Frivolous
AKA (Fovus Loîr)
// DJ // Producer
"With more than 40 releases and over a dozen 12"s to his name, Frivolous has toured the globe playing an eclectic array of venues and festivals along the way. His live shows have been hailed for their energy, originality and ingenuity as he's taken the stage next to some of the most respected names in the business.
Never compromising the art of showman-ship, these spectacles feature live keyboards and vocals as well as the incorporation of his DIY aesthetic.
Integrating homemade devices such as the "Frivolous Patented Electromagnetic knife", the "Broken-Ruler Music Box" and the Double "Cable-Tub" Bass, his sets are injected with a sense of fantasy, imagination and personality scarcely found elsewhere in modern electronic dance music."
Esmi-Villa
//DJ
Born 1987 in Lenningrad USSR, Natalia Konosh aka Esmi-Villa isn't a Deejay that you'd expect to find amongst the good-ol-boys of west-coast crate diggers who have built a following here. As the collapse of the Soviet Union left a rebellious and hopeful youth digesting alternative culture as fast as the west could deliver it, Techno clubs became a way for a new generation to exercise their social rights. Amongst these familiar faces of hope and hedonism was a teenaged 'Esmi Villa', who's devotion to electronic music led her to meet, and later marry, a touring musician from Canada. Together with her husband they returned to Canada's west-coast in 2013. Now a resident of Gabriola Island, Esmi Villa's personal musical vision has been gaining strength as her skills behind the decks begin to mature. Incorporating Indie-House, Bass-Music, and Minimal-EDM elements into a genre bending collage which she delivers with confidence and class, Esmi-Villa is one to watch out for this coming year as she tears up local stages, and exclusive out-door parties on the West-Coast and abroad.
Bendy
AKA (Super Bendy Thumbs)
// DJ
The love of dance music is strong with Bendy, who began his life long record collecting journey at age 14. By age 20 he had his own radio show in Hamilton, Ontario, where he spent the following 4 years developing his interests in various styles of quality sounds, namely brit-pop moving towards house music. A move to the west coast in 2001 turned his focus towards DJing, and he’s continued to fill dance floors ever since.
Like many who crave the knowledge of house music’s origins, he started to delve into disco, and discovered an instant love for the deeper grooves. Despite calling himself a “picky old codger who plays music that makes me want to dance”, crowds continue to adore his every selection, making him a highly sought after DJ for music festivals, night clubs and private parties.
Keep an eye out for Bendy at Lucky Bar in Victoria BC for his legendary nights, Bendy's Boogie.
Lito Ford
//DJ
Full time mama of sassy twins, part time disco dancing record collector, Lito Ford enjoys every opportunity to provide music for her friends.
From making mix tapes with her mum’s record collection as a child, to browsing record stores through her teens, to inheriting a life changing record collection and discovering the internet (read: discogs), there has seldom been a time in her 33 years when records are far from reach.
Over the last 20 years of listening to electronic music, one of the most highly influential discoveries arrived with the 2004 release of Morgan Geist’s ‘Unclassics’ album: the introduction of Italo Disco to Lito Ford. The instant love prompted a musical journey that continues to grow to this day.
When asked to explain the difference between mainstream disco and her much preferred underplayed gems of the late 70’s and early 80’s, her response is simple: “There’s disco, and there’s disco. I play disco”.
Andrew Allsgood
//DJ
Andrew Allsgood is a natural born party rocker. The Toronto native and west coast tranplant DJ / Producer has been turning heads, opening ears and making bodies move for 20 years.
His skills, impeccable selections and fine-tuned ability to read the crowd have landed him gigs in the most innovative of Toronto clubs, with residencies at Glide, Synchro and Fascination (his long running monthly slot and one of the first electro and nu-disco nights in Canada).
2006 Allsgood released a 3 EP series of mash ups on his pop up, Get Off Records. He followed this with two more EPs of deep, dubby, mid-tempo space disco on Toronto's Truffle Music. Andrew then continued on to release disco EP Pigs In Space and the blues soaked Raise It On Down. Followed yet again by his Macho Wizard EP on acclaimed London label History Clock, which received glowing reviews, much blog love and plenty of club play by international club jocks.
His recent Free Association project saw another highly acclaimed run of 3 records containing edits of electronic music ranging from African precussive workouts to disco. Free Association has also released on Friendly Monster and the revered Common Edit label.
Keep your eyes open and your ears peeled as you'll be seeing a lot more of Andrew Allsgood.