going down at Café Studio Délima, featuring both a live performance and a DJ set. Stephen Beaupré & Deadbeat both have new albums out, and they've been known to rock the glitch out of you. Jumping jack flashes are in order to salute them once you enter the dancefloor.

Dizzy's taking it on the road, with a little evening booked at Stereobar. MightyKat & Uzi share the bill. However, there's nothing worthwhile going on upstairs afterwards.

But, all hope's not lost: Mini & Kal play the Aria, so you can still catch some decent music in Montréal's big room, and keep the party going all night long.


Saturday 27/05

Neon strikes again with its NYC Invasion event, featuring James F!@#$%^ Friedman, Max Pask, JDH & Dave P. Friedman released a very good mix CD called "Go Commando" recently, and should definitely be checked out by any electro-lover out there.

This will also be the last Neon event of May, and nothing else goes on until June 23rd with the Kitsuné St-Jean Baptiste, if you don't consider the June 9th Voyeur edition to be a Neon event. Do you ? Should we ?

On the afterhour front, the choice is clear. You can either go hear some crap, or some other crap, or head over to Aria where the good music will be, thanks to Montréal's own DJ Maus, and an invader from QC called Marco G. $15 for the guys, $5 for the ladies. A perfect combo with Neon's NYC Invasion for the hardcore party people out there.

The Autist welcomes Chicago's Mazi to his new "Vétérans" night. Old school is the key word here and old plain fun is what you'll have if you go ! Mr. Autist is sweet enough to offer a guest list spot to anybody who emails him at guest_veterans@tistik.com and if you pay 25$ at the door before midnight, you get the door fee for Mazi, access to Stereo afterhours later on, and 10 free drinks on top of all that ! Don't tell us we're not heading you to the good deals !

Sunday 28/05

Archipel's Piknic should be taking place at the usual location. Social System, the "supergroup" comprised of Pheek & Jason Corder, should be playing live. Krikor, Mateo Murphy and Baya are also on the bill. Krikor is set to tag team the night away with Pheek, and since the sun is supposed to be shining, the dancefloor should be a pretty sweet spot to be at, barefoot, until the music stops or your heart beats explode. Your call.

At night, the Balroom's No Excuse night welcomes The Autist, who will perform alongside residents Sean Kosa and Bender.


Tuesday 30/05

Ghislain Poirier drops by L'Esplanade de la PDA for yet another Audio Lunch, still from noon to 1.

Dizzy celebrates its two year anniversary at L'Academy Dancehall ! They have invited Thomas Franzmann, Perlon's boss, also known as Dimbiman, to shake things up with them. One of his songs was featured on Mightykat's mix "Confidence" a few years back, and if you've heard the track you know the guy's a serious party monster !! Catch him in a more intimate venue before his big Mutek night or live to regret it !


Wednesday 31/05

Maus takes over L'Esplanade de la PDA from noon to 1, taking some time to share an Audio Lunch with us poor Hardwired Montréalites.

Gatineau, our own local electro-hip-hop beasts, play the Diable Vert. I know, the place's supposed to be a 17 years old girls hideout, with chansonniers baring their souls out, but this time around it might be your chance to check it out. Séba is an incredible MC, their tracks are this dope mix of dubbed out electro & phat hip hop & grime beats, and when Séba turns into MC Brutalll, things get real ugly. For tales of pizza pussies, goth nymphos & sugar shack madness, 7$ get you in. With Numéro opening, that's an offer you can't honestly refuse.

Alice and the Serial Numbers at Academy Dancehall. Lots of other folks, VJs and stuff, you know.

Also: Mutek starts, although we don't have any recommendations until Thursday, June 1st.


Next Week

Mutek, featuring the likes of Modeselektor, Guido Schneider, Alex Under, Thomas Brinkmann, Richie Hawtin, Marco Houle, Magda and Troy Pierce. The festival will be featured in two Piknics over the week-end, on Saturday & Sunday, which is a double threat much more commonly appreciated than a DP. Need we say more? Probably, otherwise there wouldn't be much of a point in writing a nightlife column.


Later On

June:
01 – Modeselektor (Live) @ La SAT (Mutek)
02 – Guido Schneider & Alex Under @ Fonderie Darling (Mutek)
03 – Thomas Brinkmann @ Metropolis (Mutek)
04 – Magda, Troy Pierce, Marc Houle & Richie Hawtin @ Parc Jean-Drapeau (Mutek/Piknic)
08 – Chromeo DJ set @ Saphir
09 – Voyeur 05 w/Jordan Dare, Bliss & Romeo Kardec (Voyeur)
10 – I Love Montréal 2 w/Mateo, Maus, Mini, Yaz…
10 – Ministry @ Medley
10 – Nostalgia - Prom Edition @ Centre Fractal
10 – Sean Kosa @ La SAT
11 – Vega, The Autist, Saturnin & Bender @ Parc Jean-Drapeau (Piknic)
11 – Vega, The Autist, Saturnin & Bender @ Balroom (No Excuse)
16 – Arctic Monkeys @ Medley
16 – Audio Mecanik w/Vincent Lemieux… @ Centre Fractal (Microzoo)
16 – Indochine @ Metropolis (FrancoFolies)
16 – Jordan Dare, Sean Kosa & Philgood @ Stereo
17 – Arthur H @ Spectrum (FrancoFolies)
17 – Indochine @ Metropolis (FrancoFolies)
17 – Microtek w/Philgood, Tenzin & L'Akratique aka Mimi @ ? (Noerg)
22 – David Carretta (Live) & Mini @ Parking (Overdose)
22 – The Streets + Lady Sovereign @ Spectrum
21 – Madonna @ Centre Bell
21 – Madonna Official Afterparty @ Parking
22 – Joachim Garraud, King Louis & Driss @ Pure Nightclub
22 – Joachim Garraud @ Circus
23 – Blondie & The (New) Cars @ Centre Bell
23 – Disco w/Michel Simarc & Robert Ouimet @ Stereo
23 – I Love Neon: Kitsuné (w/Cajuan & Gildas & Massaya) @ La SAT (I Love Neon)
24 – Kid Alex/Boys Noize @ 5322 St-Laurent
24 – DJ Dan @ Aria
25 – Front Line Assembly @ Club Soda
29 – The Hacker @ Parking (Overdose)
30 – Extension 3 w/Luci… @ Main Hall

