BC bred producer and DJ Ekali took the industry by storm in 2016. Closing the year off strong, Ekali took his Autumn tour across North America. On Friday, he touched down in Toronto alongside Electric Mantis. The can’t miss show saw Velvet Underground set on fire.
I rolled in just after 11:30. After heading downstairs to coat check, I made my way towards the stage. To my surprise, the stage was illuminated by a golden man bun, signaling that Electric Mantis had already begun his set. Mantis heated things up nicely, blending familiar sounds with his signature forward-thinking future bass. Herobust’s ‘Broccoli’ flip had fans singing along while his originals reminded everyone of his unique talent. Tracks like ‘Daybreak,’ ‘Apollo’ and his breakout release ‘Flip Flops and Drip Drops’ filled the venue with rolling melodic waves and crashing bass. Throughout the set he brought serious energy, dancing and moving about with a big smile on his face. Other standouts includes his ‘Fake Love’ flip and his closer, Mura Masa’s massive Kanye remix ‘Nothing’.
Ekali took the stage with a keen concentration. An ethereal and drawn out intro had anticipation at its peak. Providing the perfect release, came the familiar lyrics and bass from his ‘Threatz’ remix. It was this blend of atmospheric and ignorant that the night was built upon. Cuts like ‘Smoke and Retribution,’ ‘I Can’t Lie’ and ‘Supernatural’ did so automatically, but the additions of A$AP Ferg, Kendrick Lamar and Freddie Gibbs provided a gritty contrast to some of the smoother electronic tracks. Any good DJ knows that the classics always kill. Proving this, Ekali pulled out trap classics from TNGHT, RL Grime and even slipped in ‘Express Yourself’. Ensuring things stayed fresh, he also blessed us with an unreleased monster with a tribal undertone (presumably his upcoming collab with KRNE). Ekali had the entire venue in the palm of his hand, pulling at their heart strings one minute and the destroying them with rawness the next. His transitions were seamless and evidently well thought out. He took time in between breaks to engage with the crowd without disrupting the flow. As he capped the night off, he rode out to his own take on Flux Pavilions classic ‘I Can’t Stop’. A fitting end for a set where Ekali truly couldn’t stop killing it.
