All Day I Dream (ADID) was born on a rooftop in New York City in 2011. This mini festival has since traveled the world, landing in Barcelona, Beirut, London, Sydney and various cities across the United States. On Sunday, July 17th, 2016, this esteemed daytime party made its first debut in Canada at Toronto’s own Fort York.

ADID TO featured YokoO, Matthew Dekay and crowd favourite, Lee Burridge. Each spun hypnotic, melancholic dreamy house as they took turns throughout the day at the mixing booth. The crowd approved, swaying and mingling under an open-concept canopy in front of the plant adorned, wooden stage.

Even the vendors were an integral part of the peaceful Bohemian vibe.  One vendor sold flowing, flower-child clothing to those who craved more physical freedom, while another offered Reiki and Thai Massage for more mind and body freedom.  The most popular vendors were the face and body artists who created colourful designs on their living canvasses.

ADID offers a very different vibe than most electronic music events, which overwhelm the senses with heavy climaxes, light shows and spectacle. Instead Burridge, Dekay and YokoO led the crowd on a reflective, relaxing journey. At the end of the daydream, the audience had a unique concert experience; rather than feeling worn-out and exhausted, they felt calm, refreshed and invigorated.  

Visit their website for more info.

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The talent on the main stage was pretty impressive with psychedelic rock band Tame Impala headlining Saturday. Followed by a solid Sunday lineup featuring eccentric crowd-pleaser, Grimes and legendary goth-rock band, The Cure, closing with a fabulous firework display.

EDM lovers were also spoiled with the lights, lasers and fire show at the fantastical Bollywood Temple headlined by Maya Jane Cole and Dubfire. Additionally, concert-goers could experience a rave paradise with circus acts and top notch DJs like headliners Porter Robinson and Tchami.  

However, what really makes this fest rise above the rest is that around every corner awaits new splendid surprises and community building activities.  Hilarious British Deacons in an Inflatable Church offered friends, lovers and lovers of inanimate objects (a guy may have married his beer) the chance to tie the knot in front of a crowd of cheering strangers.  

A wonky and wonderful giant, bike-like instrumental contraption allowed passersby to make music as they banged on drums and cowbells together. There were also many adorned chill spots with sparkling umbrellas and colourful flags. Everywhere I went I was impressed with the amount of detail that went into creating such a bright, beautiful and friendly atmosphere. I look forward to making the music, parades, art and entire Bestival spectacle an annual tradition.   

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Houseaddict is an accomplished, electronic music event company in the Toronto EDM scene, which celebrated its 12th Anniversary at the Nest last Saturday.

After attending the high-energy celebration, headlined by German-based deep house producers, Tube and Berger; I was able to pick Houseaddict founder, Chris McKean’s brain on the evolution of EDM in Toronto- and how he’s managed to remain relevant and successful in the scene.

Who are the founders of Houseaddict and what motivated you to start the company?

Houseaddict started in 2003. There were three of us. Two were DJ’s, and the other was a website designer. We started a thread forum mainly because we all loved the same style of music (house), and thought it would be fun to try and raise more awareness. Along with the site came podcasts and then events. With time, my partners took the “exit stage left” route- and so I became the sole proprietor. Now I have a resident DJ (Graham Plant) along with some amazing help from friends.

You’ve been in the EDM business for 12 years now, have you noticed any changes to the scene in Toronto?

I always chuckle to myself when people ask me about changes in the scene. Over a 12-yr span, how could there not be?

Venues for starters – Industry, System Sound Bar, Roxy Blu, and Turbo were some amazing hot spots for people to hit in the early 2000’s. Not to mention amazing warehouse jams that were hosted in various spaces across the City. As all of these places had their time, newer venues started to emerge, while these historic ones would close their doors. Most notable to many, was the emergence of Footwork. A small 250 cap venue that opened up at Richmond & Brant. The owners (Joel & Steph) had been throwing jams at 99 Sudbury for a few years, and decided to take a real crack at owning a venue. This place was known for showcasing both home-grown talent, as well as bringing in amazing international bookings. It went 8.5 years, and evolved into CODA now. And now the warehouse scene is back! We’re seeing more promoters use these spaces again, which is amazing. Houseaddict is particularly proud of being able to work at the historic Sunnyside Pavilion as well. Summer 2015 was our inaugural season- with many more to come.

Genres – it’s been really interesting to listen to electronic music evolve over the years. Toronto has always had a love for house and techno, and so it’s been interesting to see how people classify their tastes into these genres. Old-school house-heads would consider only artists like Kerri Chandler to be true to the deep house genre, but you’ll notice over the past 5 years, that genre’s sound is evolving. Artists with very unique visions are carving paths into this genre and helping it to evolve. Tracks created by the likes of performers like &Me, Adam Port, Tube & Berger, Jonas Rathsman and many more are redefining genres like deep house. Its amazing really.

