2023 Artists & DJs

Photographer: Joshua Best

Afrique Like Me

Afrique Like Me is a Toronto-based collective comprising of Razaq El Toro, martinses and Sonic Griot. The collective curates musical experiences that celebrate art, electronic dance, underground and alternative music from across Africa and the diaspora. Afrique Like Me is also a pioneer of Eko Electronic, a fusion of alternative electronic music, funk, underground elements, West African music and Afrobeats. Known for its event series, which bears the same name, Afrique Like Me started with an intimate after hours party in Toronto’s west end. The party grew into an event held in unconventional spaces, and is now a mainstay on the city’s social calendar.

AMRA

AMRA is a visual artist and a rising DJ in the Toronto underground scenes. Her deeply rooted connection to psychedelic music genres has led her to explore these sounds as a DJ while also combining these elements with Progressive House music. AMRA is known for her energy behind the decks, smooth mixing skills and music selection that transcends the familiar. A DJ resident at Alternity Community Hub she curates monthly lineups that focus on showcasing the diverse local Toronto talent.

Animal Party
ft. Astrolope

Animal Party is a multi-instrumentalist and electronic music producer with a hardware-heavy live show, which includes live harp, synthesizers, samplers and drum machines. She paints imagery of natural phenomena, relating to the human condition and her own personal experiences through music by blending dense textures, ample beats, organic and synthetic sounds. This synthesis shines all the brighter in its live and dance-focused audio-visual manifestation, which has most recently included the contribution of heavy-hitting drummer Astrolope, who complements the dreamy and abstract melodies and lyrics with a bombastic backbeat.

Ankhanamun

Ankhanamun aka “Amanda Franko” is a passionate DJ in many sounds. Ranging from worldly tribal house, afro, tech house to techno. Amanda has an ear for deep, eclectic & organic sounds. Mystical, playful, bouncy & groovy. With heavy emphasis on sexy basslines & drums. As a dancer herself, her musical journeys allow an expressive space to explore rhythm & movement. Keeping it captivating & dynamic. With her wild & earthy nature, Amanda’s vibes are both contagious & energizing on the dance floor.

Assassin Bug

Assassin Bug produces and spins a range of obscure, bass-heavy styles ranging from grime to jungle, dubstep to footwork, intertwined with moments of sparkly nostalgia. With the ability to seamlessly blend a multitude of underground sounds, experimental beats, ethereal dreamscapes, and synthetic sound design, she guides the room on a journey throughout her fast-paced, driven, dark yet uplifting sets. A producer and multi-instrumentalist first, Assassin Bug is driven by the belief that sound, music, and dance are all essential to human nature and expression.

Buck Washenfold

Buck Washenfold spins house and techno, keeping the mix vibrant with breaks and left field grooves. His sets weave fresh tunes, drum-centric cuts and expansive techno into a flowing multi-faceted experience. You may see Buck out in the wild running parties with the Sandwich District collective and tending to sound systems at various local parties and festivals such as Electric Eclectics, Lumaterra, and Electric Island.

Cloud Ultrasound

Cloud Ultrasound is an acoustic-electronic trip hop, bass and liquid DnB duo. Their live performance includes voices, ukulele, keyboards, flutes, and percussion, and is designed to get people grooving in a mellow and enchanting atmosphere. Comprised of Micah Sky and Liana Rose, Cloud Ultrasound brings over 30 years of professional performance experience to their music.

Coy Haste

Brad Weber aka Coy Haste is a producer, DJ, drummer and synth nerd from Toronto, Canada. His productions blend modern electronica & house with traditional percussion, bouncy bass, found samples & chopped vocals with a blend of analog and digital synths. As a DJ, Coy Haste sits at the intersection of disco, house, psych-boogie, acid and eastern vibes. His sets are playful with a keen sense of genre-fluidity that keeps things fresh. Coy Haste has released 3 EPs and a multitude of remixes and played clubs across Canada, Latin America, Europe & Australia. Brad co-runs the Toronto label Stereo Ferment with Oreku, plays drums in the live band for Caribou and creates moody synth music under the name Pick a Piper. Since the inception of Coy Haste, Weber has shared the bill with international touring acts like Chancha Via Circuito, Matanza, Ghetto Kumbe, Natureboy Flako, Carrot Green, FOC Edits, Teen Daze, Rich Aucoin, Altin Gun, Helado Negro and Photay.

