Flying under the radar this year is Toronto native Notifi who brings to the table his own blend of R&B, rap, and hip hop. While its relatively common to find artists who excel at each of these genres, Notifi’s ability to effortlessly work between all 3 while maintaining a high quality certainly makes him one to watch out for this NXNE.
Date: June 14-16, 3:30pm – 10:30pm
Venue: Yonge & Dundas Square
Tickets/RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/356633164992553/
2. Sylo Nozra – FOMO
While Sylo Nozra isn’t featuring on some of the grooviest r&b Spotify playlists, he’s preparing for a summer that is sure to be career defining for him. The Mississauga native has been quietly building a global following online. His unique blend of R&B with indie pop elements finished off by his fantastic songwriting and vocal range makes him one of the brightest talents making his way out of Canada.
Date: June 15, 11:00pm
Venue: The Drake Hotel
Tickets/RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/368528230436596/
3. Radiant Baby – Do It
Félix Mongeon aka Radiant Baby packs a healthy dose of indie dance music together with a hint of 80s synth music. His style and aesthetic further add to his work by preserving the bright and quirky nature of his music. Don’t make the mistake of thinking his music is simple by any means, the arrangements and instrumentations are quite good and Félix is certainly shattering that Indie music has to be “simple”.
Date: June 13, 8:00pm
Venue: Rivoli
Tickets/RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/2275898689343434/
4. Total Freedom – Kelela x Link Park Edit
Emerging from the depths of functional club music that blends together strains of r&b with industrial and electronic elements, Total Freedom emerges as one of the most unique acts on this year’s NXNE. Known for his creative and often offputting edits of throwback r&b songs, Total Freedom is anything but conventional. His approach to club music is futuristic and bold.
Date: June 07, 11:00pm
Venue: TBA
Tickets/RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/2611219205866104/
5. Control Top – Chain Reaction
Where would we be with some good old fashioned punk rock music? Control Top takes a page out of Canadian iconic rockers Death From Above as they crank their bass guitar up to 15 and hit you with some of the thickest grooves NXNE will ever see. Control Top, in fact, cranks everything up to 15. Fight if you must but their energy is infectious and will have you bopping across the dancefloor in no time.
Date: June 11, 8:00pm
Venue: Monarch Tavern
Tickets/RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/602284840251694/
Rahul Mannapperuma’s sonic palette remains growing across an ever-expanding spectrum of genres and styles. He has an appreciation for the hidden corners and subcultures within the global scene and has a knack for always having a solid recommendation (or two) up his sleeve to expand anyone’s tastes. Rahul’s takes are built on understanding the artist behind the music, the quality of the music itself and ultimately the impact of a given music piece. Whether its a forgotten record from the annals of history or a fresh release from your favourite pop star, Rahul will probably have an opinion to share and a hot take to go along with it.
Find him at https://twitter.com/isthisrahul
