Music
MSTRKRFT Love Techno, but only kinda love Toronto
MSTRKRFT have done something most Toronto electronic music artists can't - they've broken out into the global scene and have become hipster household names. Earlier this year the superstar duo played to a wild crowd at Coachella and more recently they dropped in on the annual "I Love Techno" festival in Belgium, along with some of the world's most influential acts (Justice, Adam Beyer, Felix Da Housecat, Ben Sims, Klaxons, Simian Mobile Disco, Ellen Allien, and Underworld, to name a few). The festival was completely sold out at a whopping (and bopping) 35,000 people.
They gave an interesting (and fidgety) interview before the gig, and had a few things to say about Toronto. When asked about our city, they we're quick to suggest that it's not where they'll stay.
"We'll move to the Bahamas, we'll move to Los Angeles, we'll move to Hawaii, or we'll move to Tokyo. We'll move to Miami. But like, everyone leaves, so it's kind of a tough spot. We have great parties, but, you know, if you're making electronic music or you're making dance music there's much better places for us to be."
I Love Techno TV video interview after the jump...
With their insane level of popularity, and continued success as remixers (upcoming tracks for the Beastie Boys, M.I.A., and more), they're sure to do as most others seeking higher fame, recognition, and support have done - and leave Toronto for "sunnier" places (where are you Jake Fairley, Jeremy P Caulfield, Mike Shannon, pan/tone?). I just hope that if they do leave, Jesse F. Keeler continues to sport the oldskool Toronto Blue Jays cap and MSTRKRFT come back to rock the T-dot dance floors often enough.
Check out some of their most awesome music videos here.
Photo: ilovetechno.be
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It's just English Canadians are conservative in tastes, follow trends ("indie" is the new "electronica" now), and there's shit for arts funding and no good venues here.
There is loads of great underground music going on in TO and MTL. house, techno, whatever. I know there are not great "scenes" in either cities, but maybe these guys are a little too dialed into the international circuit if they can't even keep tabs on what "progressive" material is being released in their own cities.
Actually the fact that MSTRKRFT (imho mediocre hipster irony poser outfit) are "making it big" whereas a myriad of other artists from Toronto pas and present are not says more about the mediocrity of Toronto than anything else...
Jelo, Deadmau5 and Hatiras are fucking bringing it, so to speak, and repping Toronto in a huge way. In the last week of August, Deadmau5 alone had 5 tracks on the top 10 most bought.
If you include all Ontarians, Richie Hawtin is another one who is getting huge play all over the world. That means a lot!
So I gotta disagree with MSTRKRFT here, love them as I do. Toronto is the place to be right now and will only become moreso in the coming months!
Furthermore, wine "made in Ontario" accounts for under 40% of the total wine market in Ontario and just 1/5th of "Ontario wines" are VQA wines (made from 85% or higher Ontario grapes). A large proportion of the stuff you're calling "Ontario wine" is made of imported grapes/juices.
"Ontario wine" is only required by law to contain 30% local product, and in 2006 (due to a really bad growing season) the law was temporarily ammended to allow for 99% imported product in "Ontario wine".
To stick to the techno theme, it'd be like calling Juan Atkins a Torontonian because he played at a party here once in 1995.
Basically, your taste sucks. There's fantastic wine in Ontario, you're just too cheapass to afford it, and your palette has been ruined by bulk shit wine made from raisinated irrigated grapes exported from Australia that even the locals won't drink.
To get back to your "techno" theme (MSTRKRFT is no more techno than Yellow Tail is wine), it'd be like calling techno from Toronto shit because you turned on the TV and saw Electric Circus.
Dipshit.
You are correct - VQA does mean 100% Ontario (I read the web page wrong - to be labelled as VQA from a specific region, it need be 85% from that region). That doesn't really change my tastebuds, nor my opinion, nor the fact that around 80% of Ontario wine isn't VQA (and thus may contain imported grapes/juices).
Furthermore, why do you interpret my distaste for Ontario wines to mean that my taste sucks, that I'm cheap, and that I drink Yellowtail schlock? If you saw my wine collection of fine wines in my cellar, I'm 100% certain you'd immediately realize otherwise.
As for techno, I'm also not sure why you're freaking on me and talking down to me. I know what techno is. Ask Greg. He'll vouch for me. He's even been to some of the events I helped throw back in 98-2000 (bringing local acts like naw, Vortex, Kenny Glasgow, Allan Caballero, Mike Shannon, Deja Vu, Bliss, Sunkissed, Crave, Todd Smith to small town Ontario, and bigger names like John Tejada, Terrence Parker, Kenneth Graham too). I've been a staunch supporter of local techno for over 10 years, mate. You're barking up the wrong tree and it's rather insulting to be honest.
1. Kraftwerk
2. Front 242
3. Moby
4. Carl Cox
5. Komputer
6. VNV Nation
7. John Foxx
8. Covenant
9. Underworld