Igloofest 2014 | Retrospective

Another Igloofest has passed (the 8 ^th if you’re counting), and I have the perma-mud infused into my shoes and burn-holes speckled all over my parka to prove it.

Truly, something different is in the air when Igloofest is unfolding. It’s almost as if the festival exudes a unique seasonal spirit throughout the city of Montreal, in the “hey, it’s cold as balls, but fuck my toes –  let’s party” sort of way.

Dancing to amplified music in the open air while gazing at visual art displays and spectacular light synchronization amongst 11,000 other concertgoers is certainly an attractive experience at face value, even more so if located in the handsome and charming Old Port of Montreal. When this idea is placed within the context of a bitter Quebec winter however, the notion becomes almost comical. It’s certainly no joke though, despite the many cracked amidst the festivities.

In all seriousness, the team behind Igloofest does just that- produces a spectacular dance-music festival in the freezing Canadian cultural hub, an experience rising far above any speculative comfort-seeker’s initial expectations.

A total of 85,768 jovial spirits braved the cold on the weekends falling between January 16 ^th and the 8 ^th of February to experience a brilliant month-long celebration of dance music, winter spirit, and artistry.

Now, it is my job to recount the many merits and few shortcomings of Igloofest 2014.

Part of what makes Igloofest so exceptional is it’s location. Igloo village stands along the frigid St-Lawrence River, specifically on top of the Jacques Cartier Quay. Beauty is easily found in the juxtaposition of the remarkably architectural infrastructure staging against the clean lines of the Quay. Steel covered in snow and ice is certainly pleasing to the eye. While dancing in the crowd, I consistently found myself gawking in the opposite direction of the stage, staring lustfully at the beautiful antique architecture of vieux-Montreal.

A different sort of sentiment goes for the actual infrastructure set up by the Igloofest team (excluding the main stage).  The general theme of stacked rounded cubes and playful ice sculptures made for a welcoming and universally joyful atmosphere, a much needed warmth to oppose the mutual suffering caused by the unforgiving winds and temperatures.

The main stage, Scene Sapporo, was everything one would want a main stage to be -in a word- epic. A sprawling set of aligned rectangular screens puzzled together with a dazzling array of light fixtures opening at the centre to produce a makeshift ‘throne’ for the guest of honour. The hidden speakers produced a loud and full sound as absolutely necessary.

The secondary stage –Scene Videotron- boasted local, generally more techno-driven acts when compared to its larger counterpart. The environment was sheltered from the icy wind by way of stacked rounded luminescent cubes, making the dance floor a nice spot to warm up (at least a little bit).  This was Videotron’s inaugural year, and from the limited time that I spent there it seemed to be a successful one, providing a legitimate secondary stage that was absent in previous years.

As mentioned in Low-Life’s 2013 Igloofest review, the crowd in attendance is different from those at other festivals in a way specific only to Igloofest. In no way did this audience feel different than last years, so I believe that Samuel Scott Rutledge’s words on last years audience paint a perfect portrayal of 2014:

“I’m not sure if I’ve ever witnessed a more consistently dancing group of people. The audience is not solely comprised of dance music fanatics either; older individuals and a great many who may not even relate to music of an electronic variety make up a considerable portion, if not a majority of the crowd as well. I believe that this rare phenomenon can be attributed in part to the physical need to keep moving, but also to the entirely non-judgmental, come-one-come-all atmosphere provided by the event’s organizers. Either way, a sense of unity was often inevitable.”

Now on to what made the festival really come to life: the music.

[Art Department; Kenny Glasgow (front), Johnny White (back)]

The most impressive set of the month was Art Department ’s sensual, smouldering Igloofest opener.

The group’s sexy style of futuristic deep house/techno made me lose touch with reality. I was caught in a feverous trance of right foot left foot, possessed by the group’s buoyant, deep, slow-burning synth lines and salacious low-end vocal samples. My impression could have been tainted by the fact that it was my very first, long awaited night at Igloofest 2014, but in any case, Johnny White and Kenny Glasgow threw down a memorable set that I hold as the pinnacle of the festival.