July:
01 – Disconnected @ Voyeur @ La SAT (Voyeur)
04 – Samantha Fox @ Medley
07 – Jamie Lidell @ Club Soda (Festival de Jazz)
07 – John Tejada, Mossa & Jon Schmidt @ La SAT (DiskHo)
08 – The Juan Maclean & MSTRKRFT @ Club Soda (Jazz)
14 – Kick Le… Clavecin 2 w/Robeat & Clifford Brown @ Théâtre Plaza (Robeat)
15 – Diplo, CSS & Blonde Do Role @ La Sala Rossa (Peer Pressure)
15 – Microtek @ ? (Noerg)
19 – Peaches @ Metropolis (Blue Skies Turn Black)

August:
01 – The Editors @ La Tulipe
01 – She Wants Revenge @ Spectrum
03 – Los Amigos Invisibles @ Place Emilie-Gamelin
13 – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts @ Parc Jean-Drapeau (Vans Warped Tour)
28 – Herbert @ Club Soda

September:
15 – Clinik w/John Dahlbäck, Sad Mafioso, Jeff Grosse & Special Guest (DiskHo)
21 – Miss Kittin @ Parking (Overdose)
22 – Detroit Grand Pubahs, Danny Lutz & Chromeo (TBC) @ Cabaret Juste Pour Rire

October:
27 – Clinik w/Trentemoller, Maus, DJ TOM & Jeff Grosse @ ? (DiskHo)


Until next week: Keep them asses shakin' !

Jeff Samuel Gets Dizzy @ Academy Dancehall

Well, what can we say after such a devastatingly good funky minimal evening, except perhaps that I'm glad most of my friends missed it. That way, you see, I'll have something to torture them about for the next sixth months or so, always comparing every minimal set I hear with this one, savoring the fact that they can't possibly 'get' what I'm saying.

I'm such a vicious bastard.

I wasn't too convinced by Samuel's set at first: despite an excellent selection, mostly from labels Poker Flat, Kompakt and Trapez, it seemed to me like he wasn't building toward anything, and he probably wasn't… at first. About halfway through, things picked up majestically and on we went towards musical bliss for the next hour, Samuel concluding his set by kickin' things into high gear from 2h30 'til the end.

From MightyKat's spotless opening set to the end of Jeff Samuel's, this one will stand as a night to remember, and hopefully we'll get many more Dizzy memories at the night's new location.

Great music, great crowd, great place. Dizzy celebrates its 2nd Aniversary next week at Academy Dancehall. Don't miss it.

Jeff Samuel, Trapez Artist

Slowly making his mark throughout the last decade, Seattle-based musician/DJ Jeff Samuel is an already well-known funky-minimalist by the circles of electronic music connoisseurs that haunt every big city (and some disreputable villages).

Jeff Samuel began to DJ in 1996. One year later he was already starting to produce his own tracks, eventually attracting the attention of labels Lo-fi Stereo, Dan Bell's 7th City and Riley Reinhold's Trapez imprint. Most of Samuel's material was released with Trapez, but he's recently been associated with Steve Bug's Pokerflat label, notably after having remixed the Guido Schneider track "Oh my Buffer" in 2004, and DJ-mixing the label's fourth compilation in 2005. Nevertheless, he's definitely best at home with Trapez, fitting in perfectly with Triple R's label roster.

Future plans include a debut full-length album, a mix CD, and impressing the hell out of us Montréalais tonight: after a "failed" Piknic gig plagued by cold weather and rain, he's getting another chance to show off at Dizzy (now at Academy Dancehall). MightyKat is also on the bill, making this already promising evening even more interesting.

Crybabies beware: you won't be able to get out of this one on the count of the weather!

You can hear a Jeff Samuel mix on his web site.

Stephan Bodzin @ Balroom

I got to Balroom half past midnight and found myself at the end of a line up extending from the coat check counter down two flights of stairs and out of the lobby. Well, let's just say Larry Tee sure seemed like an option for a while, until things got moving again and we got in.

Inside, we were faced with the usual "it's a three day week-end" Sunday night scenario. On one hand, it was clear that Balroom wasn't ready to handle such a large load of customers: the place was overcrowded, and service was unbearably long. It was hard to find some space to dance, and if you had the misfortune of getting thirsty, then you probably had a good 15-20 minutes of waiting before getting yourself one of those overpriced glasses of ice cubes.

The upside was that the place was full. I always like the vibe at Balroom, but last Sunday's No Excuse night was reaching critical mass: it was that moment in time when a soirée gets to that next level for the first time. No Excuse made its mark in Montréal and we were there to see it. One of those moments, you know?

The first thing that got my attention was the madness going on behind the decks: Bender was burning the place down with beats, firing one hit after the other and sinking any hope I had of leaving this mayhem unharmed.

Then, for some reason, Bodzin took over. I guess the fact that baldy came all the way from Germany was as good a reason as any. He sure made himself feel at home, and dished out a whole five course meal from his own kitchen.

To top things off he got a great reaction from the mixed crowd, comprised primarily of electric hipsters/fashion victims, oft-rude St-Laurent yuppies and the blasé, ever demanding and elusive off-work nightlife industry employee. Pulling that off should be rewarded with a special medal, ribbon or perhaps some kind of sash.

Bodzin's energetic German electro kept the place alive until the end, making for a overall pleasant evening at Balroom.

Headman & Thomas Von Party @ SAT

Those of you who missed that should just bite your nails right now and say "ooohh". We didn't wear MC Hammer pants to go there. We got there almost sober - if we decide not to mention the wine glasses we had in the afternoon prior. The party was far from being started at midnight, and it would eventually wait until around 1 to reach its full potential.


Thomas Von Party himself was welcoming the guests with his undescribable polo and his exotic rythms. The party songs were all dropped when Robi Insinna appeared behind the DJ booth, acting as a boost on Thomas' mood.

Headman was well advised to play songs like Simian Mobile Disco's "Hustler" and some Hot Chip, lots of Boyz Noize remixes, "Move my Body" by Tiga, and several other hits - including Switch's "A Bit Patchy", never a disappointment.

