I interviewed one such group for today’s column. Soul In Motion has been dropping breakbeat bass business around Toronto for twelve years running. The three partners are deeply embedded in the Drum and Bass community as performers and have represented Toronto’s music around the world, but it’s right here at home that they shine the brightest. Read on to learn more about DJ Spinz, Mr. Brown, and Scott Free, and their quest to keep bringing high quality Drum and Bass to the masses.

You’ve got a big show coming up in October, at the legendary (and soon to be closed) Guvernment. That’s quite a move! Can you tell me about what you’ve got in store?

Absolutely, it is our 12 year anniversary and it’s our biggest show to date. First off, the venue, Guv Main Room. Synonymous with some of the best dnb jungle shows this city has ever seen, just thinking about this show gives us chills as we prepare to bring the Soul In Motion vibe to that great space. AND! It could very well be the last dnb & jungle show in that room, so it’s one for the record books.

Secondly, the headliners. First off, we have one of, if not THE, hottest producers in our scene in S.P.Y representing the biggest label in Hospital Records. The recent release of the second part of his album, Back To Basics Chapter 2 is a masterpiece. From start to finish, it is the definition of the sound that keeps me loving this music every day. We’ve also got our good friends the Brookes Brothers joining us as well. These guys are basically extended SIM family as they’ve played for us a number of times over the years and they always perform at the highest levels. We can’t stress enough how excited we are for this show. The date can’t come fast enough.

What have you got planned for Soul in Motion after that?

Scott Free: First up, mandatory vacation from one another. We’re like brothers, but after a show, we always take some personal time and recharge. After that, it’s right back into planning mode, we’ve got SIM NYE coming up and it’ll be our 6th or 7th year in a row of hosting a show, and every year is a roadblock. So we’ll be jumping into that both feet shortly after the 12 year, and then it’s on to 2015. The crystal ball isn’t so clear at the moment, so we can’t give you any details, but rest assured we will be working diligently to bring you more great shows with new headliners both from around the globe and locally.

Tell me a story about one of your favorite headliners you’ve hosted.

Scott Free: Rarely do we walk away from a show without a story, but one of the most legendary stories involves a post-show trip to Chinatown and inquiries about how much it would cost to just hold one of the lobsters from the tank. There was no intention to eat the lobster, just to hold it, and possibly play it like a guitar.

What is your favorite part about living and working in Toronto?

Scott Free: What can we say, this is the city I was born and raised in, it is my home. I love it here, it is where I am most comfortable. I love how there are so many neighbourhoods, each with it’s own character and charm. I love that we are influenced by all those that have come and set down roots here. Musically, although the city’s relationship has been rocky at times, our scene has been able to grow and reach heights unseen in other cities not just in this country, but around the world. And I’m so proud of the part that we have played in that.

Tell me a bit about Soul in Motion.

DJ Spinz: Soul In Motion, is a partnership between Scott Free, Mr Brown and myself, DJ Spinz. We’re collectively known as an events company although the idea behind everything we do is to promote Drum & Bass and Jungle music in every way we can. Our main focus is always the events and making each one, big or small, a reflection of what we feel is the best music happening at that moment. Since the three of us are all DJs with our own followings and musical tastes, we tend to draw on that for show ideas. Its not always about what can bring the most people to a show, for us it has to start with the music. If we really feel strongly about an artist, we’ll get them on a plane, train or automobile and get them in front of our crowd. At the end of the day, knowing that we’re helping push the music forward in this city is what makes the risk worth it.

Apart from that, the umbrella of Soul In Motion, or SIM as people like to call us, is now expanding to form smaller side project shows which you’ll be hearing about soon. As well as it encompasses podcasts, radio shows and maybe even a SIM tour or two outside of Toronto.

So you’ve been running events in Toronto for quite a while. How has the scene changed in that time?

DJ Spinz: Its funny, because in some ways its changed a lot, and in some ways its not changed all that much. The part that hasn’t changed is the energy. There always seems to be a different vibe happening at DnB shows, and as much as you’ll hear the expression “its not like the old days”, for someone in that audience, these are the best shows of their life!

