îLESONIQ PRESENTED BY BELL IN COLLABORATION WITH BUD LIGHT

PHASE 1 OF THE LINEUP IS HERE!

Passes on sale this Friday, February 18 at noon

îLESONIQ, Canada's most influential dance event, is back to celebrate its 7th edition next summer and the lineup is finally here! The 3-day non-stop dance party will take place August 5-7, 2022 at Espace 67 on Montreal's picturesque Île Sainte-Hélène, with îLESONIQ en ville to launch the festivities in the city on August 4.

In addition to previously announced headliner Swedish House Mafia (who are only playing two North American festivals - îLESONIQ and Coachella), the îLESONIQ team has put together a stellar lineup of DJs and performers that will have the crowd in electronic rapture for 3 days straight - including several artists from the LGBTQIA2+ community, as well as the presence of female artists on each of the stages each day. The îLESONIQ family always strives to put together an inclusive event, where fans are encouraged to express themselves and to come as they are. The festival will continue to expand in exciting and diverse ways in the years to come!  

îLESONIQ 2022 PHASE 1 LINEUP :

Friday's lineup includes legendary Eric Prydz, who quickly gained notoriety as one of the world's most sought-after DJs early in his career and who continues to prove why he is at the top of the list. The versatile producer and DJ solidified his status as one of the all-time greats, winning DJ of the Year at the Electronic Music Awards in 2017, and playing to sold out crowds all over the world. Prydz hasn't rocked a Montreal stage since 2015, but that will all change when he headlines day 1 at îLESONIQ 2022.

Australian DJ/Producer and house music megastar, FISHER, will be on hand as well to turn the party up to eleven! The Grammy winner will unleash his own special brand of crowd control, with his signature brand of house music that will make fans freak out, left, right and center. Also on Friday, German DJ/Composer Ben Böhmer will serenade the sky; his Anjunadeep label-mate Ilan Bluestone, will make his triumphant return to his favourite city (to give back to a crowd that has been so supportive of him over the years); and UK drum & bass act, Koven, will move the crowd with powerful vocals that will surely stop fans in their tracks.

Saturday will be a special day, with two of the world's biggest bass acts performing an extremely rare B2B set. Illenium B2B Excision is reason in itself to attend this year's fest! The îLESONIQ team is thrilled to be able to present this set - a Canadian first - as it is one of those rare events that has only ever happened a few times in the past.

Saturday is also the day for hip-hop fans, with can't-miss performances from the likes of dancehall legend Sean Paul, who'll surely raise the temperature with his imperial blaze and all-in pop sensibilities; Gunna, who'll prove why he is the hottest hip-hop star on the planet right now; and American rapper Coi Leray, who has captivated the entire globe as a TikTok phenomenon with the massive success of her song, Twinnem.

Sunday's lineup is a juggernaut, with the much heralded return of Swedish House Mafia to the stage. Beloved DJ duo, Louis The Child, who colour their pop/EDM with shimmering tones and dreamy sounds; melodic house champion Lane 8 who will be taking the stage in support of his brand new album, Reviver - easily his most dance-floor focused album yet; Wooli, representing the ever evolving dubstep movement; and Markus Schulz, the globetrotting German DJ who will be performing a sunset set, which will undoubtedly bring the crowd into a euphoric state on the last day of a full weekend of ecstatic fun.

GENERAL ADMISSION 3-DAY PASS 

starting at $295 CAD (taxes and service fees included)

RBCXMUSIC GOLD 3-DAY PASS

starting at $500 CAD (taxes and service fees included)

RBCxMusic GOLD PASS holders will have access to the RBCxMusic GOLD Terrace, a platform offering a premium view of the main stage, with access to private washrooms, an exclusive beverage stand and a fast-lane entry onto the event grounds.

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Stay tuned as many more acts are to be announced in the upcoming weeks!

The team behind îLESONIQ presented by Bell in collaboration with Bud Light would like to extend a huge thank you to fans, numerous sponsors and public partners, including : Bell, Bud Light, RBCxMusic, Bacardí, Monster Energy, Coca-Cola, the Government of Quebec through the Ministry of Tourism and the Secretariat for the Metropolitan Region, as well as Tourisme Montréal for their continuous support.

NOMDECODE SPARTACUS X CANADIANRAVERS [STORY BEHIND THE NAME, DJ INSPIRATION, BIGGEST SUPPORTER]

Inspired by the French Wave of the 1990s, Nomdecode Spartacus are Parisien Duo Simon Beaudoux and Martin Chourrout (of Exsonvaldes and Ravages) both on a mission to bring filtered basslines and hypnotic grooves back to both the dance floor and the street alike.