His set was slowly buried deep under a thick cigarette smoke cloud, and I found out why only the next day, while chatting on the phone with the Health Minister's secretary : smokers know their days are numbered. The countdown has started. So they try to shake their tiny fists one last time to protest the smoking ban, and they only thing they succeed in doing is making everybody sick.

So this Headman, a.k.a. Manhead, that I would normally have enjoyed in all his glory, was polluted & despised. Breathing through this was an accomplishment in itself.



Those of us - and you ! - brave enough to get out in the pouring rain and put on their party hats were rewarded by a very nice Neon. The Neon fashionistas were there as well, clothed in a special animalistic theme, with zebra pants and - for some of them - way too much Fabio hair.

We didn't get to see the way things ended because we were dead tired, but the Head Man apparently kept things rolling in high gear until the end. Amen.

Wanna party in Montréal? Check out I Love Neon.

Night Vision 1.13

(Co-written with Clifford Brown)

It's fucking Picnik time…

And I have to say... it's about time. Can't say how much winter fucked me up, because I didn't measure the mental perturbations I went through, but let's just say that getting up with a noble purpose on a sunny Sunday will be quite a thrill. Budweiser bikinis and baby blue sweat pants, here we come ! So yeah, on the 21st, Piknics are a-launchin' and you'd better be there, rain or shine, or else... we'll drink all the beer without you!


Week-end Review

As predicted, Mini's guest-less Overdose turned out to be anything but a quiet evening: the lady of the house played a solid electro set from start to finish, giving us poor souls hardly a chance to breathe or visit the terrace to catch pneumonia.

Kick Le… Clavecin was a pretty good party, set in a unique location that fit its Renaissance theme perfectly. Too bad nobody dressed up, apart from Robeat themselves, of course! Check these guys out, you won't regret it !

Downtown, Voyeur brought in MSTRKRFT, which I hear was a sweet evening as well. Choices, choices…

G O'Brien destroyed the dance floor at Aria with an amazing set on Friday, while Maus played to an almost empty room on Saturday, which is just plain sad since she never disappoints !

Finally, once again Sean Kosa's set at Balroom on Sunday left me puzzled… Don't get me wrong – it was awesome – I just never tought I'd hear "Going Back to Cali" during an electro night ! Props to Bender as well, who's always a solid counterpart to Sean's wild antics.

Enough already!


News en Vrac

Not much to report, really, except that it's been announced that Maus will open for Trentemoller on Oct. 27th.

But this week, there's only one thing that counts: sunshine, and you already know why!

But please, read on anyway…


Thursday 18/05

Our man John Starlight, AKA Zombie Nation, drops by Parking's Overdose night to play us some live tunes. Mini will no doubt grace us with the usual dark electro, which will fit nicely alongside Johnny and the Zombies.


Villeray socialites not in the mood for large scale audio devastation can check out Adrenaline, which is still going on at Café de Lima, with Prae & X-Cube.


Friday 19/05

Akufen & Jeff Milligan (aka Algorithm) drop by Café Lounge De Lima for what promises to be an interesting & very minimal evening.

Architecture In Helsinki, the australian answer to the Arcade Fire, drop by La Sala Rossa for a sonic assault you will not soon forget. Question remains : will they all fit on the stage ?

Electro-Chic proposes its 7th edition at La SAT. With friendly folks like Vincent Gauvin, Fu AnCko, Maxxx, Sean Kosa and VJ Homing, can you go wrong ?

Technohead Alex Bau is back in town to launch his new mix CD, "Live @ Aria", recorded live last January during the RaveMontréal 18 double-bill. Marco G opens at 2am, while Alex Bau will go on with an extended set from 5am onwards. At Aria, of course.


Saturday 20/05

Microtek, an evening focusing on techno, minimal and electro, will go on from 10 to 3 at Bar Atlantis (6246 St-Laurent). Noerg, Philgood & Euterke will feed us the beats, while Mikiram will screw with our eyesight. $8.


Our man Headman, along with Thomas Von Party, rolls into town on a wave of cowbell & impressive basslines for the weekly I Love Neon party at SAT. Party people, expensive drinks, and international stars.

Catch them before they make it big - Islands, along with Cadence Weapon & Busdriver, will perform their burlesque & playful songs at Le National in front of an already devoted audience.

Well, with all that's going down in town this Saturday, there's a good chance a few of you will decide to go on an all night dancing spree. If that's the case I suggest you check out Miguel Graça, Maus & Creator at Aria. $15 for guys, $5 for the ladies.


Sunday 21/05


Seattle's Jeff Samuel is a very special DJ, and he'll prove it at Piknic. With Akufen & Bleuchut. Read the full article in our "pages".


Our bald buddy Stephan Bodzin drops by Bender & Sean's Balroom bash. You better get your sunburned ass up there right after the Picnik, and start shaking it like there's no tomorrow. No Excuse, this time – this is the real deal, boys & girls!

On the other side of town, Fridig is bringing in NYC's Larry Tee for his Electruck night at Parking. Cheap beer's alright, but Larry ain't no Bodzin. Again: Choices have to be made – any other night and I'd have checked Larry out for sure.


Wednesday 23/05

Hitting two birds with one stone, Jeff Samuel drops by Dizzy now at its new location at Academy Dancehall. MightyKat shares the bill.


Next Week

Still 2 weeks to go before Mutek, and in the mean time we'll have to take it easy a bit. Well, "easy" considering we're in Montréal! With James F!@#$%^ Friedman visiting us for I Love Neon's NYC Invasion, and Archipel's Piknic, we're still looking at a promising week!


