All Entries Tagged With: "EXPOSED"
EXPOSED: Neil Quigley
Our original goal with the bringthebeats bookings was to bring in one fresh artist each month and debut them in Toronto on The Mod Club stage. Admittedly this was a pretty lofty goal considering how competitive the T.O. scene is and how clubbers have become so attached to particular DJs and sounds.
Though we did our best to stick to this policy, we decided to bend our own rules after Neil Quigley’s EXPOSED performance in November. He was so impressive we knew we had to bring him back asap. There wasn’t nearly enough progressive house heads on the floor for his first visit and we needed to expose more of the EXPOSED faithful to this wicked talent.
We rolled the dice with this mid winter booking – on a Friday of a long weekend – and are we ever glad we did. Neil’s first EXPOSED.live recording provided all the promotion we needed. There was so much hype around that set; people were forced to brave the cold and a potentially long party weekend to check out Neil’s second Toronto appearance.
He definitely didn’t disappoint. We couldn’t believe that it could happen, but Neil was even more on point this time than last. He still had the enthusiasm of playing in a new market, but now he was more comfortable with the crowd, vibe and venue. He was finely tuned in every aspect and put together three hours of some of the highest quality dance music played anywhere in the world.
We’re extremely proud to have jump started what seems to be a loyal and extremely up for it following for Neil Quigley in this city. Combined with Jeff Button, the hottest new local DJ in Toronto right now, Quiggers has provided two of the most successful btb bookings of EXPOSED so far. He’s become a ‘can’t miss’ event, so if you didn’t make it to either of the first two, don’t miss the next one, I’m sure he will be even better whenever it goes down.
Download (left-click and unzip):
Neil Quigley – EXPOSED.live pt.1 – February 15, 2008
Neil Quigley – EXPOSED.live pt.2 – February 15, 2008
EXPOSED: Eli Wilkie
If there was one guy that could brave the Canadian cold and put on a show despite a blizzard, NYE hangover or any other January blahs excuse, it’s Eli Wilkie. And of course B.C. is always the perfect wingman. These two complete madmen put on a show for the EXPOSED hardcore with some kick ass comedy house.
It was a pretty interesting mix of people on the floor for this event. Many thanks to the bringthebeats following that came out to support. Our promotions group and of course our good friends Eli and Brad Copeland definitely appreciated the kick ass energy you all brought to the night.
I’d say the craziest aspect of the party had to be the girl on stage left. People on the stage have been a dilemma throughout our first six months, and to tell you the truth, we’d rather people not be up near the booth.
But this girl, who I’m sure you can all point out in the pics, was so over the top that we had to let her continue to do her thing. I’ll leave it at that because you really had to be there to believe what she was up to, but I will give her props for some absolutely uninhibited, funky ass moves.
Brad played a more up tempo opener than his December gig with Naveen G. He’s just so freaking versatile. Brad can play in any roll, across so many genres and make it flow like no other. Dude is awesome, no question.
In many senses, Eli was the night. His relentless enthusiasm and appreciation for being behind the decks was super satisfying for our team. He rocked it out especially hard for the EXPOSED faithful, but maintained his signature, light-hearted sound. Eli has serious skills, but his sets are far from that. How injected pure fun into the night was most refreshing for us.
Download (left-click and unzip):
Eli Wilkie – EXPOSED.live – January 11, 2008
EXPOSED: Neil Quigley
There is a huge amount of stress a promoter feels when he or she is bringing in an underground talent that may not be that well known by the T.O. clubbing masses. My worldwide contacts thought I was crazy; “Dude, its Neil Quigley?!” But I knew that even though Neil is supported by some of the most established brands in the business and is ultra popular in Europe, the majority of Toronto had yet to discover this incredibly talented DJ / producer.
My stress level was amplified ten-fold when Jeff Button’s car stalled on the highway in Mississauga just minutes before he was to open the room. Thanks to Manfred’s driving beats, a two track fill-in and an efficient cab driver, Jeff’s delay wasn’t an extended one and the night began with barely a hiccup.
Jeff spun his signature silky smooth and stylish opener and had the floor right into it when Neil walked on. To my very pleasant surprise there were a lot of Neil Quigley fans up front and centre when I walked him to the booth. Their excitement truly took the room’s energy to the next level and from track number one of Neil’s headline set the party was completely off the charts.
Neil’s opening track had this super sexy vocal sample. That track melted into another with a funky, funky Mediterranean vibe, highlighted by island drums and horns. Soon enough it got darker and deeper, with chuggy tribal baselines, and before you knew it, it had switched back to a driving progressive and then to a more melodic house feel.
All night Neil weaved in and out of genres, but it was always deep and the mixing was absolutely seamless. Rarely have I heard such an eclectic array of House music within one set, from one DJ. Neil is a class performer; no wonder Bedrock, Renaissance and Urbantorque have brought him on to their most prestigious stables.