Dauri Cems

Originally from Mexico City, vibing in Canada for the past 14 years, Dauri Cems is a prolific DJ, drummer, percussionist, coach, healer, workshop and meditation facilitator, and multimedia event organizer. Throughout their time in Canada they have always been leading and co-creating inclusive projects in the world of the arts, culture and spirituality, providing platforms for artists and creatives to emerge and share their gifts with their community. In their 16 years of DJing, Dauri Cems has performed in different festivals in Canada like Solstice, Future Forest, Sonic Springs, Bloom, as well as performing in a variety of clubs, underground parties and ecstatic dance events locally, in Mexico and the U.S. As a DJ they have spinned a variety of genres and styles, spanning from Minimal, Techno, House and Bass. Around 6 years ago they were inspired to turn their focus into bringing Latin American music to the dance floor, which made a lot of sense because they understood the music and felt deeply connected to it. Today, the Dauri Cems experience on the dance floor is a sort of journey or tour into the old and new sonic soundscapes of Latin America, working with the crowd as a magic medicine being to travel, connect, and celebrate life amongst those special frequencies.

deLish

deLish was born out of the global pandemic. She has spent nearly 13 years rooted in a life of community and celebration in the Toronto underground music and festival dance scene. Curating selections of deep and minimal house music that explores upbeat, groovy, melodic tracks inspiring play combined with dark and grimy bass lines that make you drop in deep, deLish offers an exciting, fun and delicious approach to dance music and is not afraid to reach into and explore diverse selections.

Kika

Kika jumped feet first into Toronto's electronic music scene in 2016 and quickly became an avid supporter of Toronto’s underground and local electronic music community. After immersing herself in a variety of music genres on many dance floors, her curiosity about the power of music to transport you led her to move behind the decks. As a resident DJ with Architextures in 2020, she honed her own high-octane blend of bouncy minimal, techno, dance and electro. You can find her collaborating monthly with the new collective Lossless and spinning with the recently launched crew, Technoir. Kika’s played at community favourites like the Promise German Sparkle Party, Department of Civilian Dance (DOCD), the Geary Art Crawl, and some of Toronto’s most well-loved clubs like Sub Division, Vertigo and Comfort Zone as well as new festivals, Bloom and Lumaterra. 

Kudos LoKey

Kudos: a gesture of gratitude and respect. LoKey: the feeling of being immersed in the infectious sound of ’50 Shades of Bass’. AKA Snappy Homefry, a multi-instrumentalist music producer/DJ who style bends with a swagger and share his deep passion for Music. Mixing a diverse range of music from all things bass, psy-tech with global rhythms and psychedelic textures, DJ Kudos LoKey is a fearless performer whose love for the bounce sets fire to a room with perfectly timed drops, igniting dance moves waiting to be discovered. A resident in Toronto events with the Lossless crew, Snappy/Kudos has shared stages with The Desert Dwellers, Andreilien, The Human Experience, Adham Shaikh, Michael Red, Dubmatix, Soohan and ill Gates, and has reached broad audiences at festivals across North America (Camp Bisco, Beloved, Lucidity, Shambhala, Harvest Festival, Future Forest, Valhalla, Eclipse (Quebec), Evolve Festival, Sonic Springs). Continuing to build his original music catalog, Kudos LoKey was released with Gravitas Records in 2022 and has remixed for Dubmatix, Tyr Kohout and Mr. Ours (France). A devoted performer, Kudos energizes a stage with his unique 50 Shades of Bass sound, moving diverse crowds by keepin’ the vibes high while staying LoKey.

Lanaconda

Lanaconda is a force of nature. She slithers out from deep within the jungle to bring you bumpin' baselines & booty shakin' rhythms that infuse house, techno & tech-house with sounds from around the world to give a dirty, earthy & playful vibe.

