This May 26th, 2017 marks Astrix‘s glorious return to Toronto in the most recent edition of Electric Escape‘s U4RIA Trance Collective series, and I, for one, could not be any more excited. Originally scheduled to take place at Maison Mercer the event organizers have elected instead to host the event as Nest. There are a number of factors to consider with the relocation but, personally, I welcome the change. Nest is a great venue that many consider to be a benchmark for Toronto nightlife.
First and foremost among the acts for this night is the Israeli Psytrance master Astrix. Astrix is, of course, the DJ alias of Avi Shmailov. Avi has been at the forefront of the genre since the release of his debut album “Eye to Eye”; his sound has evolved with the times, but still manages to maintain the same atmosphere as his earlier work, which is often a grand feat. More recently, Astrix released his 4th Studio album “He.art” in 2016 and the compilation mix Psi-Fi Book of Changes earlier this year. He’s also a must-see act at trance and Psytrance festivals across the globe.
Opening for the master is Electric Escape‘s resident Trance maestro DeeCee. Derek has gained quite the reputation of being a versatile DJ, playing sets that cover a large part of the dance music spectrum. Whether he’s playing the more progressive-leaning warm-up for the AVA Recordings event, a bass-heavy opener for a Hardstyle show, or his most recent high-energy lead in to Ace Ventura earlier this month, DeeCee is a force to be reckoned with.
Last, and perhaps most intriguingly, there is the matter of the as-of-yet unannounced special guest. The promoters seem to be playing this one pretty close to the chest. With just a little under two weeks left until the show, tickets nearly sold out, and a venue change, people have been speculating wildly about who it might be. Knowing Electric Escape, I have no worries that whomever they present to us will be of the highest quality.
That is another point that seems to be causing some undue speculation: the venue change. Although some talk as though Nest is somehow a step down from Maison, I think nothing could be further from the truth. Do we really need massive, overly ostentatious chandeliers to improve the clubbing experience? Near as I can tell, that’s really the biggest difference between the venues. Some would argue the sound is better at Maison, but I’ve experienced those Funktion Ones, and often times Nest’s Dynacord system has sound that is just as clear, even to point of me eschewing hearing protection.
In the end, the only thing that really matters is the quality of the talent and great music, and this most recent U4RIA event seems to have both in spades. If you’re a fan of high-energy Psytrance and good company, grab a ticket to this show, strap on your dancing shoes, and be prepared for a full night of hard stomping music.
Tickets are currently at the third tier for $35 and seem likely to sell out. Get them while you can, you wont want to miss this one!
LINKS:
Electric Escape
Event Page
Nest
Tickets
Astrix
Facebook
SoundCloud
DeeCee
Facebook
SoundCloud
Scott Copeland – EDM TOR