In most respects this night was a success, but I have to tell you it’s still a struggle trying to get people off the name game and committed to a new fresher outlook on clubbing. Despite his vast experience within the UK club scene, Neil was and maybe still remains a relatively unknown talent within the Toronto market.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure this night turned a lot of people on to Neil and the funkier, more light hearted and fun (imo) side of house, but we still have a long way to go before the city’s clubbing faithful put their complete trust back into the promoter and the venue and not just DJ Mag’s Top 100 list.
This is the way it was back in my early Breathe days and it’s that kind of attitude and booking that still has me completely addicted to the music many, many years later. This is what we’re trying to build with EXPOSED.
Download (left-click and unzip):
Neil Quigley – EXPOSED.live pt.1 – November 2, 2007
Neil Quigley – EXPOSED.live pt.2 – November 2, 2007
Neil Quigley – EXPOSED.live pt.3 – November 2, 2007
EXPOSED: btb five-year anniversary w/ Ricky Ryan
I can’t believe it’s been five years since we first put bringthebeats online. The btb concept has always been from a ‘dance floor’ perspective; even our parties have remained relatively small, more intimate affairs. Until now… until EXPOSED.
I also can’t believe we’ve finally found a Toronto DJ that likes it as deep and funky as we do. Jeff Button is a serious breath of fresh air for us new school House lovers. To be able to walk into the room and not be immediately blown back on our heels by big banging beats is a dream for our crew. J Butts keeps it smooth and groovy and that’s exactly what we ordered for this very special night for bringthebeats.
The absolute bliss that came over all of us when Jeff handed the decks over to Ricky Ryan is almost indescribable. It’s not only about the beautiful music and high level skill that this South American wonder-boy possesses; it’s his purest of attitudes that makes him such a special person. He embraces all aspects of the scene and cherishes every moment he’s a part of it. In our opinion, he’s most definitely a cut above the rest and we were completely overjoyed to finally have him in a proper club atmosphere in Toronto.
I’ll steal a description of Ricky’s EXPOSED appearance from Andy Reid of NocturnalMagazine.net, because his 11-plus years in the biz and skills as a DJ / producer hold a whole hell of a lot of credibility.
‘EXPOSED continues it’s reign as the king of fresh and rising global talent as this week none other Ricky Ryan aka Can Costa touched down all the way from Argentina for his Toronto debut. This much anticipated appearance didn’t disappoint as Ricky drove through his trademark funky progressive sounds with dashes of dark tribal and crunchy tech-house thrown in for good measure…’
Really I couldn’t have said it any better, so I won’t. I’ll simply mention that this is surely not the last we’ll hear of this amazing talent in Toronto and expect even more from Ricky when he touches down on Canadian soil once again.
Be sure to check out the pics ►
Brad Copeland closed out the night and totally put together the perfect set following Ricky. He started off on a funky tip, but with a noticeable increase in pace for the late night floor dwellers. It quickly became super clubby and the hardcores totally ate it up.
I totally became overwhelmed by his versatility, as Brad transitioned into gritty Progressive and back to more melodic House. Maybe it was the harmony of the entire event that brought on such feelings, as I’ve always known Brad is a DJ that can play it all. But on this night there was something different, what he was doing up there seemed absolutely extraordinary to me.
We’ve yet to give Brad his full due at EXPOSED. With so many sounds and so many DJs lined up to play for the night, we haven’t had the chance to get Brad in the headline spotlight. But when we do, in January, expect some real floor filling stuff.
EXPOSED: Holosound
This was an excellent way to start off our guest appearances for EXPOSED. Despite some untimely bad weather The Mod Club dance floor was busy all night and the vibe was really fresh and full of energy. Jeff Button played a fantastic deep Progressive opener. He’s not afraid to play the warm-up role and properly set the tone for the headliners to come. We all really appreciate this patience and love hearing this dude’s overall DJ skills develop.
Brad Copeland stepped up earlier than intended and was forced to jump right off a plane and directly into the booth, something that’s never easy to do. Brad pulled it off like a complete professional and totally got the floor moving. All summer long he’s been blazing dance floors and this night was absolutely no different.
Our headliners NYC’s HOLOSOUND (Alex Fish and Noah Becker) had one hell of a trip to get Toronto. A three hour delay inside JFK and almost another two on the runway waiting to take off had the duo a little on edge as they made their way into the city. However, as soon as they walked into The Mod Club and took in the very comfortable EXPOSED atmosphere, they settled in and proceeded to drop the trademark ‘Illectro’ we’ve waited two years to hear live.
The set was a hybrid of all things House, Electro and Progressive; there were even some melodic Trance-like segments. It was definitely a much different composition than we’ve been hearing in Toronto clubs in recent months. I love the confidence they have in their selections; Alex and Noah’s enthusiasm behind the decks is proof to how comfortable they are when rocking the big room. We couldn’t have asked for a better premiere guest appearance.