Later On

May:
27 – NYC Invasion w/James F!@#$%^ Friedman, … (I Love Neon)
28 - Archipel @ Piknic Électronik w/Krikor, Mateo Murphy, Pheek… (Piknic)

June:
01 - Modeselektor (Live) @ SAT (Mutek)
02 - Guido Schneider, Alex Under @ Fonderie Darling (Mutek)
03 - Thomas Brinkmann @ Metropolis (Mutek)
04 - Magda, Troy Pierce, Marc Houle & Richie Hawtin @ Parc Jean-Drapeau (Mutek/Piknic)
10 - I Love Montréal, 2è Édition
10 - Nostalgia - Prom Edition @ Centre Fractal
16 - Arctic Monkeys @ Medley
16 - Indochine @ Metropolis (FrancoFolies)
17 - Indochine @ Metropolis (FrancoFolies)
22 - The Streets + Lady Sovereign @ Spectrum
21 - Madonna @ Centre Bell
23 - Blondie & The (New) Cars @ Centre Bell
23 - I Love Neon: Kitsuné (w/Cajuan & Gildas & Massaya) @ ? (I Love Neon)
24 – Kid Alex/Boys Noize @ ?
24 - DJ Dan @ Aria
29 - The Hacker @ Parking (Overdose)

July:
07 - Jamie Lidell @ Club Soda (Festival de Jazz)
07 - John Tejada, Mossa & Jon Schmidt @ ? (DiskHo)
08 - The Juan Maclean & MSTRKRFT @ Club Soda (Jazz)
15 - Diplo, CSS & Blonde Do Role @ La Sala Rossa

August:
28 - Herbert @ Club Soda

September:
15 - John Dahlbäck & Jeff Grosse (DiskHo)
21 - Miss Kittin @ Parking (Overdose)
22 - Detroit Grand Pubahs @ Cabaret Music-Hall


Until next week: Keep the sun shinin' !

Four Months of Happiness - Most of the Things You Need to Know About Piknic Électronik

The events' launch is planned for May 21st, and it should end with the beautiful days of September. Last year's final bang, with Champion & lots of rain, helped those of us who were sad hide our tears. And this year's first edition, with Poker Flat rep Jeff Samuel, our own megastar Akufen, and a guy named Bleuchut, promises to kick things off directly into high gear.


Kickstart my heart indeed.

It took four years for the Piknic team to achieve the kind of status your mama envies : nobody will ever make them move away from the Place de l'Homme, under the Calder of Parc Jean-Drapeau, on Ste-Hélène Island. And I have never heard of a DJ, from the stone age to today, who doesn't want to play there.

The reason why Piknic people love their Sundays so much is unclear, or rather, too clear. Nothing is bad about Piknic. They're not paying me to write that, as surprising as it may sound. I've always been a big supporter, brought new people along with me every Sunday, and last year I didn't miss a single edition. To understand, simply put, you have to come.

Could it get any better than a t-dance where you can bring your own booze ? Where you get to enjoy the sun, the nicest view of downtown Montreal there is, and listen & dance to the best house music around ? It's as if you were on the moon with a breathable atmosphere, looking at the earth with a martini in hand, and telling yourself : "Man, they have no fuckin' idea of how nice it is here and the good times we're having".


I have put an option to halt the sun's effects until May 21st, so I can get my first sunburn there. Here's the picture : you get there, whichever way you prefer. You already hear the beats in the distance when you get out of your car. You walk towards this constant sonic pounding, which slowly amplifies, until you reach the tables where you pay 7$ to have a bracelet wrapped around your wrist. You go into the site, drop all you're holding, kick off your shoes, jump on the fake grass rugs & dance your week away. More or less.


The essentials

Of course, you need sun screen. I can't provide for everybody at the price these things are. A beach towel can also be nice to lay on when you get tired of dancing. Food is a must - you get real hungry after dancing a lot, and on the island it's not really easy to find 99 cents pizzerias. Sometimes, when it gets dark, you also need a cardigan. Your mom wouldn't be very proud of me if you got sick because I didn't warn you.


Why it's called a "family"

Since the event is taking place in the middle in the afternoon and usually concludes around 9 PM, it may be considered a "family" activity. And it was created with such a noble aim in sight : to give a chance to parents to DANCE. Children educated in this optique can only be, well, pretty cool. They'll become great dancers.



Seriously, there are small children's pools where you can bathe the baby, and kids are most welcome on site. And so are dogs. You can never go anywhere because your dog eats the furniture to protest ? Bring him ! Jaded clubbers not wanting to get smoked out in shady clubs LOVE Piknic, and so should you.

There's also the fact that these smiling faces you see every week will eventually become friends. Piknic makes you bond in a strange way. You'll see Piknic people everywhere in town, on regular week days, and just give them a nod that means : "See how boring everyday life is ? We'll show them on Sunday !".


Booze & drugs

While I've never seen someone being warned because he was smoking a big bud, I certainly wouldn't recommend it. Mostly because it's not a good example for kids, whatever you fucking stoners might think. And also because not everybody likes that nauseating ganja smell while we're trying to have a good time. Being reminded that some of you can't have fun without smoking a joint is just so very sad.

Chemicals can be an option, but as you'll see, we have more than our share of zombies coming to Piknic directly from an afterhours club and still shaking their glowsticks at the sun. And we most certainly don't need paranoïd cokeheads when the mood is relaxed & laidback.

I personally suggest you bring some booze. Remember, no glass is allowed on the site, since most of us are dancing barefoot, so if you wanna drink beer it has to be in a can. I like to bring already mixed drinks in plastic bottles, but if you insist on bringing the alcohol in its natural form, do like a good friend of mine and select Troïka's 60 ounces plastic bottle. Convenient, strong and big enough to get all your friends real drunk.


450's

Inevitable. Their number has grown over the years. And I'm not using the term in a derogatory way. 450's, for me, are people who LOOK like they're from Laval or Longueuil, while most of the time they're not. They're from St-Jérôme or St-Eustache. They mistook the Beach Club for Piknic. They ride Civics, have tribal tattoos, dress in white, wear their baseball caps upside down, are un-naturally tanned, and look as if they spend way too much time at the gym. You could sometimes think they all look the same.

Yes, they'll be there. Just act like they're invisible. If, and only if, they plan tam tam, you're allowed to throw a fit.


Getting there

There's a metro station not too far. Jean-Drapeau. Get outta there and follow the BPM.

If you're driving, it's nice, just take the Jacques-Cartier bridge and find some parking. You'll have to pay between 10$ & 14$ for the whole day, thanks to these greedy La Ronde fuckers.

If you're biking, it's even nicer. You'll be able to lock your bike nearer, and it won't cost you a dime. Plus you'll have a more appealing booty that you'll harden even more if you dance all day.


So things kick with a bang on May 21st. Jeff Samuel, Akufen & Bleuchut will blow you away with the best sounding outdoors sound system there is. Keep an eye open for more guests over the summer, and check here for special announcements, reports, pictures & uniquely effective party lessons. Papa knows you need your ass slapped.

