DEADBEAT @ TONAL TOPOGRAPHY
With Yoshi & Chi, Shen, Ribotto, Jonah K, Zumba, Kristian Sunflower, Femme Normal vs Splee3keebo, Leelee Mishi, Mike Lambert. Visuals by Android Jones, Peter Mettler, Siren Sativa, Jaxamuse. Fri, Sep 5. St. Stephen-in-the-Fields Church, 103 Bellevue. $25 advance tickets at Shanti Baba, $30 door.
Sumkidz parties are always unique events. Here, the folks behind the beloved Om Festival and numerous other affairs host a two-room audio-and-visual extravaganza in Kensington Market. This evening of mostly live performances is headlined by Deadbeat a.k.a. Scott Monteith, a Montrealer now based in Berlin. Releasing highly textured, rhythmic and innovative dub-infused house, techno and digital dancehall on labels including Cynosure, ~scape and Wagon Repair, Deadbeat is consistently dead-on. His latest album, titled Roots and Wire, will be released on Wagon Repair in mid-October.
DOM RIMINI @ RANDOMLAND
With DJs Roc Raida, Nu Ravers on the Block, A.D/D., Tasc, Rob Wild Cat, Vaneska. Fri, Sep 5. CiRCA, 126 John. $15.
It’ll be a full-throttle, nu-rave assault at this week’s Randomland as they host French DJ/producer Don Rimini a.k.a. Xavier Gassemann. Dropping sets of noisy hip-hop, electro and rock in clubs since he was a teen, Rimini has now hit the blog jackpot with an assortment of originals and remixes. He’s been getting love from the likes of Busy P, MSTRKRFT and Digitalism, and his Kick ‘n Run EP on Delicious Gutter — a new, club-centric imprint of rap label Delicious Vinyl co-run by Baltimore’s Aaron LaCrate — is chock-a-block with party bangers. PS: world-famous turntablist Roc Raida, of X-Ecutioners fame, headlines in the Ballroom.
GROOVE INSTITUTE @ SOLID GARAGE CLASSICS
With DJs Dave Campbell, Paul E Lopes, Kevin Williams. Sat, Sep 6. Revival, 783 College. $10 before 11:30pm, $15 after.
Keeping the summer vibes alive, the Groove Institute trio of DJs Yogi, Mark and Anand hold an event dedicated to the classics. While they’ve been producing parties under the Solid Garage banner since 1998 — spinning a soulful mix of jazz, Afro-Latin, disco, deep house and techno — it’s these events that warehouse heads of past and present particularly flock to. The trio come with super deep crates, as do all of their guests, including master mixer Dave Campbell who is absolutely amazing to hear when he gets to flex on the house tip.
SWITCH @ B-LIVE STAGE AT VIRGIN FESTIVAL
With SebastiAn, Moby, Deadmau5, Flosstradamus, Thunderheist, Drop the Lime, Let’s Go to War, Mario J, Nasty Nav, Lee Burridge, Doman and Pettigrew, Sydney Blu, Evan G, Harmonik Rage. Sat, Sep 6-Sun, Sep 7. Toronto Island Park. $87 one-day or $159 two-day passes available at Ticketmaster, Future Shop.
Yep, I understand that events like these are about branding and selling lots and lots of rum to those of legal drinking age lucky enough to check the Bacardi B-Live stage, but damn, this is a mighty fine gathering of talent. It’s the second annual occasion that Bacardi has promoted a DJ-driven area at V-Fest, and word has it that this year’s stage will be a booming, multi-level creation good for seamless set changes and complete with a massive video wall. Putting it through a workout will be some of the world’s top house, techno and electro artists, including Britain’s Switch, whose bass-heavy, twisted house releases on Dubsided, production duties for M.I.A. and mixing skills lent to Tricky have made him the man of the moment. Add to this Saturday sets by peeps including Flosstradamus, Drop the Lime and our own Thunderheist, as well as Sunday’s headlining DJs Moby and hometown hero Deadmau5, and the whole thing is undeniably impressive. Oh yeah, and you can check the likes of Oasis, Paul Weller, Bloc Party and MGMT over the two days, too.