The great thing about Drum & Bass is that its never been a fad, its always had roots here; so while other types of music seem to come and go by the season, D&B is an ever evolving ebb and flow. There’s always an artist or label that’s pushing the boundaries so there is always a party that we can build around that. The major change we’ve seen in the last couple of years is that with the increase in popularity of festivals and EDM shows, that has spilled over into our scene in a good way. As soon as people at those shows get exposed to D&B its a natural progression to want more when they get a taste of Electronic music that has a bit more meat on the bone so to speak.

When and why did you found the company?

Mr. Brown: The idea to form Soul in Motion came to me in a food court in 2002. I was frustrated with the climate of DNB as it pertained to “locals” at the time and wanted more. I mean, I’ll always be grateful to the people that help me get started like Mystical Influence, Sniper and Marcus Visionary, but it was time to create another tier. Initially, SIM was to be a platform for locals to presented as the headliner and not just the warm up act. The idea worked great! Over the years, by giving opportunities to many local DJ’s, we grew and grew, until we decided it was time to start thinking about moving to the next level. The rest is history.

You’re quite the DJ as well, I happen to know. What are your DJ plans for the next few years?

Mr. Brown: Well first of all, thank you. Im pretty blessed to be honest. I mean, I don’t own a record label and I don’t produce (yet), and despite this, I still manage to play almost every weekend in town, all over Canada, many cities in the states and even over the pond! Right now I’m enjoying it and trying to not think too much. I’ve had a few invitations to play in Europe in 2015 so that would be pretty cool. Right now, I’m working on Prophecy Radio (North America’s longest running “on air” radio show, going into our 20th year) and hosting events with my other companies, Forward DNB and Junglist Movement with Marcus Visionary. Also I didn’t think I was busy enough, so myself and Rick Toxic started a Sunday weekly called “Church” at Tota Lounge…and its been doing great!!!

Keep up to date with them on Facebook page.

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VIDEO RODEO: With Nuit Blanche around the corner, our thoughts turn quickly to the always entertaining Renegade Parade. This year’s parade will be going forward thanks to some help from Kigurumi Canada and a timely IndieGoGo campaign (there’s still time to chip in and secure yourself a spot riding on the float). Get a taste of what you’re in for with this video of one of the previous parades!

ATTENTION: VIDEOS WANTED!  Did you have a great time at a rave or EDM event and managed to capture it on video? We’d love to showcase short clips of you and your friends having a great time with great music.  Reach out to us with your name, the name and date of the event, and a link to the video if you’d like us to consider yours!

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Looking for a party? You’ve come to the right place! Below is a sample of what you can find this weekend and next in the rave and EDM community around Toronto. For more EDM event listings and reviews, check out our friends at EDMTor.com!

UPCOMING EVENTS: HOUSE OF DUST: ATISH – Friday, September 26th – 8 PM *TONIGHT*

Burners unite! Atish comes all the way from San Francisco after playing on the Robot Heart bus at Burning Man alongside some of the world’s finest DJs and is sure to bring the vibe with his unique take on house music. Tickets are just $10 before 11 PM and can also be purchased online or at the door of Cabal (782 King

UPCOMING EVENTS: SPIN TURNS 3 CELEBRITY PING PONG TOURNEY – Friday, September 26th – 8 PM *TONIGHT*

You might not expect this section to cover a ping pong tournament, but this one features DJ Washed Out laying down the beats while some heavy hitting celebrities bat balls around in the name of charity – including our own chief editor Joel Levy. Come check it out  at 461 King Street West – no cover, but bring your cheering voice!

UPCOMING EVENTS: SUBSPACE FETISH BALL: HEAVY METAL – Saturday, September 27th – 10 PM *TONIGHT*

Subspace is an institution in this city’s dance music scene (among others) and this weekend’s event returns the iconic brand to the Great Hall (1087 Queen Street West). Featuring a fashion show from Lady Violet Designs and of course plenty of great beats from Subspace resident Saucy Miso and special guest Johnny Extreme, the party is sure to be as wild as ever – and at just $10 before midnight, what have you got to lose? You won’t regret checking this out!

