THE DOUBLE RAINBOW EDITION!
îLESONIQ presented by Bell, Canada’s premiere dance music festival, unfolded last weekend, delighting the over 55,000 fans who gathered for their favourite EDM event of the year and this time, it came with a special gift from above!
On Saturday, under sunny blue skies, the festival kicked off with remarkable sets from Montreal’s own Fafa Khan and local dubstep rising star, Future Exit. When American DJ/producer, Subtronics, hit the Bell OASIS stage with his triumphant set, the sky opened up and poured down on the excited crowd, only to have a gorgeous double rainbow appear in the heavens just after. That set the stage for Congolese sensation GIMS who got the crowd chanting along to his Afro French anthems, performing live with his DJ and guitarist, enveloping the crowd with his unique voice. Headliner DJ Snake presided over the crowd like a king with the golden touch. With his hard-hitting beats and a huge catalog of hits to his name, Snake was launching fireballs in the air, kicking up the dust with ground-shaking frequencies and a killer set featuring endless fan favorites!
Over at the MIRAGE stage, the sweet sounds of house and melodic techno were punctuated with dazzling performances by it's murph and Green Velvet b2b Patrick Topping, plus Ukrainian DJ Miss Monique’s selection gave festivalgoers a taste of euphoria, while Anna’s hypnotic beats were like pure butter, and Ben Böhmer’s live performance struck just the right chord, whisking the mesmerized crowd on a cosmic sonic journey.
Over at the Cola-Cola NEON stage, Vladimir Cauchemar delivered a set of unmistakable, hard-as-nails French touch that had the crowd chanting for more. Special guest Wooli (who always shows the adoring Montreal crowd so much love) came in like a stampede, laying down a set of pummeling bass tracks that attracted an absolutely massive crowd. Sub Focus and Dimension then took that crowd to drum and bass paradise, pulling in hits from all over the dial and mixing ‘em back into their signature style.
Sunday was another gem, with a fantastic set to start the day from local duo Ghetto Birds, who took flight along with Mike Demero on the Bell OASIS stage. Despite tumultuous skies, Aussie phenomenon Timmy Trumpet got the crowd moving to his brassy beats, and when the squall came, no one minded, making way for Canadian party legends Loud Luxury played to an adoring crowd who couldn’t get enough of the hits. Zedd’s magic hour set under darkening skies was epic, mixing bass house with pure pop bliss, driving the crowd into a frenzy. The godfather himself, Tiësto, took the party to the next level: under bright fireworks, the EDM pioneer took control, blessing the crowd with bangers and stunning visuals as the dancefloor moved in waves - an incredible full-circle moment for the very first DJ ever booked at the festival!
On the Coca-Cola NEON stage, Italian duo Giolì & Assia got the party moving, while Lilly Palmer laid down razor sharp techno, and German producer Paul Kalkbrenner (also a big screen star from the film Berlin Calling) crafted his own gorgeous collection of warm and expansive electronic music, soaring out over the crowd.
The MIRAGE stage was a vibe all its own, with fire sets from Montreal favourites, Level Up and Virtual Riot, who, true to the name, caused a ruckus, while Masterhand’s closing performance was epic! Flames, moshpits and smiling faces. What more could a bass fan ask for! NGHTMRE b2b Jauz threw some hip hop classics and cutting edge trap into their rare onstage collaboration that had the crowd going totally crazy, chanting for more.