Lana Royce, from southern Ontario, has been DJing since 2015 & has played for local organizers such as Architextures, Nomada Project, Lossless & Bloom. Join her on the dance floor for an unforgettable experience that will move you to your soul.

Legs Florentine

Legs Florentine is a lover of house music at it's roots. His sets are fun, groovy and blend an eclectic range of styles including jazz, funk, afro, latin and more. He has shared the stage with several notable acts including Ghetto Khumbé, Uproot Andy and Deer Jade. Along with building a substantial amount of listeners for his ambient project Sun Rain, he is a promoter and resident DJ for monthly dance music event Lossless and co-runs a studio in Toronto called Half Moon Audio where he specializes in recording, mixing and mastering for music and film.

Mike Lambert

Mike’s sound hits a lot of different feelings and styles in the house/techno spectrum (with a smattering of breaks). At times deep, hard, minimal, melodic and percussive, there's always a bounce or swing to Mike’s sets. He has been mixing music at festivals, raves, clubs and lounges in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Taiwan and Thailand since 1999. He has held residencies in Toronto (Suma, Architextures most recently) and Taipei (Korner, The Villa Herbs).

Miss Kleio

Known for her afro-futurist vibe, Miss Kleio blends high-energy tribal beats and hypnotic grooves with chest-pounding techno. Weaving between genres, her sound is textured with global bass and Detroit techno; adding a vintage rave flavour to the dance floor.

Since emerging as a resident DJ with the fire troupe, Bass Witch Coven, Miss Kleio has gone on to support international DJ acts Skin on Skin at Coda and Innacircle for Promise Cherry Beach. Most recently, Miss Kleio, Jackie Spade and Kika formed TECHNOIR, a new DJ Collective formed to uplift, promote and support queer DJs of colour and other marginalized artists in the electronic music space. TECHNOIR debuted as a collective at Vertigo for Pride weekend in 2022. At the same, Miss Kleio produced and released her first original track "Record Highs."

Since 2020, Miss Kleio has been making a mark both virtually and locally playing for BeatportLINK, Charivari Detroit, Afrique Like Me, Krampus Ball and Tarna the Art Car; as well as at community-cultivated festivals, Lumaterra and Bloom. Miss Kleio is also a resident DJ for Impulse Events and a former resident of DJ collective, Lossless.

Nate Nightcall

Since 2014, Nate Nightcall has been making dance floors move with high-energy sets and a strong connection to the crowd. Getting his start as the resident DJ of Toronto’s popular CrushTO event series, he honed his ability over the years to deliver magical moments across all genres. Equally at home playing underground house and cheeky pop, you can expect sets that take you from deep melodic grooves to some playful surprises.

Oliver Osborne

Life long musician and performer, Oliver Osborne started producing at 15 years old on a humble Atari and never looked back, Today, with the likes of &ME, Rampa, Be Svendsen, Stefano Ritteri, and Culoe De Song playing his tracks, Oliver Osborne has established himself as a producer of note. Now based in Toronto, Oliver Osborne cut his teeth in London, where he played at such notable clubs as Fabric, Corsica Studios, The Scala, 93feet East, and more. There he played along side the likes of Maya Jane Coles, Stephan Bodzin, and Matt Tolfrey to mention just a few. A nearly 10 year period in South East Asia saw him establish himself as an artist and promoter to watch, with his Eyes To The Front pop-up parties, a robust gig schedule around the region, and a string of releases on labels around the world.

Oreku

Oreku is a producer, DJ and label head of Stereo Ferment whose sound is focused on the multicultural intersections of disco, psych, funk, house and jazz.

With two EP’s and multiple singles Oreku has garnered support from a global network of DJs and radio hosts with frequent features on PBS 106.7, Worldwide FM, Netil Radio, Soho Radio and Kane FM to name a few.

Originally from Melbourne, Australia now based in Toronto, Canada, Oreku aka Cayden Mowbray has established himself on the Toronto scene with a unique style of genre fluidity that keeps a dance floor fresh and lively.