Your bonus link this week: Well it was all the rage on social media this week – people are looking to jump ship from an increasingly unusable and invasive Facebook platform and along came Ello just in time. Whether the new platform has any staying power remains to be seen, but for the meantime you can check it out. But hey, it’s invite only – check the page to request an invite. And feel free to follow me if you like. 

The post Soul in Motion hits 12 years and going strong appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

In fact, the club in question – Muzik Nightclub – turned out to be the source of the allegations that Mammoliti and Grimes cited, and the impetus behind the drive for a ban. The owner of Muzik, Zlatko Starkovski, has gone on to say that “there is no underground scene, [this] means that 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 year old children will be at home safe.” The news that our beloved underground scene is both unsafe and non-existent at the same time was as big a surprise to me as it probably is to you.

Of course, Mr. Starkovski may simply have no interaction with the underground dance community, seeing as Muzik is a business better known for high-priced bottle service, exclusivity, and a questionable array of political connections. His attempt at instituting a ban on competition has prompted a fierce response from the rave community, which turns out to not only exist but also to have strenuous objections to being used as pawns in a political game – a #BoycottMuzik campaign began almost immediately.

While the ban initially passed the board of governors, Councillor Mike Layton – whose father was involved in overturning the 2000 ban on raving – brought a motion to City Council to repeal the ban. While Councillor Mammoliti didn’t bother to show up for the debate, Councillor Grimes did his best to oppose the repeal with any tactic that came to reach, including an attempt to defer the debate to June (which would effectively kill the summer festival schedule, no matter the ultimate outcome). Despite this,; Councillor Layton and Councillor Perks held him to account and successfully demonstrated the overtly political character of the initial decision. The repeal was passed 31 to 4, with only Councillors Pasternak, Robinson and Crawford joining Councillor Grimes to vote against.

This column has always been focused on electronic music and rave events in the city. These events and this music are my passion, a passion I share with many Torontonians. Together, we make up a vibrant part of the incredible tapestry of culture that makes this city awesome. I do not intend to make this an overtly political entry, but I also feel that it’s important to live up to the legacy that was left to us by the iDance rallies and our raving forebears to ensure we would always have a right to dance together. In this case, that means calling attention to who is trying to stop us for their own gain, and who is standing up for us and our rights.

To that end, I spoke with Councillor Mike Layton about his spirited and engaged defense of the right to dance in Toronto, and the events leading up to the ban and its repeal. Read on to learn more, and then go out and enjoy your weekend. In fact, dance anywhere you like – it’s your right.

Why were electronic music events banned at the Ex in the first place?

Well, it depends who you want to believe, but the series of events was that the club owner at Ex place has a lease arrangement with the board of governors and he brought a letter concerning the events, saying they were in breech and they were competing with his business and they should stop because there are certain agreements we need to honour. The board said “no, we’re allowed to host events of a certain size”. Then all of a sudden a claim came saying you shouldn’t host these events because kids are getting sent to hospital, kids are doing drugs, there are 11,12 13 year olds overdosing, pedophiles at the event.

So we went from a purely financial claim to an “altruistic” one in the blink of an eye. That’s why certain board members felt compelled to vote to no longer hold events at the Ex.

However, there is a long standing city policy that we should be hosting these events on city property because we can ensure there’s a certain level of safety that we can’t ensure at private venues. That’s the long standing city policy, and it’s good policy from a risk management and harm reduction standpoint, that’s what we should be doing.

And when was that policy put in place?

I believe that policy was put into effect in 1999 and confirmed that it was the best policy in 2000 after a coroner’s inquest ran its course (ed. this was triggered by the death of Allan Ho). Nothing has changed that would cause us to revisit this. This was brought back before the board because of the concern for the neighbouring business.

Why do you think electronic music in particular was targeted? Just because it was seen as an easy target?

Well that depends on who you believe. If you believe the first letter, it’s because it’s the same genre of music that the club owners prefer. If you believe the second letter, apparently it’s 11 and 12 year olds going to events and drug dealers and pedophiles attend them, if you want to take Councillor Mammoliti’s stand on it.