Click here for Piknic's official website, where you can take a look at their weekly guests & be updated about the weather.

Stephan Bodzin?

The name may not ring a bell but you unquestionably know the tunes – Marc Romboy & Blake Baxter's "House Ya", Elektrochemie's "Pleasure Seeker", Oliver Huntemann's "Rubin", his collaboration with Chelonis R. Jones "Terminate the Fire", and Thomas Schumacher's "Heat In Up", to name just a few.


The above examples are only a few highlights from a large catalog of tracks Stephan Bodzin has worked on over the last few years. All these propose deep, simplistic and twisted analog sounds that get you in the gut. This style of electro has gained a lot momentum in the last 24 months, and thanks are largely due to Bodzin's & Co.

The German-born DJ/musician/producer has been at it for a while, hiding behind production credits, and only recently starting to release tracks himself. These include one solo record on Systematic, as well as a collaboration with label-head Marc Romboy, two shared ventures with Oliver Huntemann (on Datapunk and Gigolo), and various other records as Elektrochemie, a band comprised of Bodzin, Schumacher and his girl Caitlin Devlin. He's also worked with Oliver Huntemann on the prized Rekorder series: a minimal, yet driving, assortment of tracks that sound like a harder manifestation of Steve Bug's style.

As you can see Bodzin's all over the place these days and things aren't about to change. We can already look forward to an Elektrochemie album coming up shortly, and he's just worked wonders over Thomas Schumacher's first-rate new album Home.

Relauching his DJ career and preparing to tour as a live act, Stephan Bodzin's 2006 promises to be a very full year, jam-packed with surprises, deafening analog bass lines, and hard grinding electro mayhem.

*

Don't miss Stephan Bodzin's appearance at Balroom this coming Sunday for Bender & Sean Kosa's No Excuse night. It's the ideal place to crash at after Jeff Samuels's Picnik gig, and promises to be a mandatory shindig for any serious electric Montréalite out there.

You can listen to a fresh Stephan Bodzin DJ mix right here.

John et ses Zombies

Sa musique n'est pas toujours facilement indentifiable, et si John Starlight pourrait aisément passer inaperçu il en est autrement lorsqu'il nous balance des beats en pleine tronche, revêtant son masque de mort-vivant pour nous faire danser aux rythmes de Zombie Nation.


C'est en 1999 que Starlight fait d'abord parler de lui grâce à Kernkraft 400, un premier simple devenu un incontournable classique grâce à sa mélodie simplette empruntée à un jeu de Commodore 64.

Rapidement remarqué par DJ Hell, il signe chez International Deejay Gigolos, l'étiquette qui sera à l'avant-garde du mouvement electroclash pour les années à venir. Grâce à plusieurs remix, dont ceux de Dave Clarke et Miss Kittin & The Hacker, les disques de Zombie Nation tourneront partout.

S'il ne connaîtra pas d'autres succès aussi retentissants que Kernkraft 400, Starlight se garde quand même en forme et pond trois long-jeux durant les 6 années qui suivront: des œuvres bien garnies qui proposent une techno intriguante et novatrice, sortant aussi souvent que possible des sentiers battus.

Bref, Starlight se laisse difficilement contourner et la plupart de ses parutions suscitent un intérêt bien placé de la part des DJs. John se garde aussi occupé avec ses maisons de disque, Dekathlon et UKW, qui distribuent entre autres les disques de Kean Sanders et Remute.

C'est dans le cadre d'une prestation 'live' que Zombie Nation nous rendra visite, ce jeudi 18 mai au Parking. La soirée s'annonce déjà comme le happening du mois au club de la rue Amherst et méritera sans doute le détour. À ne pas manquer!

Vous voulez en savoir plus sur Zombie Nation?

G for Germany

G O'Brien has had a residency at Aria for a while now. He's a pretty versatile DJ, able to play a wide range of styles quite adequately. Recently, he has impressed me with his punchy electro sets, but nothing could've prepared me for last night's spectacular performance.

You see, G just got back from Germany with $500 worth of new records: Techno records, Minimal records, Acid records, Electro records, Fuck-your-brains up records, and it seems he decided to inject all these records into one set of pure madness last night. He started smoothly, with minimal techno and went up from there towards loud, crashy electro, much to the delight of the crowd, creating a flawless build up that didn't fail to reach musical bliss.

Aria, its guests and its residents have surprised me quite a few times recently, and now G's set from last night can be added right near the top of my 'best-of-2006-so-far' list. A night of unrelenting musical mayhem, and the best G O'Brien set I've ever heard, bar none.

As far as I know he's not booked at Aria again this month, but definitely check the guy out ASAP.

Kickin' It with Robeat

I got to Théâtre Plaza right before midnight. After a brief chat with ½ of Robeat, I headed upstairs to discover this intriguing room – a beautifully decorated open theatre space, with a large gallery overlooking the main dance floor. The DJ booth was set up on stage, in front of screens that displayed VJ Akolad's work. The lighting, however sparse, was very efficient.

Sadly, I missed the opening DJs, but caught the main events. First, our own Clifford Brown, who did what he does best without apology or shame: getting a party started. A solid selection of upbeat electro tracks ensured that we got to Robeat in one piece. But Robeat didn't seem to care that we were already tired, beaten and bruised, and relentlessly handed out one freaky electro track after the other, non stop until we could dance no more, thereby kicking the shit out of the clavecin.

The only low-point was the venue: however beautiful and intriguing, Théâtre Plaza ridiculously lacked ventilation. The heat wasn't so bad, but it was simply impossible to breathe inside, thanks to a heavy fog of cigarette smoke. This situation prompted my early disappearance from the dance floor. Luckily, this critical flaw should be a non-issue within a few days, thanks to the smoking ban.

A fun evening from Robeat, and definitely a party-people crew I'll be keeping a Mirror-Shaded eye on from now on.

Robeat returns on June 9th.

Kick la Renaissance

Those of you who have been observing Montreal's electro house scene in the last few years have probably heard about Robeat.


For those who have not, here's a little fast-forward bio : Jo & Éric teamed up with VJ Akolad and have since tried to offer the masses a nice electro-italo-disco-tech evening with nice visuals & vibes. They've done the Dogue (believe it or not), the Mile End Bar and most recently a S.A.T. Mix Session.

