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Festival Fever: Escapade Music Festival

May 9, 2012

Escapade Music Festival – June 30th / July 1st – Ottawa

Make sure to use promo code djmag2012 on your ticket purchase for your chance for you and a friend to WIN a meet & greet package with a headliner and to have both your GA tickets upgraded to VIP!!!

VENUE CHANGE – OTTAWA STADIUM

Welcome back to Festival Fever, your weekly stop featuring Canada’s best and some of the world’s biggest electronic music events. This week we are heading into the Nation’s Capital to learn all about Escapade Music Festival. Brought to you by DNA Presents, this two day affair is garnering loads of attention and assures to be one of the hottest parties this Canada Day weekend. Until now, only single day EDM events have ever taken place in the Ottawa area and for the very first time this year, an electronic dance music festival will take place over the course of two days, June 30 and July 1. Although many large festivals are setting the pace throughout Canada this year, Escapade seemingly has the potential to pull to the front of the pack with 15 000 tickets available and almost half already sold.  Photo from Escapade 2011 by Alexander Vlad.

Every year hundreds of thousands of proud Canadians make the trip to Ottawa for Canada Day. July 1^st is by far the busiest day of the year in this growing metropolis. Over one million people regularly flood downtown for Canada’s birthday. For years, a significant lack of Canada day events targeting a younger generation had become apparent and the ball finally started to roll for Escapade Music Festival to eventually fill that void. Marquis Group and Projekt Events (before they merged to berth DNA Presents) worked relentlessly to create this extravagant event that would not only attract EDM lovers but all music fans alike with over the top productions, great service, amazing ambience and most of all, experiences that would excite all your senses. Keeping all this in perspective, DNA has committed to growing the EDM scene in Ottawa which is a mandate they have clearly been achieving.

DNA Presents has been consistently pushing the growth of EDM in Ottawa and throughout eastern Ontario with a long list of successful events. With both Marquis Group and Projekt Events joining forces to create DNA, the wealth of experience this company possesses is tremendous. More recently, fans in Ottawa have been presented with a steady stream of international headliners, one after another. Tirelessly putting on shows featuring the biggest names in the industry, DNA has clearly defined themselves as a leader in the field. The popularity of dance music is now more prevalent than ever before and this strong, dedicated team has been there every step of the way to ensure fans in Ottawa do not miss out on the fastest growing sector of the music industry.  Laidback Luke at Escapade 2011, photo by Alexander Vlad.

In 2010, the inaugural edition of Escapade featured a highly anticipated performance by one of Canada’s greatest talents, Deadmau5. An empty downtown parking lot was converted into a concert venue with gates, washrooms, a full blown stage and even VIP sections. Not only did fans party while listening to Joel Zimmerman’s stellar set but a solid cast of local talent also helped keep the vibe high by taking to the decks. Success was immediate, and it was clear the fans in Ottawa had been waiting a long time for this type of affair to finally be taking place. The anticipation leading up to this event itself was phenomenal, when evening came the fans could see the Canada Day fireworks in the sky overhead, making it that much more memorable. To say the least, Escapade was born with flair.

Last year festival goers were privileged enough to not only hear one international headliner but three. Tiesto, currently ranked 3^rd in DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs Poll, played an amazing set on his first trip to Ottawa as part of his Canadian tour. Laidback Luke also threw down in the evening time slot with his incredible mixing skills and no regard for genres, switching seamlessly from house and progressive to hip hop and throwing down some of the hardest drops of the day.  Luke was followed by Calvin Harris who took the decks for the night time slot, keeping fans partying until close to midnight. The second edition of Escapade was even more successful than the first, leading to a large base of committed fans. This festival has attained a great amount of success over a short period and is clearly destined for more growth.  Laidback Luke rocks the Canadian flag at Escapade 2011, photo by Alexander Vlad.

 Along with the accomplishments came growth and with capacity nearly being reached last year, there is no doubt the need for a bigger venue was one of many things on DNA’s agenda. They have outdone themselves once again by announcing that Escapade 2012 will be taking place at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum, a beautiful property located in Rockliffe and only a 10 minute drive from downtown Ottawa. This immense property includes ample space to set up the three unique stages being constructed, two of which will feature separate VIP viewing areas. The Main Stage, sponsored by Heineken, will host some of the biggest names in the industry over the course of the weekend. The second stage, sponsored by Jagermeister, will be known as The Pulse Stage for Saturday and the Bassmentality Stage on Sunday. Fittingly on Saturday this stage will be trance oriented and on Sunday the heavy bass artists will be found dropping massive sets here. Last but not least, the Oh Canada Stage will be located near the main gate and a long list of Canadian talent, including local DJs, will be playing. There will be multiple food outlets in place, full service bars, merchandise stands and a well equipped first aid station. Festival goers who opt for the VIP ticket will have the option of ordering bottle service to tables in the VIP sections as well as entering through a separate entrance gate for streamlined access. DJ Mag Canada will be on site both days, come find us and say hello. Tickets are selling fast, if you haven’t purchased yours yet get them here before it’s too late.  Make sure to use promo code djmag2012 on your ticket purchase for your chance for you and a friend to WIN a meet & greet package with a headliner and to have both your GA tickets upgraded to VIP!!!  

