EVENT REVIEW: Yotto @ CODA 17-11-18

Last Saturday, November 17th, brought the long-awaited return of Yotto for his Hyperfall Tour, which kicked off just over a month ago in the Netherlands. Making several stops along the way in the UK, USA and Germany, Toronto was lucky enough to grab the Helsinki legend for one of his Canadian shows.

I arrived at CODA around 11PM, dancing shoes on, looking forward to hearing each of the incredible DJs on the lineup. I ascended the infamous neon red staircase, and with the bass pumping through the walls, I immediately felt a rush of excitement; I just knew it was going to be a night to remember.

I quickly dropped my stuff at the coat check and stepped onto the dance floor, where I could already hear Navid Mehr warming up the decks. This Iranian-born DJ has found considerable success from his adopted home in Toronto. His work, initially through the Beat Syndrome outfit with Hamed Safi, saw a plethora of high profile releases hit the virtual shelves for the likes of Liquid Grooves, Balkan Connection and Sound Avenue and a rapidly emerging career at the forefront of the underground.

I quickly scanned the venue and realized it had been a hot minute since I’d been to CODA. Some of the new decor was immediately noticeable: greenery cascading down from the ceiling, peppering the room with a jungle-esque vibe. It reminded me of Electric Island. I dug it.

After stopping by the back bar to grab a bottle of water from a bubbly bartender, I made my way to the front of the room and found a spot just behind the DJ booth. From my vantage point, I was able to get a good view of the crowd. Among the lively audience, I spotted some Anjuna Family members up front, repping some apparel and a flag.

It was now almost 11:30 — just over an hour and a half since Navid Mehr first hit the decks. He was serving up some dark, moody techno vibes while the club continued to fill up, and the crowd was loving every minute of it. We could not have asked for a more perfect set to kick off the night.

At around 12:10, Toronto-based DJ Simon Doty took over and brought the tempo up a bit. While his name may not ring a bell, trust that it stands out in the industry to leading artists and labels. He has been engrossed in the music industry for over a decade, spending the last 5 years focused on mixing and mastering, while also running his label, Rhetorical Music.

It was my first time seeing him, and from the first song, I knew I was in for a treat. Doty’s track selection was brilliantly on point. Throwing down a solid mix of progressive, deep and tech house tracks—including what I believe was an unreleased Doty track—he set the tone for the entire night.

Just before 1AM, Finnish DJ, songwriter, and record producer Yotto finally graced the scene. The club was dark, the fog was rolling, and the crowd was vibrating with anticipation. It was warm, but not uncomfortably so — just what you’d expect when everyone’s feeling the music and grooving hard.

The headliner kicked off the night with Odd One Out from his new Hyperfall album. The lasers, reflecting off Coda’s giant disco ball, painted the crowd with colour and light as they danced. I was stoked to hear this track right off the bat — it has an amazing dark undertone that transcends into an uplifting progression.

Throughout his three-hour set, he played the perfect mix of progressive and deep house, often dipping into his own collection of newly released and classic tracks. Sasha, Luttrell and Maceo Plex were a few of the main artists whose tracks Yotto dropped throughout his time with us.

He did an incredible job of masterfully crafting the perfect vibe from start to finish, which is no surprise for someone deemed “a man of many sounds” by Billboard, and “an experimental house talent” by Dancing Astronaut.

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The crowd thinned out around 3AM, but Yotto continued throwing down until almost 4. At this point, I was out on the dance floor vibing with the crowd. For the time of night (morning) that it was, the energy was still going strong. I was happy to hear him drop some other favourites of mine from earlier EPs, like The Owls and Cooper’s Cup. Judging by the everyone else’s reactions, they felt the same.

After Yotto’s set, Simon Doty resumed control of the deck, spinning until close. I ended up heading home around 4:30AM. What a night! Once again, Coda has set the bar for Toronto events, proving why this venue is such a staple of Toronto’s electronic nightlife.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone at Coda for their dedication in providing Toronto crowds with access to amazing musical talent and a blissful atmosphere wherein fans can enjoy their favourite artists – tonight was no exception! Thanks as well to our friends at LCPR for their much-appreciated support of EDM TOR.

For anyone who couldn’t make it out and is still yearning for a Yotto fix – and for those who want to relive the magic of this event! – be sure to check out the compiled tracklist from this event!

“HYPERFALL” TRACKLIST:
Yotto – Hyperfall
Yotto – The One You Left Behind feat. Vok
Yotto – Kantsu
Yotto – Nada C
Yotto – Turn It Around
Yotto – Epilogue feat. Caps
Yotto – Outsight
Yotto – Odd One Out
Yotto – Hyperlude
Yotto – Radiate
Yotto – Hear Me Out feat. SØNIN and Laudic
Yotto – Walls
Yotto – Waiting Here

PARTIAL EVENT TRACKLIST:
Yotto – Odd One Out
Yotto – Hear Me Out feat. SØNIN and Laudic
Yotto – Outsight
Sasha – Smoke Monk
THEMBA – Better Days
Yotto – Chemicals
Guy Gerber – What To Do (&ME Remix)
Yotto – The One You Left Behind feat. Vok
André Texias – Lonely
Luttrell – Intergalactic Plastic
Yotto – Wilderness Girl
Rafael Certato – The Dome
Dodi Palese – Agulhas
Ariel Merisio – C Eight
Remake – Blade Runner (Maceo Plex remix)
Lindstrøm – Tensions
Sasha – Gameovr
Mr. YT – Afternoon
Yotto – North
Gorillaz – Busted and Blue (Yotto Remix)