But the wind seems to be blowing on the scene these days in Montreal and the supremacy of some promoters remains questionable. There's a slow rise of young blood, and to be honest, I sure hope Robeat will be among them. And to launch & celebrate this new spirit, and these new resolutions, there's a fiesta going on this coming Friday.

Théâtre Plaza has recently seen a slow rise of booked events. Norway's Annie played there last year, and it's no longer just the Kino guys that are using the place. The owner has kept the place in shape, and its old-school look is intact. The setting is perfect for a decadent party, and you should easily see decadence if you drop by on Friday.

On top of the quality house provided by Deebacc & Fancy Fhreek from 10 to 12, yours truly will rock the house until 1, and the Robeat team will take over until 3. If you like your rythms eclectic yet strong, bleepy and analogue, italo discotic and psychotic, I believe this is the place you should be.

Tickets are 4$ in advance & 6 to 8$ at the door, depending on when you arrive. Go back in the past visually, and take a step forward into the future sonically - we'll be waiting for you !

Night Vision 1.12

(Co-written with Clifford Brown)

Haven't we talked about Tiga and Neon enough already ? Of course we have, but Tiga's album launch at La SAT Saturday still remains last weekend's highlight. The Peer Pressure after party, featuring Jordan Dare, was quite a memorable little shindig too.

I wasn't wowed by the 7b tour that stopped by Parking last Thursday: it wasn't bad, but it wasn't spectacular either. Folks from Lattakeuse Dimage kept things interesting while the place filled up, though, and it had been a long time since I'd heard Prodigy's "Out of Space".

Jordan Dare & Sean Kosa gave pretty good sets at Balroom on Sunday, and it looks like things will be heating up quite a bit over the summer over there. Definitely check the place out if you haven't already.

Let's have a look at what's coming up this week !

News en Vrac

Our prestigious friend Boys Noize, a.k.a. Kid Alex, has confirmed he'll be stopping by on June 24th. The location is yet unknown - isn't that exciting ? The guy has recently remixed iRobots' "Spacer Frau" to good effect and his soon to be released remix of Tiga's "Move my Body" is a KILLER track. The kind of little tune that could easily blow your sound system to kingdom come ! So join us when he rolls by - we'll just watch him blow whichever dancefloor he'll control !

The fine DiskHo fellas have confirmed yet another excellent booking choice that solidifies their position on the Montreal electro scene : yes my friends, the one & only Trentemoller will be here on Oct. 27th for your beautiful eyes only ! The Poker Flat artist, after a 2 years break, came back on the scene with a bang last year with a series of hit singles and his recent remixes (Sharon Philipps, Royksopp, etc...) are currently rocking your mother's heart out. Trentelloween's location has yet to be announced, but wherever he'll be, I'll be !

So, what's going down in our town this week?


Thursday 11/05

No guest at Parking this week, but then again: what's not to like about a quiet evening with Mini at home? I don't think it'll be quiet at all, though…

Living la vida loca in Villeray ? Café De Lima proposes a double-dose of electro with Axel Klein & Omni, for its fresh Adrenaline weekly.


Friday 12/05

Kick le Clavecin will take place at Théâtre Plaza with some pretty decent DJ's, including Robeat & Clifford Brown. This promises to be one hell of a blow up and the dancing will be hectic. Be there early !


Bliss will be playing at La SAT for yet another edition of Voyeur, supporting his buddy Jordan Dare. Also on the bill: MSTRKRFT, who will be back in July at the Jazz Fest with The Juan Maclean.

(Okay, okay – so we're siding with Robeat out of self-interest: sue us)

Well, here's our Balls & Shades Public Service Announcement for the week: to all of you who will be checking out Kick le… Clavecin (and to the few of you who will opt for MSTRKRFT), you should know that electro-house DJs G O'brien & Kal will be deejaying at Aria, therefore prompting you to continue the party all night long.


Saturday 13/05

The Stills are back in town to launch their latest album, Without Feathers. It's about time, boys. It's all going down at Spectrum for a mere 20$ at the door, and you can bet your sweet ass that all the hipsters in town will be there to strut their stuff.

Maus and Miguel Graça will play the night way at Aria. A nice electro-tech-house line-up: Miguel is on fire these days, so don't miss
his set this Saturday, and never ever miss Maus! Show up or don't, but it's ultimately your loss.


Sunday 14/05

You don't have many options if you want to have fun on a Sunday night. In fact, you don't have any, so you have No Excuse not to show up at Balroom to hear Sean Kosa & Bender. That is, of course, if you want to have fun. Otherwise, go home and die.


Wednesday 17/05

They might have graced us with a visit no more than a few months ago, but the legendary Depeche Mode are back - and we ain't complaining !! They'll make the Centre Bell resonate with a black celebration, will play the angel - and some classic tracks as well - and bring back memories you long thought buried !


Next Week

Our man John Starlight brings his germaniac ass over at Parking, in his Zombie Nation disguise, for a sweaty night of hard electro madness. Mini's booking choices are always ace, and this one is a redux : Starlight was here for Halloween '04 and it was unbelievably crazy. Miss it at your own fuckin' peril. Piknic Électronik begins !! Headman rolls his rolling basslines into town for yet another I Love Neon and Stephan Bodzin contaminates Balroom at the No Excuse night. Busy, vous avez dit busy ? You'll need some Guru and some dough to get through this ordeal alive.


Later On

May:
18 - Zombie Nation @ Parking (Overdose)
19 - Alex Bau @ Aria
19 - Architecture In Helsinki @ La Sala Rossa
19 - Electro-Chic 7 @ La SAT
20 - Headman, Thomas Von Party & Sean Kosa @ ? (I Love Neon)
20 - Islands, Cadence Weapon & Busdriver @ National
21 - Piknic Electronik w/ Jeff Samuel, Akufen & Bleuchut
21 - Stephan Bodzin, Sean Kosa & Bender @ Balroom (No Excuse)
23 - Jeff Samuel & MightyKat @ Academy Dancehall (Dizzy)
28 - Archipel @ Piknic Électronik w/ Krikor, ??