Yes people take drugs at concerts. That was true 40 or 50 years ago, but it’s not more true today. It’s nothing new that young people are doing drugs. And a harm reduction approach to public policy, which is the best practice, is aware that these events are going to happen, so don’t push it underground and make it less safe. We should be aiming to make it more safe. You know in Portugal, they actually have testing rooms so you can test your MDMA before you take it so you know if it’s been cut with something that could be harmful. There are other jurisdictions that go even further. Now I’m not advocating for that specifically, but harm reduction is the approach to take if you want to save lives.

Even simple things like alcohol, at the Ex there are stronger rules around all-ages events regarding alcohol. Instead of a stamp or wristband or single barrier, there’s actually a double barrier with security in between, so you can’t pass drinks across or give alcohol to minors.

So it is a much safer environment.

Yes.

So it was this focus on safety that motivated you to work to overturn the ban?

Yes. Not because I go to those shows or because I hang out with the promoters of them, unlike some of the other councillors, the very few councillors who voted against overturning the ban. I think there were only four of them.

Yes, there were four, including our old favourite Mark Grimes.

Yes, well I think he’s made it clear he’s been to Muzik before, and our mayor obviously has a unique relationship with the owner. But beyond that connection everyone recognizes that a harm reduction approach is what needs to be taken. We’re not here to protect that one business, we’re here to protect the public good.

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VIDEO RODEO: The first time we dealt with an attempt to ban raves, it was a much more pervasive effort, but our response was up to the challenge. The iDance rally on the steps of City Hall showed City Council both the passion and the responsibility of our community, which helped to ensure that City Council took a rational, evidence-based position on the rights of the community and the understanding of harm reduction. But it was also a great party! Video footage from the event is this week’s Video Rodeo. Enjoy!

ATTENTION: VIDEOS WANTED!  Did you have a great time at a rave or EDM event and managed to capture it on video? We’d love to showcase short clips of you and your friends having a great time with great music.  Reach out to us with your name, the name and date of the event, and a link to the video if you’d like us to consider yours!

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Looking for a party? You’ve come to the right place! Below is a sample of what you can find this weekend and next in the rave and EDM community around Toronto; check out The Heather Network for even more!

UPCOMING EVENTS: VIRUS – Friday, May 16th – 9 PM  *TONIGHT*

Dub Hub joins Raise The Levels to take over both floors of Li’ly Lounge (656 College) for a night of Drum’n’Bass downstairs, featuring the legendary DJ Spinz, and Electro and Trap upstairs. Cover is free until midnight and then just $5 afterwards, so why not kick off your long weekend with some bass?

UPCOMING EVENTS: NICE SHOES, WANNA FUNK? – Saturday, May 17th – 10 PM

Also holding it down at Li’ly Lounge, Jay Tripper is back in action with “Nice Shoes, Wanna Funk?” The event features Dutty Moonshine mashing up Ghetto Funk, Electro Swing and more, with support from an eclectic and talented cast of locals across a variety of genres. In keeping with Jay Tripper’s style, there will also be an emphasis on decor, lighting, and extras like the tie-dyed Framebow photo booth. Tickets are just $15 advance, $20 at the door, and it runs til 4 AM – you’ve got Monday off, so party hard!

UPCOMING EVENTS: OTAKUBALOO AT ANIME NORTH – Friday and Saturday, May 23rd and 24th – 5 PM til 1 AM

It was just a few years ago that a few ravers (including yours truly) set up a pair of turntables in the Anime North parking lot and kickstarted an outdoor rave event at the widely beloved convention. We didn’t explicitly have permission to be there (hey, we didn’t NOT have permission either), but since then we’ve worked with the convention and now the event has become one of the can’t-miss pieces of programming for thousands of congoers and ravers alike. A huge cast of Toronto locals and international talent keep the beats going out in the sun and well into the night. Worth it for the costumes alone! Note that the event is part of Anime North and an Anime North badge IS required to attend; Friday night badges are still available for $35.

Your bonus link this week: Not technically an electronic music event so it’s not in the event listing, but who doesn’t enjoy the Toronto Circus Festival? The circus is in town this weekend and you can check it out face-to-face down at HarbourFront!

The post Councillor Mike Layton Stands Up For Dancing appeared first on Toronto Guardian.