THE INTERVIEW

CR: Hello Simon and Martin, Glad to have you on Canadianravers how are you doing?

NS: Very great actually! We just released our second single “Hum Hum” and it is really satisfying to bring this project to life, as it has been on our minds for quite some time now. We are also very happy to release a track that pays tribute to our French Touch and French House roots.

CR: Tell us a little bit about yourselves, what is the story behind the name ‘Nomdecode Spartacus’?

NS: Nomdecode Spartacus is a project we created to fulfill our need to create more electronic music (we already write French pop music together under the name Ravages). The name is a reference to the Stanley Kubrick movie starring Kirk Douglas. At first we wanted to call ourselves “I Am Spartacus” but we then decided that we needed to have some French words in our name too, so that’s were “Nom de code” (Codename, in French) comes from.

CR: Growing up were there any artists who inspired you into becoming a Producer/DJ?

NS: The whole French Touch wave that hit when we were in Middle school and High school: Daft Punk of course, Air, Cassius, Etienne de Crecy and then a bit later Soulwax (who like us came from an indie-rock background) and Alan Braxe or Digitalism. Also, some classic House, and maybe some New Order or OMD. More recently maybe Caribou, Marek Hemann or Christian Loffler. We listen to a lot of music and electronic music has always been a big influence for us, even if we couldn’t express it as much as we wanted in our previous project.

Also, I think we need to confess an unconditional love for Miami Sound Machine’s “Dr. Beat”.

CR: Your recent track ‘Hum Hum’ got a little funk to the beat, tell us a little bit about the producing process, as well where did the inspiration come from?

NS: We recently got a new studio in Paris and we were experimenting with it. From what I remember the song almost wrote itself! We tried to put ourselves in the mindset of those artists from the 90s who didn't work with computers and were digging for loops as songstarters. We found a funk sample that we tweaked and built the track from there. We ended up replaying it after a whole because it wasn’t giving us everything we needed, but the spirit from the 90s was there :)

 CR: For your tracks is there a method you follow or just create based on playing around with the instruments to get that right sound?

NS: With Spartacus it can start with a beat, a sample, a word. There’s no rule really, we just need it to be fun. If it’s not, we start over! Also, we like to listen to a lot of old tracks and find ideas for directions to follow.

CR: Who has been your biggest supporter since your guys started your producing career?

NS: Definitely our Record Label and publishers from London, DRRT Records and North Note. 

We had some tracks for years on our hard drives and didn’t know what to do with them. We needed someone to give us the motivation to push these ideas further and they were the ones to do it. Also, they always have great input and we really trust their opinion. We’ve been handling most of our projects ourselves for years and it’s fun for once to have someone to give us feedback and help us think about the next steps, the image of the band, etc.

CR: If you had the chance to play an opening set for any artist around the world, who would it be and where would it be?  

NS: Soulwax. Or Daft Punk if they ever play again! 

CR: What has been your biggest accomplishment of 2021 personally and professionally?

NS: Releasing Nomdecode Spartacus’ first single “Work Out”, of course. Also being able to play live, after 2 years without any live show.

CR: You guys are busy as it is, what do you like to do during your downtime? 

Simon: I like to bike around Paris, cook, go to the movies, but most of my free time is dedicated to taking care of my two sons (1 and 6).

Martin: Cook, listen to the radio, go swimming, hang out with my girlfriend or some friends… That question is harder than the other ones :)

CR: What are some of your goals for 2022, anything our followers should know about?

NS: 2022 will see more music from Spartacus, for sure. Even an album, maybe. And a live show.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Texting or talking?

Simon: Talking

Martin: depends on the people on the other end

Coffee or tea?

Simon: Coffee

Martin: Tea, no milk no sugar

Hard liquor or Wine?

Simon: French wine!

Martin: Wine. Liquor makes me sick.

Cake or pie?

Simon : Pie

Martin : I’m not sure about the difference

Hot dogs or hamburgers?

Simon : Hamburgers

Martin : Depends on the context. For instance : in Germany: Hot Dog. In the US: Burger.

Xbox or PlayStation?

Simon : Game Boy

Martin : Super Nintendo

Movie theatre or arcade?

Simon : Movie

Martin: Young me: Arcade, Now Me: Movie Theater

Guitar or piano?