June:
01 - Modeselektor (Live) @ SAT (Mutek)
02 - Guido Schneider, Alex Under @ Fonderie Darling (Mutek)
03 - Thomas Brinkmann @ Metropolis (Mutek)
04 - Magda, Troy Pierce, Marc Houle & Richie Hawtin @ Parc Jean-Drapeau (Mutek/Piknic)
10 - I Love Montréal, 2è Édition
10 - Nostalgia - Prom Edition @ Centre Fractal
16 - Arctic Monkeys @ Medley
16 - Indochine @ Metropolis (FrancoFolies)
17 - Indochine @ Metropolis (FrancoFolies)
22 - The Streets + Lady Sovereign @ Spectrum
21 - Madonna @ Centre Bell
23 - Blondie & The (New) Cars @ Centre Bell
23 - I Love Neon: Kitsuné (w/Cajuan & Gildas & Massaya) @ ? (I Love Neon)
24 – Kid Alex/Boys Noize @ ?
24 - DJ Dan @ Aria
29 - The Hacker @ Parking (Overdose)

July:
07 - Jamie Lidell @ Club Soda (Festival de Jazz)
07 - John Tejada, Mossa & Jon Schmidt @ ? (DiskHo)
08 - The Juan Maclean & MSTRKRFT @ Club Soda (Jazz)
15 - Diplo, CSS & Blonde Do Role @ La Sala Rossa

August:
28 - Herbert @ Club Soda

September:
15 - John Dahlbäck & Jeff Grosse (DiskHo)
21 - Miss Kittin @ Parking (Overdose)
22 - Detroit Grand Pubahs @ Cabaret Music-Hall


Until next week: Keep the motor runnin' !

Tiga: Sexor Over Montréal

Considering the event I thought I was pushing fashionable lateness to its limit: I got to La SAT at 1am and tried to coat check my stuff only to find out 20 minutes later that there was no more room in hell for my traditional plain black hoodie.

I was lucky to still make it upstairs in time to hear Tiga begin his set. The whole first floor was opened which meant everyone had a little breathing room.

As expected, Tiga's selection was awesome and his mixing skills shined through. Like a supernova, he radiated energy, the crowd picking up the vibe like coked-up weasels hunting for their next hit.

He dropped some good technical stuff: his usual layering his own "Hot in Herre" over Plastikman's "Spastik", or mixing in and out of LCD Soundsystem's "Tribulations" over a few tracks. Obviously, we heard several of his hits, including some we hadn't heard in a while (his remix of Soulwax's "E-Talking"!), and some obvious but nevertheless effective trademark tracks (Prince's "Controversy").

Alas, after two encores, it was time to call it quits. Every good thing must come to an end, and such a wicked party had to stop at some point. It was well worth it, and Tiga and the Neon crew will share our Balls & Shades Achievement Award for the May 6th week-end.

*

The after-party took place at "The Nest", a kind of small art gallery a couple of blocks north of Sherbrooke on St-Dominique. Frankly, it was an awesome location to throw a party at, plus the vibe going thru the crowd was great.

Chameleonic, DJ Booth, Jordan Dare and Thomas Von Party held the forth until the wee hours of the morning. Sadly, no Tiga, but Dare surprised me (again!) with a late set that was well worth the wait. Good party, thanks to Peer Pressure.

Tiga: It's Getting Hot In Herre!

It is indeed getting Hot In Herre, since in just a few hours Tiga will be launching his new album Sexor at the Montréal Société des Arts Technologiques.


I Love Neon is behind the event which, of course, means the place will be packed.

Frankly, any place where Tiga is booked in Montréal is bound to be packed, but tonight I'm expecting sweat on the walls. Is there's a definite possibly of rain, or am I just nostalgic about 'the old days'. Who knows?

The Shadow knows, that much is sure. But unfortunately he will not be attending tonight's event. You should, though, and you should keep your ticket.

Why?

Well if you're one to party until the end and you're looking for the after party to begin, you won't need to go to La La Land tonite:


So, you see, it's getting hot, baby, so don't just sit there and sweat!

Instead, come down to La SAT tonight and witness Montréal Burning Down Down Down Down Down !

Tiga: The Canadian Colossus

Pete Tong recently dubbed Tiga "The Canadian Collossus" when he stopped by his Essential Mix program on the UK's BBC Radio One to perform a DJ set.


I wasn't convinced the last few times I heard Tiga deejay. I thought maybe that working on the new album took too much time and that his deejaying was getting just a wee bit stale, at least during the last half of 2005.

Then again I am a demanding MoFo.

Just have a look at My February article about Tiga's Sexor, should you need any proof.

When I listened to Tiga's Essential Mix, I was however pleasantly surprised: The man is back on top of his game. His appearance on Pete Tong's show was just a thing of beauty and reminded me of why I love to hear Tiga drop some vinyls.

I don't know about the Canadian Colossus part - When he's behind the decks he does work wonders, so why not? With a nickname like that, Tiga is bound to become the new Canadian crime-fighting super-hero.

So here's to you, and your new record, Canadian Colossus!

In case you miss tonight's Montréal gig – or if you just don't live around here - you can salivate over Tiga's Essential Mix, available for a free download from Sick Mix.

Night Vision 1.11

(Co-Writen with Clifford Brown)

It's been a busy week.

Of course, the big attention-grabber was Laurent Garnier, who conquered Montréal when he stopped by Parking last Thursday.

Aria residents also retained my attention, as I was fortunate to catch both Mini and Maus performing extended sets on two different nights. I could go on about how Mini impressively layered Plastikman's "Spastik" over Kiki's "Sirius", or how Maus' stunning mix of Marc Romboy's "House Ya" and Tiefschwarz's "Warning Siren" rocked my world, but suffice it to say both DJs were spectacular. Miguel Graça concluded the night on Saturday with a very solid performance as well.

But enough with the fanboy bullshit! Let's get down to brass tacks !

News en Vrac

Okay, first off: The 7B tour, featuring Plastique de Rêve, John Player and Cowboy Mark is indeed stopping by Parking TONIGHT for Mini's Overdose weekly. We weren't sure, but now we are. Plastique de Rêve, even though he's based in Switzerland, has been here quite often recently, and we can't complain.

