Electric Island returns to Toronto: Five tracks you need to knowElectricisland

Electric Island returns to Toronto: Five tracks you need to know

While two of the city’s largest electronic music festivals were cut short to weather this summer, Toronto’s island concert series, Electric Island, has remained largely unaffected by mother nature. Electric Island has already brought Sasha, Tuskegee, Steve Lawler, and Pan Pot to Hanlan’s Point on Toronto’s Centre Island. The latest version of the summer concert series welcomed The Junkies, DJ Three, Shiba San, Robert Babicz, and hometown heroes Art Department to celebrate another Canadian long-weekend. Here are five tracks you need to know from the event.

Shiba San – Show Me, Show Me (Original Mix)

An official deadmau5 remix has arguably highlighted Shiba San’s year to date, but his first original of 2015 highlighted his time on Hanlan’s Point. Landing on Claude VonStroke’s Dirtybird imprint back in February, the single marked a return to one of electronic music’s most acclaimed labels. Precise percussion and quick striking synths make up Shiba San’s “Show Me, Show Me”– one of the most-embraced songs of the producer’s return to Toronto.

Andre Sobota – Triangles (Robert Babicz Remix)

The 39th release on microCastle saw Andre Sobota return to the Toronto-based label for the first time in three years. Bolstered by Robert Bobicz’s remix of “Triangles,” the EP sees the German producer completely flip the script on the original production. A soothing melodic soundscape is turned into a jaunting tech house delight, serving as a crowd favorite when it tore through the night’s crisp air.

Green Velvet & Patrick Topping – Voicemail (Original Mix)

A regular among the city’s clubs and festival circuit, this night was dictated by Green Velvet. Alongside Patrick Topping, “Voicemail” marked one of the luminary’s stints on a label he founded. In a year which saw Riva Starr, Nathan Barato, Jay Lumen, and his alter-ego Cajmere release music on Relief Records, Green Velvet pulled from the vaults of 2014. The original joins the two’s penchant for sadistic synths, effortless vocal samples, and even an 8-bit tinge.

Technasia & Green Velvet – Suga (Original Mix)

Another collaboration of epic proportions showcased on Hanlan’s Point arrived in the form of “Suga.” Already shown to the world by Pete Tong on BBC Radio 1, the original sees two of underground dance music’s largest names go head-to-head. Guitar plucks recorded by Technasia himself and Green Velvet’s smooth vocal contribution crash together to create one of Toolroom Records’ most lauded partnerships of the entire year.

Green Velvet – Flash (Original Mix)

A timeless and iconic dance hit, “Flash” has still remained a calling card for Green Velvet after its original release a decade ago. Following 1993’s “The Preacher Man” and “Conniption” on vinyl, “Flash” became this dance legend’s greatest hit. A live, vocal performance joined the producer’s original to welcome him back to Toronto. An effortless fusion of a perennial favorite and the past few years’ trend, a performance of “Flash” highlighted another long weekend experiencing an incredible journey with Electric Island.

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