Piknic Electronik Beats All
Masomenos. Piknic Electronik. June 15 2014. Photo Fernando Landin.
Every summer, there are two sorts of Montrealers: those that go to the tams and those that go to Piknic. Okay, so there are a few who switch it up, but you can’t be at both at once. The tams are all hippy dippy, beating drums and Ren Faire types practicing their swordsmanship, the mountain full of people. Piknic is full of beats — electronic ones. There’s mad dancing but fewer swords and plenty of hippy raver types.
Piknic Electronik. June 15 2014. Photo Fernando Landin.
vs.
Montreal Tam Tams. Photo by Annie Shreeve
Piknic runs from May to September (with companion Igloofest in January). The first wave of performers for May-June is already up on site, so here are some of the daily reasons you should go to Piknic this summer.
May 17
Mano Le Tough (Niall Mannion) — This Irish DJ headed to Berlin where he produces his work that has sent him round the world. Think disco meets house meets atmosphere and you’ve got his sound. He runs a monthly party in Berlin and makes one sexy party. Check him out on May 17, 6:30 p.m.
May 18
Maya Jane Coles. London homegirl DJ, audio engineer, and producer. She’s young and hits the centre-of-the-earth with her deep house sound. Very clubby. Check her out on May 18 at 7:30 p.m.
May 24
Scuba, aka Paul Rose, runs Hotflush Records, which is home to a number of other awesome DJs including the internet-shy South London Ordnance. Scuba turns techno into a ’90s alternative broodfest, adding darker elements, introspective sounds, and haunting vocals. Check Hotflush Recordings out on May 24 starting at 5 p.m.
June 7
All the world loves UK DJ Damian Lazarus who never stops experimenting with his sound. Expect him to throw in tracks from every genre of music, creating an entirely independent, underground style that is his own. Damian Lazarus comes June 7.
June 13
Don’t just Piknic at Parc Jean Drapeau. Head to Parc des Amériques for Piknic Fringe. Starting at 1 p.m., Gamache, Acronym & Mnjivr, and Dimitri will make the beer tent sizzle. It’s free!
June 14
Daniel Bortz from Germany puts the bounce in the club. Bass, groove, and more bass anyone?
June 28
Francis Oak is a local boy make good in the beat scene. Though you can catch him around the city at Bleury-Bar a Vinyle frequently enough, he still knows how to mix things in a way that feels oh so good.
Piknic Electronik takes place at Parc Jean Drapeau on Sundays from May 17 to Sept 27, from 2 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. $15 ($10 between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.), season pass $100/75.
