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Music

10 Can’t Miss Acts at Digital Dreams: Day 1

Digital Dreams is going to be an absolute rager, and here’s our list of acts you can’t miss.

Photograph Courtesy of VisualBass

We are now officially less than a month away from the largest electronic music festival in Canada: Digital Dreams. Last year, 50,000 people packed Ontario Place to watch Tiesto, Richie Hawtin, Porter Robinson and company throw it down, and this year the number of attendees is expected to almost double. To meet the new demand, a fourth stage has been added and for the first time ever in Canada, the innovative radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags are being implemented to allow for a cashless payment system. Everything is shaping up for this to be a momentous, unforgettable festival, but what about the music?

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68 artists across four stages, and covering a slew of different genres means that you will have your hands (and ears) full come Canada Day weekend. The question that now arises is: Who the hell are you supposed to see? We've got you covered. Read down below for our list of 10 must-see acts of Digital Dreams day one, and get your dancing shoes ready for some music-induced mayhem.

1. Justice
Dreams Stage

Unless you've been living in a hole for the past decade, you've probably heard of that really, really talented French electronic music duo. No, not that duo, the other one. The Grammy Award-winning group first broke onto the scene with their seminal debut album, † (Cross), and since then their influence can be felt throughout the entire dance music industry. Whether you are a fan of nu-disco and electronic rock or not, these two talented individuals are definitely worth a watch.

2. Carnage
Dreams Stage

Chipotle Gang stand up! The plump purveyor of stadium-sized trap offers up boundless energy, versatile track selection, and an impassioned stage presence in what is sure to be one of the craziest performances of the weekend. The crowd is going to soar higher than Michael Jordan, and you can take that to the bank.

3. Deep Dish
Echo Beach Stage

Before Dubfire and Sharam announced that they were reuniting as Deep Dish earlier this year, we didn't think that we would ever see the two on stage together again, much less at a Toronto festival. Unless you're taking crazy pills, you better get your ass over to the Echo Beach stage to watch their performance. Who knows, it could be another eight years until you see them again!

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4. Nicole Moudaber
Echo Beach Stage

There's a reason Nicole Moudaber is called the "Queen of Techno." If you're a fan of dark and dirty beats (think Drumcode's Adam Beyer in girl form), she has to be at the top of your list. Put it this way: At Miami Music Week this year, Carl Cox came to her party, not the other way around.

5. Claude VonStroke
Echo Beach Stage

The big boss of Dirtybird is infamous for his epic summertime BBQ parties, and he should provide the perfect daytime fun on day one as his groovy, fun-loving style of tech-house is the perfect compliment to the sandy shores of Echo Beach.

6. Carlo Lio B2B Nathan Barato
Echo Beach Stage

Two local techno legends playing back-to-back on the beach? Ummm, say no more, we're there!

7. Bro Safari
House of Boom

You ready to go on a safari adventure? Anything goes in the mad man of Mad Decent's sets, whether it be booty-shaking trap, tantalizing twerk, or bone-rattling dubstep. If you've never seen him before, his shows can be summed up in one word: Intense.

8. I Am Legion
House of Boom

What happens when you combine the drum and bass beasts known as Noisia with the gritty and grimy rhymes of UK hip-hop group Foreign Beggars? We're thinking something along the lines of an all-out audial attack that will turn your brain into a pile of mashed potatoes. Noisia will also be performing alone later on in the day—don't sleep on that performance either.

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9. Keys N Krates
House of Boom

Toronto's own talented trio combine elements of hip-hop and electronic music with live instruments to create a sound and show that is wildly unique and highly enjoyable. If you're looking for something outside of the norm at Digital Dreams, these are the guys to check out.

10. Simon Patterson
Fantasy Land

We'd be thoughtless if we didn't include at least one trance artist on day one, so relax, you can all put your pitchforks and kandi-covered baseball bats away. Patterson is responsible for 11 consecutive Beatport #1's (yes, you read that right) and was ranked 28th in DJ Mag's most recent Top 100 DJs poll. But he's more than just numbers—the dude is an expert in his craft and is just what this trance-starved city needs. Patterson's set is going to blow the doors off of Digital Dreams and turn his stage into a real-life fantasy land.