Download (left-click and unzip):
HOLOSOUND – EXPOSED.live – August 24, 2007
Download the event’s promo mix (left-click and unzip):
Holosound – EXPOSED – August 2007
EXPOSED: Fridays at The Mod Club Theatre
That’s how you launch a night! A huge thank you to everyone who made it out to EXPOSED’s Grand Opening. The event was a huge success, as the place was hopping all evening and the vibe was unlike anything we’ve been within over the past several months.
Addy rocked it out for his beloved following and his fans energized the place in return. Neno also set the tone perfectly. Plus, The Mod Club proved to be the ideal backdrop, as expected.
Unfortunately the night didn’t go off without its fair share of hiccups, and we apologize to anyone who was negatively affected by the initial delay getting things started or with any other issue incurred throughout the event. We as a team see several ways in which we can improve the night, and truthfully, that’s just as exciting as the opening party itself.
Again, thanks to everyone who supporting the EXPOSED Grand Opening and we look forward to providing a proper end of the week release every Friday; one the Toronto underground most definitely deserves.
house.music.re-evolution
After months of preparation EXPOSED has finally launched! On Friday August 17th the official Grand Opening for EXPOSED at The Mod Club Theatre went down and completely off as expected!
For us it’s been since the early days of Breathe at System Soundbar. For others it’s been since the beginning with Industry or maybe the legendary 270 Spadina space and Boa-Redux. Regardless of wherever or whenever, for all of us, it’s been way to long that a Toronto club night be truly dedicated to the underground.
LIV Lifestyle Marketing, Energie Entertainment, NocturnalMagazine.net & Till The AM and bringthebeats have joined forces to put together a weekly event that’s not just about booking the big names… over and over and over again. EXPOSED is about bringing it – the music – back to the forefront once again.
EXPOSED hosts four distinct events each month. Four Fridays focused on pushing the boundaries and providing the fresh names in House music centre stage in a major market.
bringthebeats books the first event each month, presenting a Funky Progressive House sound that has been unjustly lacking within the Toronto club scene. The night will highlight talent from the sensational Feedback Bookings roster (… stay tuned), as well as many of the wicked DJs that have supported btb over the years. This most definitely includes our first two bookings, NYC’s Alex Fish & Noah Becker (Holosound) on August 24th and Edmonton’s Luke Morrison on September 7th.
Brad Copeland makes his long awaited return to a Toronto residency as the top jock for all bringthebeats’ bookings. Brad has been a number one at three of Canada’s all-time top underground venues: Stereo in Montreal, Atomic in Ottawa and System Soundbar in Toronto. We are extremely proud to have such an accomplished artist share the booth with our new and exciting guests.
Warming the room will be one of the city’s newest hot commodities, Jeff Button. All summer Jeff’s been rocking Sunset Sessions at The Docks’ ‘The Next Level’ with deep, sexy and soulful Progressive House. He’ll definitely ride this momentum into some memorable opening slots for EXPOSED.
Energie Entertainment is known for putting on some of the most stylish events in the city, showcasing some of Toronto’s most popular DJs. They have the biggest of them all lined up for the second Friday of each month.
For all who like to bang it out and bang it hard, the legendary DJ Addy is back in the saddle. Spinning with him is his own hand picked resident DJ Neno. Neno has been working with Addy for years and knows exactly how his crew likes to warm it up and cool it down.
The cornerstone of EXPOSED, LIV Lifestyle Marketing will be supporting the Tribal and Classic House sounds that fueled the Sonic, Boa-Redux and now Sunset Sessions faithful. Expect many appearances from within the world-renown Stereo Productions roster including Richie Santana in September. Addy will return as resident for these nights.
The mighty NocturnalMagazine.net & Till The AM round out EXPOSED each month
showcasing an array of Soulful Vocal House to Dirty Tech & Electro. Armed with residents Andy Reid and Simon Jain and with EDIT Bookings securing their guests, this crew is poised to make a major impact throughout the Toronto scene. Their first booking – the UK’s James Talk on August 31st – is a perfect example of the up front talent this team is supporting.
How great is EXPOSED’s venue? It’s so nice to be out of the congested downtown core of the Entertainment District and into the more mature, fashionable area of College St West. And of course… the space is built for music!
Host to one of the city’s longest running and most successful weekly events – ‘The World Famous’ The Mod Club Saturdays – as well as a rocking live-to-air on Thursdays – The Mod Club has been begging for a solid EDM night for Fridays. With proper VIP areas, a massive hardwood dance floor, front and centre DJ booth, spectacular visuals, big room audio, slick decor and overall sexy-and-sophisticated vibe, EXPOSED could not have found a better home.
www.EXPOSEDmusic.com is the place for everything EXPOSED, including event listings, guestlist, party pics, resident info, promo and live set downloads and much, much more. The site’s blog style will keep you informed on events to come and those that have already gone off! News and features on performing DJs will be available, as well as multiple ways to give us feedback. EXPOSED knows the opinions from the dance floor are The Most Important.
Join us at the underground’s next great venue every Friday night and party with the city’s hottest residents and emerging international guests. EXPOSED invites you to the The Mod Club Theatre and the re-evolution of House music in Toronto!
