Buraka Som Sistema, French Fries & Bambounou at Igloofest 2012

Ask any Montrealer,  Igloofest has managed to make Montreal winter not only bearable, but something to look forward to. There’s nothing quite like it and judging by the turnout last night, in -30C no less a lot of people share my point of view. I got there a tad late so I missed the first headliner Botnek but thankfully made it there in time to catch French DJ Bambounou. Benefiting from the pretty kick ass visuals by Chocobeets, he put on a really intriguing and lively set, which is exactly what the crowd needed to stave off the glacial winds. We had planned to run indoors and get our complimentary picture from the booth but the pulsing beats made us easily forget that. He was followed by compatriot French Fries who started off quite strong but played a somewhat subdued set which quickly reminded us of our picture-taking plans. BRILLE² took over the visuals for the rest of the night, but I don’t remember much of them due to how awesome the following set was.

Offering a live presentation, Buraka Som Sistema were relentlessly energetic and singlehandedly raised the temperature like, a million degrees. They were obviously thankful of the turnout and did not for one second disappoint their Canadian winter soldiers. Playing a mixture of some older songs but mainly sticking with tracks off their latest effort Komba, they easily surpassed my expectations. I was seriously worried how the Portuguese Quatuor would fare in such cold weather and wondered if that had something to do with their relatively short time slot (the last 45 minutes of the night). They ended up busting their time limit without giving a damn and the crowd were all the more thankful for it. I could go on forever trying to describe how amazing the experience was but it would scarcely do it justice. So I’ll let my tweet (which was retweeted by Buraka themselves…just sayin’) do the talking:

Photo Credits: Miglego.com, Igloofest Photobooth

Igloofest Live Review: Hakim Guelmi, Max Cooper & Sébastien Léger After last week’s insanity, it was to be expected that things would get even crazier on this second week of the 6th edition of Igloofest. From the moment we arrived, you could tell it would be especially packed considering the length of the line to purchase tickets. Relieved I had purchased mine ahead of time, I was soon discouraged to see the “line” for ticket holders was as daunting. I say “line” because “massive pit” would probably be a more accurate term. Thankfully, it wasn’t too long a wait before we were able to get on site, but by that time we had already missed the first set by local DJ Hakim Guelmi. Having seen him quite a few times already at various local events, I can only imagine it was solid as we’ve grown accustomed to. To say the site was packed would be a massive understatement. Not long after getting there, the announcement was made that there were no more tickets to be purchased as they had reached their maximum capacity of 10,000; definitely a record breaker. (Hint: if you’re planning on attending any of the 3 remaining nights, do yourself a favour and purchase your tickets ahead of time. They can bought online or at one of the many local merchants listed on the event website.)

Given the excitement surrounding UK DJ Max Cooper’s set, I have to admit I was slightly underwhelmed. A lot of my time was spent roaming the grounds and getting a lay of the land during his set, and although the crowd was visibly enthused, their dynamism was a far cry from the energy felt during Sébastien Léger’s unstoppable vitality. The French house DJ and producer’s 2-hour set did not let up for a second. Let’s be honest, dancing outdoors in the snow for hours is simply exhausting. But good music transcends your physical pain and gives you energy you didn’t even know you had. Making our way towards the back end of the crowd, we had the space necessary to go completely crazy: we jumped, we yelled, and unabashedly threw our hands in the air for what was a truly unforgettable night.

Only one weekend left and it is sure to be a juggernaut, with DJs ranging from international-sampler Diplo, house-pioneer Green Velvet to German powerhouse tag-team of Dettman & Klock. As we say in bon Québécois: Attaches ta tuque avec d’la broche!

ArthurScott.ca

Go to: https://myetvmedia.com/feature/events/igloofest-nautiluss-black-tiger-sex-machine-and-diplo/ for Live Review: Nautiluss, Black Tiger Sex Machine and Diplo at Igloofest 2012.