The artists listed below all put forth sets that made up the highlights of the festival for me, personally. It should be noted that I didn’t have the opportunity to see every single performance, and that music in general is subjective, so I ask you, the reader, not to take my selections as an objective analysis on who played the best sets of igloofest, for I hold only one perspective.

[Scuba]

Scuba is known for his technical prowess as a DJ, and in no way did his Igloofest set fail his legendary reputation.

The Hotflush labelhead treated the shivering audience to his own brand of sophisticated techno. His masterful mixing resulted in a level of crowd control that I had never previously witnessed. Paul Rose’s unimpressed demeanor was not representative of the time he had; he insisted on social media feeds that he had a memorable and exciting experience (a common thread among the majority of acts). Regardless of whether the artist had a good time or not, Scuba captivated the audience with true four-on-the-floor craftsmanship.

[Matthew Dear]

Matthew Dear ’s performance was a similar style to Scuba’s (pardon my intentional lack of genrefication), but where Scuba took successful and effective risks, Dear was considerably more precise and smooth with regards to mixing. Dear was expressive, and it was clear to the audience that he was enjoying himself. Overall, his set was a tasteful and lucid- credit given.

[Skream]

Oliver Jones ( Skream ) appealed to the masses in the best way possible. The dubstep-birthed linchpin threw together an eclectic array of popular deep-house hits, revitalized disco, dubstep-reminiscent dance floor heaters, and even a little bit of ballady UK rock. The set came to an epic culmination when Breach harmonized over a heavily reverberated “ Spiral ” ( Todd Terje ) with white lights shooting upwards accenting the fresh falling snow; it was truly a beautiful sensory experience. Directly after this climax, Jones broke the set down into an array of feel good disco, eventually concluding on “ Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (JM 4am mix) ” by Inner Life . Audience members surely had an extra skip in their step leaving the festival after Skream’s exciting performance.

[Adam Beyer]

To bring the festival to a victorious and feverish close was Sweden’s industrial techno stalwart, Adam Beyer . The Drumcode Records founder dropped heads and moved bodies with heavy-handed made-for-the-festival-type records. The mixing was flawless and the selection excellent, but the crowd on this particular night was a little too elbow oriented for my taste; likely having to do with the fact that it was festival’s sold-out closing ceremony. All in all, Beyer’s set was nothing short of ravenous.

Besides these, my five personal favorite performances of Igloofest 2014, there are many acts that rightfully deserve a nod… or several nods.

Breach, Âme , Kenny Larkin , Pete Tong , Stephan Bodzin , Seb Diamond & Kyle Kalma, Prince Club , Justin Martin and Claude VonStroke , Levon Vincent , Francis Oak, and Ida Engberg all spun excellent sets, well deserving of recognition.

At the end of the day, the team behind Igloofest absolutely nailed it with the booking this year.

[ Zach of Prince Club ]

It’s hard to defame such a magical festival experience, but I believe I should mention the few disappointments I had with this year’s edition.

A recurring problem from last year to this year was the vast volume differential  between “opener” and “headliner”. To have such a talented roster of musicians is a blessing, and I understand why some of these musicians must take the opening slot, but it’s not a fallacy to say that Ame or Kenny Larkin deserve equal sound treatment to anyone playing a closing set.

A qualm that can probably be attributed to local law; I found the set-times to be a touch too early. Trying to make it “party-ready” in time for an 8:30 show is tough. My lack of time-management skills and chronic lateness caused me to miss a few sets that I was really looking forward to. It would have been nice had the festival been pushed a little deeper into the evening.

For me personally -and I definitely will be disputed on this- the visuals this year were somewhat underwhelming. At last year’s event I remember obsessing over the incredible displays accompanying the music; this year, the visual displays just barely stimulated me.

Lastly, the weather was too cold.

Just kidding, they call it the “world’s coldest festival” for a reason. The party is honestly, and unintuitively, better off with those merciless temperatures.

To conclude, a visual recount of the time to be had at igloofest 2014-

We’d like to thank all members of the friendly Igloofest team (most specifically Francois and Barbara) for their incredible level of support and hospitality.

Until next year, Igloofest.

LL

words:  Adam Rutledge
video:  Kane Ocean
interviews:  Rader Turner

special thanks: Ben Schreiber