I Heart the Music: Your Online Source for Live Music Reviews and Interviews in Toronto!

Syntonics (Barbi + Cryo) always put on a good show. Regardless of where or when, they’ve always got the knobs turned up as high as possible and are caught climbing up on any sturdy surface to deliver their get-up-and-move lyrics in the most emphatic way possible. Last Friday (April 3) was no exception as theAmsterdam Brewery stayed up late to host Electrofest, headlined by the energetic duo.

Arriving in time to catch Barbi cut things up, it was evident why she made it to the semi’s at the Redbull3 DJ Competition – the lady’s got skills. And although the room was less than filled, she didn’t let up; busting out the grimiest tracks the speakers could take. But it was evident that most people came to hear Syntonics do their thing. When Cryo got on the decks and Barbi grabbed the mic, it got people excited. Cryo’s cuts and rhymes were sharp as always, and Barbi chimed in with her signature vocals and got the crowd bumpin’.

Unfortunately, my night was focused on making it in time for Syntonics, but heard nothing but good things about the openers.VLSONN was fantastic and TapeDeckBros had the crowd asking questions about who the guys with the boxes on their heads were while they danced it up on the dancefloor.

Cheap beer, a great venue, a line-up of eager young DJs and $5 perogies… yes, $5 perogies is all the new-to-the-scene promoters The Mansion could ask for, especially when unfortunately plagued by a storm that caught Toronto by surprise. Hopefully better weather is on their side as they take their next party to the sea… err, lake, with a party aptly titled ‘We’re On a Boat, Motherfucker!’ after

the Lonely Island’s ode to sea bound transportation. With a line-up including Ontario natives Barletta, Gingy, the 84.85, OPOPO, Green Go and the aforementioned TapeDeckBros, you’d be crazy not to hop your land-favouring ass onto that one.

Written by Sebastian Galvez

Photography by Amy Young

Everyone loves a great party, especially a party that involves amazing music, so why not combine the two? Well, that was the idea that Matt Eckensweiler and Konrad Droeske had when they decided to start throwing parties for a living. These are the guys behind The Mansion, a marketing/promotional company that are happy to provide the party for those of us that love to dance. They are by no means new to the scene; Matt has been the stage manager for the Canadian music festival Cutting Edge for the past two years and Konrad is the organizer for the notorious U of T “Mansion” parties that have hosted some of the best talent in the country, including illScarlett. We caught up with the party pair last week and they gave us a little taste of what is to be expected at Electrofest.

iheartthemusic: So, why did you decide to start The Mansion?

Matt: We love to party, we love throwing parties, and we love the party people. So we thought why not take it to the highest level possible with the best acts, the loudest sound, and the brightest lights.

Konrad: From the beginning, The Mansion has been all about bringing the freshest sounds and newest party concepts to the people.

iheartthemusic: How do you go about choosing acts for your parties?

Matt: Whether we’re talking about a DJ, a metal band, or an MC, the live performance is really important. We like artists that can really connect to the crowd and hype up the jam.

Konrad: Most importantly, we look at a DJ’s ability to connect with the audience, so before we book anyone, we need to see them live.

iheartthemusic: What do you think of Canadian DJs/producers in relation to those in other countries?

Matt: Canada has been turning up the heat for a while now. MSTRKRFT and Crystal Castles have both had international success and are producing some fresh new sounds.

Konrad: What’s amazing is that in a short period of time the Canadian electro scene has received mainstream attention with artists like Deadmau5, Crystal Castles and MSTRKRFT already putting us on the map. Within the next few years, I see Canada as a pioneer of some of the world’s greatest electro and house music.

iheartthemusic: Who do you consider the top DJ/producer in Canada right now and why?

Matt: Deadmau5 is the highest rated Canadian DJ, so I guess that makes him number one.

Konrad: Some of the most original and catchy tracks we’ve heard in a while have come from wunderkind DJ duo TapeDeckBros.

iheartthemusic: Tell us about Electrofest.

Matt: Well, Syntonics is headlining, and they are fucking awesome. I love the dirty ghetto tech sound. We also have some great up-and-coming talent like TapedeckBros, and they know how to rock the crowd. Electrofest will be loud.

Electrofest is sure to be an amazing party so hit it up this Friday, April 3^rd at The Amsterdam Brewery. Tickets are $10 in advance and can be purchased here or $15 at the door. The Mansion is also hosting a boat cruise on May 15th with DJ Barletta, Opopo, Gingy, TapeDeckBros, and many more. It’s called “We’re On A Boat, Motherfucker!” and tickets go on sale the day after Electrofest. You can get them online at TicketMaster or at Rotate This.