Having played multiple festivals and clubs throughout North America, Central America and Australia, Oreku consistently aims to excite a crowd with sounds of the unfamiliar.

While producing, hosting events and running the Stereo Ferment record label, Oreku keeps a steadfast approach to the contribution of Toronto's music culture. Frequently collaborating with local and international artists, Oreku has shared the bill with touring acts such as Hiatt dB (Rhythm Section Intl), Dauwd (Ghostly Intl), Habibi Funk, Dana Ruh and Eli Escobar (Razor-N-Tape).

Pick a Piper

Pick a Piper is the primary live electronic music project of Toronto-based drummer, producer and DJ, Brad Weber. Fuses energetic elemental rhythms, hypnotic electronics and enchanting melodies through drums and synths into an engaging live show. Pick a Piper has released 3 full-length records to date with lots of new music on the horizon.

Purrpelle

There are many shades to Purrpelle... Her DJ sets often reveal a playful nature and her knack for shaking booties with big basslines or stirring souls with moving melodies. Purrpelle is known to “exhibit crazy range and versatility” and has played alongside top-shelf talent in forests and festivals across Canada. She has selected sounds for many celebrated Toronto promoters including alienInFlux, CirQlar, EveryBody, Promise and SUMA. She has also been a resident DJ and curator with local collectives including Architextures, Blend and Chicks Dig It.

Rublez N Pence

A wandering soul that’s trotted the globe, his musical influences are as varied as the places he's called home. When he’s not digging for tracks or slingin’ some chunes, you can catch Rublez N Pence (Roozbeh Nayeri) doing stage production & sound engineering for many locally-driven Toronto events, and a few festivals in the woods too!

Forged from Hip-Hop, R&B and Soul, he has been consumed by their intersection with sample-based and beat-driven electronica since 2006. Known for keeping the flow diverse, with a relentless hunger for everything organic, deep and dubby, Rublez serves it up laced with melodics and driving bass that keep the dance floor moving.

Sophia Alexandra

DJ and vocalist, Sophia Alexandra, has crafted a unique sound through her explorations in creating lyrical stories and unique melodies, most notably as the lead vocalist in Toronto-based band BisonBison. In doing so she has garnished support from local producers such as Pick a Piper and shared the bill with global names such as Ghetto Kumbé and Uproot Andy. With an aim to explore the depths of sound and emotion, her selections range from deep house, UK garage, afro house and the deeper worlds of melodic techno and deep dubstep. With her passion for dance and storytelling her sets create an atmosphere of thoughtful and vibrant soundscapes to transport you to a space of sonic exploration.

Spookyfish

Spookyfish is the project of producer and DJ Dani Ramez. Fusing obscure electronic elements with the rich textures of acoustic instruments, Spookyfish's signature sound defies categorization, covering a vast range of genres while always pushing the boundaries of dance music. With releases on labels Deep Heads, Tropical Twista Records, and dsrptv rec, her productions showcase a unique and unparalleled sound.

Tal

Tal is a Toronto based DJ with a propensity for bouncy grooves and hypnotic soundscapes. From minimal house to deep techno, Tal weaves a journey that keeps the dance floor both moved and moving.

Tal is currently a resident of LOSSLESS, a music collective seeking to unite the sounds, styles, and sensibilities of their eight distinct residents while providing a platform for Toronto based artists to come together and showcase their incredible talent.

Tal has spent close to a decade honing her sound and playing for dance floors all over Toronto and beyond. She has been a resident of Architextures, Cyclelogic, Temporal Drift, and Impulse, and has played alongside many incredible artists including Magda, Boo Williams, and Rick Wade.

Win

Win moved to Toronto from the East Coast 10 years ago, and immediately found inspiration in the incredible Toronto music scene. After years of immersing herself in music and becoming a regular on Toronto dance floors, she bought herself a secondhand controller and since then she has never turned back. She is the founder of Nomada Project, a live music and deep house fusion event in Toronto, and she is a resident DJ at Lossless, a local DJ collective, featuring Toronto's local talent. Win's sets are inspired by the rhythms of the globe blending together deep house, downtempo electronica and world fusion.