Technology – I’ve really lost track of all the technology that performers use these days. There was a time when it was only vinyl, but that changed very quickly. Artists use technology these days as an amazing tool to assist in their creativity of either making a track, performing as a live act or even altering the way a track plays out in the club. I love it really….. but of course, nothing feels quite the same as vinyl. It’s undeniable, and as such, has made a huge comeback with performers all over the world. So happy about that to be honest.

Looking back, what were the most memorable shows you’ve organized?

Looking back at all the shows I’ve done, it’s easy to tell you which were the most memorable: any jam I did with Jimpster. He owns Freerange Records, a deep house label out of England, and we’ve been bringing him here since 2009. To say that he’s a class act would be such an understatement. His shows have been phenomenal for the past 6 years. That said, I will have to say that THE most memorable Jimpster show was the 2015 Summer Season opener at Sunnyside Pavilion. It was the same weekend as Digital Dreams and Pride. The weather was insane that night: 90 km per hour winds with torrential rain. While all other outdoor events were cancelled for that evening (including DD), we made our show work. Over 800 people going off to him just letting the tunes rip. My partners were amazing on that night, particularly Richard Brooks of Captive Audience, whose been hosting shows at Sunnyside for over 15 years. We’re happy to have Jimpster back in town late November as well.

Twelve years in this scene is quite an achievement, what is the driving force that has made Houseaddict a success?

Twelve years young and still going strong. Our vision has always been to unite people on dance floors who share similar tastes in music. With that as a foundation, we get a very wide variety of people at our parties. We love it. Relationships are a very important factor to our success. Maintaining that connection with our fans and colleagues is critical to the longevity of our company.

What are House Addict’s future plans?

Future plans eh…. to be honest, we’re super stoked to be moving into some new venues later this year, and in 2016. Our fans love experiencing venues they’ve never been to. A perfect example is this Halloween. We’ve teamed up with Simon Jain and Secret Society to host this amazing jam inside the Portland Room of the Spoke Club at King & Portland. We’re transforming a polished venue into a dark lair, and are super excited for our friends to see the place.

For information about the Halloween Event click here, The Night Breed .

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The SummerDaze crew ended their season with an electrifying 15 hour party this past weekend at District 28. The venue provided a unique landscape, where the SummerDaze crew: Tyrone Solomon, Adrian Ravelo, Nature of Music, Dirty Dale, Members Only, Alberto Jossue and Shea Marie, played an unforgettable, outdoor set between 2 and 10 PM. A costumed masseuse, colourful artists and face painters, gorgeous scantily-clothed bar staff, fringe décor and a wooden stage shaped like a ship, added to the magic and intrigue of the early hours.

At 10 PM, the party was moved inside, where papier-mâché hearts dangled from the ceiling, graffiti-styled art adorned the walls and hammock swings hung in a purple draped lounge area. This is when Toronto was introduced to the intoxicating energy, love and beats of the California based Desert Hearts Crew, including Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, Marbs, Porkchop, Kristoff, Deep Jesus and special guest NICE7.

While I could say more about this epic crew, fortunately they spoke for themselves on Sunday right before boarding a plane to Burning Man:

What is the story behind Desert Hearts, when and why was it created?

Deep Jesus: Desert Hearts was conceived back in 2011. We were attending a few small outdoor festivals that had a wide range of genres and vibes. It was late one night under the stars of the Mojave desert and Lee Reynolds was playing a ripping techno set. It was probably the only time we all danced the entire event. That’s when it dawned on us that we should just throw our own party with music that we enjoyed from start to finish.

After a few name debates we created Desert Hearts.

What philosophy or motto do Desert Hearts members live by?

Deep Jesus: There’s two mottos that really define the core of our community. First, we are all Desert Hearts. This pretty much states that everyone, whether they know it or not is a part of Desert Hearts. The community and connections that are made have a tremendous healing property. The entire intention behind Desert Hearts is to spread love and positive energy through music and community. We truly believe that the music and the vibe have the ability to create a better world. Second, HOUSE, TECHNO & LOVE…. That one’s pretty self-explanatory.

Desert Hearts often plays or hosts marathon styled shows. Why do you prefer this format?

Lee Reynolds: We prefer the marathon styled format of shows because we believe music is about a journey. All the core DJs offer a very unique and individual experience with their musical offerings. When all added in to the same equation, the result is something truly unique, rarely experienced. The longer we have to take our fans on a journey the better.

While many other crews are trying to throw larger and larger parties, Desert Hearts is known to put a cap on tickets. Why is that? Do you think you’ll ever go bigger?

Lee Reynolds: A cap was decided because we realized a huge characteristic about the events we host is intimacy. From experience we’ve noticed the larger a crowd gets the less connected everyone feels. The cap was implemented because money and fame isn’t our intention or desire. It’s all about the vibe.

Your events are known to be visually stunning. What’s the inspiration behind your set pieces? And what role do you think decor has on a show?

