CALVIN HARRIS @ RANDOMLAND
With Burns, MRK, Rory Them Finest, Vaneska, more. Fri, Aug 29. CiRCA, 126 John. $15 advance tickets at Rotate This, Play De Record, Soundscapes, Ticketweb.ca.
I have a total soft spot for Scottish producer/DJ Calvin Harris. Possessing a way with hooks and just the right amount of sass, he stormed onto UK charts last year with singles like “Acceptable in the 80s” and “The Girls” — all featured on Harris’ tongue-in-cheekily titled album I Created Disco. More personable than pop persona — check his MySpace blog posts for a good chuckle — Harris has also done ace remixes of tunes by bands including CSS, Cut Copy and, most recently, Primal Scream. His recent hit collab with Dizzee Rascal, “Dance Wiv Me,” tides us over while Harris completes album No. 2. This is his debut DJ set in T.O.
WILLY JOY @ NON-STOP
With DJs Grahm Zilla, Fistfight. Fri, Aug 29. Drake Underground, 1150 Queen W. $5.
Chicago-based mixmaster Willy Joy is well known in the Windy City for his Fly By Night parties and collabs with area rappers. Like citymates Flosstradamus and Kid Sister, Joy is steeped in all things hip-hop, but stretches to work with many a floor-filling flava. URB gave him a Next 100 nod in ’07, and you can hear why when checking Joy’s many remixes, edits and mashes — including the best touch-up I’ve ever heard of Gwen Stefani’s “Sweet Escape.” Online searches will nab you links to Joy’s DJ mixes and original new tunes. Fun, quality stuff.
ÂME @ WRONGBAR
With DJs Felix & Gani, Nasty Nav, Nitin. Sat, Aug 30. 1279 Queen W. $10 advance at Milkaudio.com, $15 at door.
French for “soul,” Âme is an apt name for the German duo of Kristian Beyer and Frank Wiedemann. Together, they create a lovely, melodic and moving amalgam of deep house and Detroit-influenced techno. Their 2005 underground smash “Rej” still inspires cheers, their collaborations are often mind-blowing and Beyer’s DJ sets offer pure bliss. As evidence, check Milkaudio.com for a live recording of Beyer’s set at Footwork last year and keep an ear out for the September release of Âme’s Fabric 42, a killer mix of techno and house.
KARIZMA @ DEEP HOUSE BOAT CRUISE
With Andy Roberts, Johnny Lopez, iDrum. Sun, Aug 31. Aboard The Northern Spirit, Pier Six, 207 Queen’s Quay W. After party with DJs The Martinez Bros, Mark & Steve at the Mod Club, 722 College. Tickets $35 advance (boat cruise), $25 (after-party), $50 (both) at Play De Record, Cosmos Records, Wantickets.com, Milkaudio.com.
There are another three weeks of summer to be enjoyed and the boys of Boogie Inc. and Mixed Signals Music are offering some fun in the sun to deep-house lovers this long weekend Sunday. Headlining the boat cruise is Baltimore-based former Basement Boy Karizma, with the evening’s after-party featuring young NYC house sensations The Martinez Bros. Both acts are returning Toronto favourites, certain to come with the goods.
TEENAGE BAD GIRL (live)
With DJs Stab City, Vaneska, Medley, Dsnr, Rooks. Sun, Aug 30. Revival, 783 College. $10 advance tickets at Rotate This, Soundscapes, Wantickets.com.
Neither teenagers nor women, Teenage Bad Girl is, in fact, the French duo of Guillaume Manbell and Greg Kazubski. Their 2006 EP, Hands of a Stranger, made some noise, but it’s their remix of Scissor Sisters’ “I Don’t Feel Like Dancing” and last year’s debut album Cocotte (on Vitalic’s Citizen Records), that garnered Teenage Bad Girl comparisons to everyone from Daft Punk, Mr. Oizo and Boys Noize to The Stooges. Check their twisted house for yourself, and don’t sleep on local electro trio Stab City.