Simon : Guitar

Martin : Piano

Marvel or DC Comics?

Simon : DC

Martin : not sure about the difference…

Dog or cat? 

Simon : Cat

Martin : not sure about the… Cat

Hot weather or cold weather?

Simon : Hot

Martin : Definitely hot weather 

CONNECT WITH NOMDECODE SPARTACUS

FEATHER LINKS UP WITH SINATRA & LUMA TO DROP SENSATIONAL NEW SINGLE, 'LET GO'

NOW AVAILABLE TO STREAM ACROSS ALL PLATFORMS

Returning to the release radar, up-and-coming producer Feather pairs up with emerging, Nashville-based talent Sintra to deliver new propelling single ‘Let Go’, featuring vocalist Luma. The latest offering directly follows Feather’s December collaboration with Badnights, ‘Wasted Time’ and Sintra’s official remix of 44hydra’s single ‘Stylin’. Gearing Feather for his biggest year-to-date, ‘Let Go’ is now available to stream across all platforms.

‘Let Go’ immediately invites listeners into a sultry, diaphanous sonic atmosphere with Luma’s emotive vocals taking the focal point. The breathtaking vocal cut is directly paired with propelling production sensibilities, providing an irresistibly addictive melody, exploding with a hooking beat. The captivating offering’s carefully crafted soundscape and Luma’s graceful vocals position the single for dominating the charts and taking over as a dancefloor pleaser. The flawless addition to Feather and Sintra’s discography serves as an alluring fusion of their respective signature sounds, proving their undeniable talent.

Alongside the release of “Let Go”, Feather will unveil a collection of free NFTs as a thank you to his fans. Anyone who pre-saves any of Feather’s upcoming singles will be sent a private code to redeem via email. The NFTs will be able to be redeemed for exclusive Feather experiences such as private livestream events, early access to merchandise sales, select discount codes, VIP access to events, and more. 

Over the last few years, rising talent Feather has made quite the name for himself in the electronic music realm. Released in 2021, his debut EP ‘Becoming’ provided a glimpse into his vast musical skill set which stems from learning the piano and guitar at a very young age and finding inspiration from the profound possibilities of fusing indie and electronic music. Stepping into the Feather moniker, Kyle Featherstone develops an entirely new persona for his new musical path through self acceptance and expression. He describes the Feather project as “an archetype” of himself that embodies all of the qualities he strives for. Finding a home within an ever-evolving signature sound, Feather gravitates towards the more organic sides of the genre to create a stylistically diverse sound. After the release of his ‘Becoming’ EP, Feather followed up with a remix EP featuring artists like juuku, Badnights, Lumasi, and more. Committed to crafting every song from the ground up with equal parts palpable energy and raw emotion, he currently commands well over 100,000 monthly Spotify listeners, showcasing his capabilities to deliver sonic experiences that cater to all types of listeners.

Nashville-based producer Sintra made his debut in the dance music world within the last year, and has already established himself as one of the most exciting names to watch in the landscape. Taking a different approach to music creation, Sintra has found his sound through experimenting and taking inspiration from a wide variety of sources to develop his signature bass-heavy style. His September debut single ‘Break’ served as a bold and catchy introduction to his production prowess, and primed the talent for continued success. Now sporting three original singles and a remix of 44hyrda’s ‘Stylin’ released over the last couple of months, Sintra is on track to continue leaving his mark as one of the scene’s newcomers to keep an eye on.

Captivating listeners with her knack for magnetic melodies and lyrics, singer/songwriter Luma has amassed over 40 million Spotify streams in just under 4 years. Her debut solo EP ‘Kill the Night’ featured collaborations from artists such as Blanke and Yuppycult, and showcased her creative capabilities as a writer. Pulling from a deep-rooted love for both nature and true human connection, Luma’s songs always represent something beautiful. Crafting her sound through her heartfelt writing, she’s found success through her collaborations with names such as Adventure Club, Nurko, Zack Martino, Lexus, and more. Luma has also found support from tastemaker labels Armada, Ultra Music, Ophelia, bitbird, Thrive, Monstercat, and Heaven Sent over the years. Unafraid to explore darkness, Luma hopes to be the light for an audience that continues to grow.

Finding himself in a period of creative experimentation and growth through the collaborative process of working with other artists, Feather is preparing to enter the next phase of his musical career in 2022 with a slew of intriguing collaborations coming down the line in the form of an EP. Continuing to forge his own path, ‘Let Go’ serves as just a taste of what Feather has in store for the year ahead of him.