VENUE CHANGE – OTTAWA STADIUM

 On Saturday the Oh Canada stage will open up with a set by local resident Kid SL followed by solid line up of Canadian talent including Projekt 46 (these guys are killing it right now, head over to beatport to pick up their #1 hit Reasons), Paris & Simo, Joe Ghost and Scott James. The Pulse stage will open up with the sounds of DJ EMM and Invalid, followed by appearances by Max Graham, Ben Gold and Marcus Schossow. Many artists scheduled to play Escapade this year are fresh off performances at Ultra Music Festival, Marcus being one of them. The Pulse Stage will close up with a performance by Aly and Fila, an Egyptian trance duo with a successful weekly internet radio show. They have played alongside Armin Van Buuren a number of times and are currently ranked 22 in DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs Poll. The Main Stage will open up with a solid set by Mister Parker, a local resident DJ who has been at the craft for over 12 years now. Stay tuned to the website for Mister Parker’s upcoming DJ Mag Canada Podcast. He will surely set the tone for the remainder of the day which will include sets by Manufactured Superstars and Cazzette with a performance by fan favourite Nadia Ali to follow. Chuckie will take the stage with his dirty dutch sound and is sure to get the crowd pumped with his energetic style. Sander van Doorn will follow, fresh off the release of his massive summer anthem Nothing Inside.  After him the young Alesso will drop a set of his own mega hits. A rare appearance by Eric Prydz will definitely impress, anyone who likes his music knows how much of a rare treat this really will be. Almost every artist playing the Main Stage throughout the weekend is currently voted within DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs Poll including the headliner for the evening on Saturday who is ranked 6 in the world. Avicii, will grace the stage with a long anticipated appearance having not played in Ottawa since spring of 2011, just before the world of stardom fell upon him. With “Levels” being announced the most played track in the world for 2011 and several other huge singles under his belt his set will captivate the crowd and setup the next day perfectly.  Avicii is pictured below at Ultra Music Festival, photo by Drew Barton.

 

By Canada Day morning the fans will be looking forward to getting the party started. The Oh Canada Stage will once again be featuring the sounds of Canadian DJs including Medley, DJ TDot, BZRK, Marco G, Royce & Tan, Connor Cutz and Overwerk. DNA has teamed up with Bass Mentality, a leader in the Canadian dubstep scene founded by the Killabits and Zeds Dead, and they have created the Bass Mentality Stage. The heavy bass featured here is sure to attract many fans as it starts up with local artists JC Boom and Bass Machines. Vilify, Bold Equation, Dillon Francis and Kill the Noise will also have their turns to keep the vibe alive with some world class bass. Killabits and Zeds Dead will be dropping sets before Excision comes on to close out the night. Excision hails from British Columbia and is a rapidly rising star on the dubstep scene.  His signature sound takes influence from the morphing bass lines of drum and bass, the aggressive energy of heavy metal, and the laid back vibes of hip hop. If you like bass, make sure you check out his set you won’t be let down.

Over on the main stage an Ottawa success story will open up the music with Ariyan taking to the stage. Ariyan played Escapade last year and since then has been travelling North America playing gigs in some of the hottest clubs. Of late, he has been playing gigs regularly at Pacha in NYC and was invited to play a set at Nikki Beach in Miami during the Winter Music Conference this year. His loyal following of fans will likely take note of his return to Escapade and the party will step into high gear the moment he presses play. The female Swedish duo Rebecca & Fionna play next with the high energy of Tommy Trash lined up after them. R3HAB makes his return to Ottawa after having played here just months ago at the inaugural Pulse event, and fan favorite Thomas Gold will likely follow him with a set full of uplifting summer tracks. Another artist returning to Ottawa after having recently played here is Gareth Emery. Currently ranked 13 in DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs Poll and a huge list of hit singles under his belt, he will keep the fans feet moving until Dada Life takes over. Another Swedish duo consisting of Olle Corneer and Stefan Engblom, these two have a distinct style which will setup perfectly for the headliner of the evening. Nick Van de Wall a.k.a Afrojack will be closing down the Main Stage with his mega hits. Born and raised in the Netherlands, he is currently ranked 7 in the world according to DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs Poll. We recently caught up with Nick and a few others at Ultra Music Festival in Miami, check out the video here.  Quote from the video: “Canada I love you, you guys are fucking insane, I’m going to come back soon and party with you guys I love you” -Afrojack.  He is all about pleasing the crowd and pushing the limits with new sounds and styles, his performance is very highly anticipated, making his way back to Ottawa for the first time since he destroyed Pure lounge in Hull in the spring of 2011.  If you are a fan of EDM and happen to be anywhere near Ottawa for Canada Day, we strongly suggest you make it to Escapade Music Festival for this impecable selection of international talent. Check out the poster below.

 

It is not every day fans have the opportunity to experience this level of talent in one place. Escapade is not only a celebration of our favorite artists but also our beloved country therefore the atmosphere is sure to remain positive and energetic. There is no better way to spend two sunny days than surrounded by beautiful people, all your favorite music and that feeling of unity that only an electronic music festival can bring. Knowing DNA and the perseverance they put into this event, there will likely be lots of production surprises over the weekend, and we are STOKED to see what they have in store.

Make sure to use promo code djmag2012 on your ticket purchase for your chance for you and a friend to WIN a meet & greet package with a headliner and to have both your GA tickets upgraded to VIP!!!

Here is a little video to help get you in the mood in case you’re not already vibrating with excitement like we are..

Next Week we head to Quebec City and learn all about Eclipse Summer Electronic Music Festival. An outdoor festival with camping on site taking place from July 27 – July 30 with a load of international headliners already scheduled to play. Come back next week to hear all about it.

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Use the comment section below to tell us who you’re most excited to see for your chance to win a limited edition DJ Mag tshirt! (you must be signed into facebook to comment)

If you know of any Canadian or International electronic music festivals we should be covering, please email Stef at festivals@djmag.ca.

See you next week!

Stef Abrek