London based producer TroyBoi has been taking over the internet and DJs’ sets for the past couple of years. His blend of experimental electronic sounds has made him one of the most highly regarded producers out. After much anticipation, Troy has finally hit the road for a full blown North American tour. The past weekend The Mantra Tour touched down in Toronto to set the 6 on fire.
Taking place at The Hoxton, the show’s scale was smaller than that of several other tour stops but that meant a greater sense of intimacy. As I walked into the venue just after midnight I heard a wave of excited screams signifying that TroyBoi had just taken the stage. As ‘Grimey’ began to engulf the venue, fans waited with an eager anticipation for the slow build to drop into the head-splitting sounds that they came for. Although the tour promised all TroyBoi music that still meant he’d be rinsing out his own remixes. ‘TTU’ delivered a devastating punch that made the venue feel like it was ready to explode. The energy was on 10 only 3 tracks in and the dance floor was teetering on a mosh pit. Troy smoothed things out a few cuts later with the garage inspired ‘And Wot’.
A large part of what makes TroyBoi’s music so impactful is the blend of beautiful, often ethereal soundscapes juxtaposed against his neck-breaking drops. ‘Don’t Be Judging (MJ Edition)’ embodied this to the fullest extent while ‘Medusa Dayz’ proved how much of animal Troy truly is. As he drifted throughout his set it became apparent that The Mantra Tour was really a testament to TroyBoi’s legendary catalog and a trip into Troy’s world. A sphere of spiritual undertones, distorted and deepened vocals, devastating drums and soul rattling bass. Taking the experience up even further were the incredible visuals and stellar dancers. The latter brought a variance of costumes and moves that were entrancing, engulfing and rousing.
You could tell how many true fans were in building; whether they were cheering after hearing a couple notes from the next record, singing along to familiar vocals (‘After Hours,’ ‘Wallz’ ‘ili’) or going hard as fuck on the dance floor. Troy incited the crowd over the mic with quick prompts and furthered the excitement by coming in front of the booth to slap hands and bust some dance moves to keep the party flowing. ‘O.G.’ crushed the club as expected and I’m pretty sure I witnessed a guy momentarily lose his mind to the insane funhouse sounds of ‘Do You Love Me’. TroyBoi also made sure to bring out long-time collaborator and fellow SoundSnob icekream for the fun.
As the night drew to a close TroyBoi ended things with the tour’s namesake track ‘Mantra’. The crystal bowl vibrations, exotic vocals and pulsating bass awakened a hypnotic hype that cast a spell over the crowd. As Troy thanked fans for the love he received, chants began to build asking for one more song. TroyBoi did not oblige but took the remaining time to hit the floor and chop it up with fans, snapping pics and having real conversations. It’s not often you see an artists taking the time at 2:00am to chat with their fans but it shows just how much Troy cares. If you’re lucky enough to have TroyBoi visiting your city, don’t miss a chance to take a trip into the world that is The Mantra Tour.
In addition to attending the show we has the honour of connecting with TroyBoi for an in depth conversation. Look out for the full video coming soon!