Porkchop: The inspiration behind our set pieces came from years of attending festivals from Lightning in a bottle to Burning Man. The goal was to create a visual stimulation that looked natural and cohesive with the surrounding environment yet stimulating enough to make you feel like you’re truly on a different planet. This is vital in an event because it adds to the overall experience people have and share. It gives them something to relate and share with each other.

This is the crews first time (at least performing) in Toronto, what do you think of the city?

Porkchop: Any time we head into a new city all expectations go out the window. And honestly that’s the best way to go into any event. The entire crew was completely blown away by Toronto. The people, the vibe, the scenery, it all really impressed us. After the fact, when we were all traveling to Burning Man, we couldn’t stop talking about how epic our experience was and how we can’t wait to be back!

What do you hope Torontonian’s got from your show last night?

Marbs: Our entire vision is to spread love and good energy through music and artistic experiences. Going to new cities and meeting different communities is a huge part of our movement and allows us to spread our vision with like-minded people. Toronto blew away any and all of our expectations. The people were incredible, the vibes were high, and the city was beautiful. We felt at home and we feel that the people who joined us for the event felt at home with us too.

Toronto is the last stop on your City Hearts, Summer of Love tour, what was a highlight of the tour?

Marbs: It’s really hard to pinpoint a specific highlight of the tour. Every city had their own special vibe, but they all meshed with us completely. It was really inspiring and special to meet so many new people and to experience these new communities while visiting their home towns. It was also an incredible experience for us as a group since this was our first tour together. We learned a ton about our vision, we grew together as a crew, and we’re more motivated about our goals than ever before.

Any particularly funny or bizarre touring stories you’d like to share?

Marbs: Well there were a lot of funny, crazy, bizarre moments. They’re pretty regular with our crew… but the one that stands out to me is our Los Angeles show. It was one of the biggest parties of the tour and probably the largest production of the tour. We’d been planning all the way up until late Thursday night before our event on Friday. I remember finally going to bed around 4am the night before the event. We have an online crew chat where we do most of our coordinating and communication online and when I woke up early Friday morning I saw a ton of messages … read through and found out that Mikey fell skateboarding late Thursday night and broke his arm. The break was so bad that the bone actually was out of the skin and he needed surgery. This left us short one of our core partners, a driver, and a truck for the production. We scrambled and had to borrow a box truck from my dad’s company in order to get the production to LA. We planned on getting to LA around 2 or 3pm and ended up getting there at 6pm. It was a total scramble and probably one of the hardest and most stressful set ups at any of our parties (except for the Apple Valley festival which had cops, helicopters, snow and hail of course. We’ll never forget that one). After everything it ended up being one of the best City Hearts parties we’ve ever thrown. Everyone was on fire and I think all the stress leading up to it made for a bigger release at the event. It was definitely one of the most bizarre situations of the tour.

Now that your tours done, what’s up next for Desert Hearts?

Marbs: As I’m writing this it’s the day after our Toronto party and we’re currently on a plane headed to burning man. This is something we look forward to year round. It’s going to be the perfect celebration to end the successful tour. After burning man we play the Reno decompression parties at GSR and then we’re off to the Symbiosis 10 year Anniversary the week after that. We couldn’t be happier or more excited for everything on the horizon. We’re also right in the middle of planning our 3 Year Anniversary Festival which will be November 5-9. We announced ticket sales last week and they will be available to the public on Sept 14. We have more art, music, and surprises than ever before … especially since we extended the festival to 100 hours of straight house, techno, & love. Also, watch out for some huge releases coming out on our label. We have a lot of big things planned for this year and can’t wait to share them with everyone.

Where do Desert Hearts hope to be in 5 years?

Mikey Lion: In five years we’d like to be touring the world with our City Hearts parties and spreading our message of love and positivity far and wide. We’re planning to keep our biannual Desert Hearts parties small and intimate around the 3500 person mark because that’s what keeps the vibe so love filled and incredible. The way we’re going to expand our brand and record label is through our City Hearts parties and other Hearts branded parties around the world. People are getting behind Desert Hearts Love Movement and everywhere we go seems to outdo the party before it. This movement is bigger than anything we could have ever imagined and it’s showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. Onward and upward as we spread love everywhere we go.

When can Toronto expect you back?

Mikey Lion: We haven’t really put much thought into our return trip to Toronto since our schedules are starting to revolve around Burning Man and our 3 Year Anniversary Festival. But after that party last night… Oh my god we can’t wait to come back! The amazing people of Toronto opened their arms wide and made us feel like we were partying at home! Ideally we’d like to throw quarterly parties it’s just a matter of executing it! We will 100% be back soon though! We love, love, love you guys!

And finally, what’s the story behind the top hat?

Mikey Lion: I got my top hat before my first Burning Man in 2011. It was basically my way of embracing the culture and letting my freak flag fly for the first time. That week was one of the most monumental, life changing weeks of my life and my top hat pretty much became a part of me ever since. It represents the counter culture movement that embodies Burning Man and Desert Hearts and reminds me every day why I’ve dedicated my life to what I’m doing. It’s my absolute baby and I feel naked if I party without it!

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