On Friday (Jan. 30th), two of Toronto’s finest electronic music acts returned home for a show that was nothing short of incredible. Thugli and Grandtheft took over The Hoxton; one of the best clubs in the city. If you haven’t been to the venue I’d suggest you take a trip as soon as possible. Relatively small in size, it allows for intimate shows that are always packed but never overcrowded. The night got off to a strong start with up-and-coming Toronto producer/DJ Pusher. Though he’s becoming well known for his video game inspired, up-beat future bass, the DJ showed his versatility rinsing out a wide range of music. From a dope flip of Ludacris’ ‘Party Girls’ to RL Grime, Alison Wonderland, Jai Wolf, Loudpvck and more. That’s not to say he didn’t find time to play out a few ridiculously cheery future bass grooves. I’ve been a huge fan and supporter of the genre but it was my first time seeing it pop off in the club. I was pleased to see how well received the sound was, with people grinning ear-to-ear and swaying to the serotonin inducing vibes. As Pusher’s set came to a close, Thugli geared up as the crowd continued to pour in.
The Toronto duo wasted no time giving a quick introduction to the crowd and moving into some heat. Watching them DJ is truly a pleasure. They are one of the few duos in the industry that actually spin on two separate sets of turntables. It makes for an interesting performance that allows for greater flexibility. The space between seems great but their chemistry and skill make it seem almost non-existent. Throughout the set you can see them jumping back and forth for a quick word, throwing each other hand signals or even yelling across stage to make sure every mix is perfect. The set was high energy and rooted in hip-hop/trap but saw many directions. Their ‘FuckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt’ remix had everyone in the house singing along. The energy carried into ‘TTU’ which they expertly mixed the vocals into ‘DJ Turn It Up (TIGHTTRAXX & ETC!ETC! Remix)’ and then completely annihilated the club with twerk anthem ‘Bap U’. Tapping into their hip-hop roots they played club classics like ‘Ruff Ryder Anthem’ and ‘Move Bitch’. After a few more trap bangers they moved into a house section that was deeper than a d-bags v-neck. Memorable tracks included ‘Cruise Control’ and Scotty Boy Lozenzo’s ‘Coke Diet’. Coming out of the depths they got into a short section of hard house which had the club jumpin’. As a cloud of sweet smoke began to engulf the venue it seemed perfectly fitting that Thugli dropped a section dedicated to the smokers, mixing ‘We Dem Boyz’ into ‘The Next Episode’ and Thugger’s ‘Stoner’. As their set came to a close they went out with a bang dropping their ‘Boy Oh Boy’ and ‘Hella Hoes’ remixes. All in all this was one of the best sets I’ve seen in a long time and proved that Thugli are among the most talented DJ duos in the business.
The expectations were set immensely high from the previous two sets but Grandtheft wasn’t phased, delivering a stellar set in his own right. Known for his complete disregard for genres, his set flowed effortlessly across bpms and styles (even including some jersey club). A number of his well known remixes (‘0 to 100’, ‘Summer’, ‘Sweet Nothing’, ‘Studio’) got major love and sing alongs from the crowd. Demonstrating his ability to mix in new tracks with ease, Grandtheft slipped in Big Sean & Drake’s ‘Blessings’, a track which dropped less than 24 hours prior. Moving into some deep house the DJ dropped Zed Dead’s ‘Lost You’ as the duo came to the front of the stage to turn up to it. It was incredible to see so many of Toronto’s finest showing love and having fun on stage. Grandtheft perfectly balanced fan interaction with champagne sipping and putting in serious work on the decks; always making sure that the perfect transition or mash-up was top priority. Speaking of mash-ups he dropped quite a few that impressed including a banging blend of TNGHT’s ‘Higher Ground’ with Kanye’s ‘Get Em High’. That was definitely a highlight (sorry). A final moment that can’t be overlooked was when the DJ dropped the Lion King’s ‘Circle of Life’ into RL Grime’s ‘Core’ truly proving that other DJs don’t do the shit that he do.
All in all it was an amazing night for Toronto music. Pusher proved to be a promising talent to watch, Thugli nearly stole the show and Grandtheft proved why he’s one of Canada’s finest. If you have the chance to see any one of these incredible acts be sure to jump as they do not disappoint.