About the St-Jean events: It looks like Boys Noize will not be appearing at the Kitsuné Neon on the 23rd. Instead, Cajuan and Gildas & Masaya will be on the bill. Kid Alex/Boys Noize should still stop by on the 24th, however. Further news as the story develops.

The Piknic's program for May / June / July has also been released and it looks like this summer will be a busy one. We'll have to fight for our shiny spot on the dancefloor as the Piknic team has booked some solid international artists : Jeff Samuel opens the season on May 21st, and afterwards, you'll get to see the likes of Trevor Walker, Hakan Lidbo, Richie Hawtin, Troy Pierce, Paul Keeley, Marc Houle and Ernesto, plus some locals that made it big like Jordan Dare, Éloi Brunelle, Akufen and Fred Everything. I'm not going to disclose all the details right now - keep an eye on this spot for further infos over the summer !

So, how about this week then?


Thursday 04/05

The 7B tour with Cowboy Mark, John Player & Plastique de Rêve will be THE place to be if you still remember last year's Neon Loves Halloween with fond memories. Plastique, a.k.a. DJ Daze, can seriously bring the house down with his very own brand of hard-hitting acidic electro. He did so last year at the Overdose 4th anniversary party, so expect more of the same!


A new electro weekly is launching at Café Délima, on St-Hubert, called Adrenaline. It will feature the talents of locals (Axel Klein, Omni, Prae & X-Cube) and will be a nice alternative to Mini's Overdose for Villeray residents.

Jordan Dare, Leo Cruz, Keph & Spacekadet appear at Saphir's Mix Thursdays.


Friday 05/05

Mini is playing the Aria, with Nick Pilon opening. According to the club's listings she will be playing last, which is a nice change of pace since she usually gets the party started. $10 at the door.


Further down the street, you can catch Sean Kosa, Bender & Just Jonathan at Stereo for another all-nighter.


Saturday 06/05

Put some spit on top of your shoe polish, make these mocassins shine and get ready to have a heart attack on the SAT's dancefloor : it's Tiga's big night in Montreal and you don't want to miss it ! Launching Sexor with his lil' brother Thomas Von Party (who even has a song about him, "Brothers", on the disc), he will unleash a fury of electro hits on the unsuspecting audience, with a long-awaited three hours set. You know that's where the shit will be.


Christian Pronovost & Frankie Knuckles will rock Stereo with a real classic house night. With all the house ramifications we're always puzzled to enter a club to hear tribal, progressive, minimal, tech or electro house, but these guys need no suffix : it's simply house, boys & girls. Knuckles is a legend and he'll show you why on the city's best sound system, alongside Montreal's longest and hardest working DJ, Christian "Inbeat" Pronovost.


Sunday 07/05

No Excuse at Balroom with Sean Kosa, Jordan Dare & Bender, bla bla bla.

Offended? Well you know what to expect, so why should we keep telling you: if you can't get enough clubbing out of your week-end and you want to crash land into the working week, then join the other shipwrecked fellows at Montréal's last hope to dance. Bring your credit card, 'cause them drinks sure are expensive!


Tuesday 09/05

The Pink Mountaintops rock Sala Rossa. Side project of the guys from BC's Black Mountains, they will rock your ass with their straightforward psychedelia.

Club Lambi proposes a rock double bill as sect members Duchess Says & much hyped The Lovely Feathers, who just released their debut "Hind Hind Legs", will grace the small scene with their big sound. This is a very welcome gig and if you're looking for somebody to rock your world, there probably will be plenty of speci(wo)men over there.


Next Week

Kick le Clavecin invades Théâtre Plaza with DJ's Deebacc, Fancy Fhreek, Clifford Brown & ROBEAT; italo robotic beats, electro house beats, and funky undescribable beats will make the place explode. At SAT the same night, Voyeur's 4th edition proposes prestigious guests MSTRKRFT as well as regulars Bliss & Dare. The Stills will be at Spectrum on Saturday with their new material - a new album is imminent.


Later On

May:
12 - Kick le Clavecin @ Théâtre Plaza (Robeat)
12 - MSTRKRFT, Jordan Dare & Bliss @ La SAT (Voyeur)
13 - The Stills @ Spectrum
17 - Depeche Mode @ Centre Bell
18 - Zombie Nation @ Parking (Overdose)
19 - Alex Bau @ Aria
19 - Architecture In Helsinki @ La Sala Rossa
19 - Electro-Chic 7 @ La SAT
20 - Headman, Thomas Von Party & Sean Kosa @ ? (I Love Neon)
20 - Islands, Cadence Weapon & Busdriver @ National
21 - Piknic Electronik
21 - Stephan Bodzin, Sean Kosa & Bender @ Balroom (No Excuse)
23 – Jeff Samuel & MightyKat @ Academy Dancehall (Dizzy)

June:
01 - Modeselektor (Live) @ SAT (Mutek)
02 - Guido Schneider, Alex Under @ Fonderie Darling (Mutek)
03 - Thomas Brinkmann @ Metropolis (Mutek)
04 - Magda, Troy Pierce, Marc Houle & Richie Hawtin @ Parc
Jean-Drapeau (Mutek/Piknic)
10 - I Love Montréal, 2è Édition
10 - Nostalgia
16 - Indochine @ Metropolis (FrancoFolies)
17 - Indochine @ Metropolis (FrancoFolies)
21 - Madonna @ Centre Bell
23 - Blondie & The (New) Cars @ Centre Bell
23 - I Love Neon: Kitsuné (w/Cajuan & Gildas & Massaya) @ ? (I Love Neon)
24 – Kid Alex/Boys Noize @ ?
24 - DJ Dan @ Aria
29 - The Hacker @ Parking (Overdose)

July:
07 - Jamie Lidell @ Club Soda (Festival de Jazz)
07 - John Tejada, Mossa & Jon Schmidt @ ? (DiskHo)
08 - The Juan Maclean & MSTRKRFT @ Club Soda (Jazz)
15 - Diplo, CSS & Blonde Do Role @ La Sala Rossa

August:
28 - Herbert @ Club Soda

September:
15 - John Dahlbäck & Jeff Grosse (DiskHo)
21 - Miss Kittin @ Parking (Overdose)
22 - Detroit Grand Pubahs @ Cabaret Music-Hall

Until next week: Keep the plaster tearin' !