Among a myriad of other attributes, from its beautiful location in the Canadian wilderness and jaw-dropping production to trailblazing harm reduction services and holistic non-musical programming, Shambhala Music Festival is known for hosting performances from the world’s best electronic music talent.
When the four-day camping festival returns to Salmo River Ranch next weekend, July 26-29, huge headliners like Disclosure, Excision, Subtronics, Dillon Francis, and James Blake will perform for close to 20,000 festivalgoers on a 500-acre cattle farm in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia.
But beyond global touring artists, Shambhala continues to make waves by showcasing the best musical talent from within Canada’s borders, many of whom have a long history of playing the event, are involved in its production, and have been instrumental in its success.
From quiet legends of the Canadian festival circuit and international ambassadors for the country’s electronic scene to rising stars and unique collaborative projects, read below for five can’t-miss acts from the Great White North at Shambhala 2024.
SkiiTour
Whistler, BC-based house duo SkiiTour is known to shred the slopes and shred the decks. The pair of DJ-producers—Tim Livingstone and Dave Rollie—have been beloved across Canada and beyond for well over a decade for their lively funk-filled DJ sets and colorful retro ski aesthetic.
Festivalgoers show out in force for their Après Skii party at the AMP every year, featuring real snow machines and plenty of feel-good four-on-the-floor tunes to start the weekend right.
But don’t let their ski bum look fool you. They’re veterans in the studio, too, dropping charting singles on respected labels like hau5trap, DND Recordings, Space Yacht, Kyle Watson and Wongo’s Box of Cats, and more.
SkiiTour’s newest track, “Sandwiches,” landed on DJ Dan’s InStereo Recordings last week and sees the pair team up with the Pacific Northwest legend for a fun-loving tech house slapper. Check it out below, and be sure to pack your goggles before you leave for The Farm.
Joanna Magik
Joanna Magik is one of the Canadian house scene’s foremost rising stars. The DJ, producer, and former professional snowboarder brings athletic energy and hard-edged groove to her performances and productions.
Getting her start in Calgary after time spent working as an announcer for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, she broke through on the global stage last year with “Energy,” a swaggering tech house collaboration with fellow local heroes Smalltown DJs and Los Angeles’ Techno Tupac.
Along with the Dirtybird debut, Magick’s growing arsenal of dancefloor weapons on labels like Box of Cats, Kevin McKay’s Glasgow Underground, and Gene Farris’ Farris Wheel, as well as her latest, “Kick Out,” a bassline-heavy debut on Black V Neck’s Retail Records, have seen her hailed a “Future of Dance” award winner by 1001Tracklists.
She’s a presence on the decks, winning Pete Tong’s 2023 Apple Music mix contest, and also an ambassador and instructor for LP Giobbi’s FEMME HOUSE, an artist collective working to boost under-represented genders in electronic music. Her third consecutive performance in the Fractal Forest should be a treat. Listen to her 2023 set below.
The Chillage hosted by ill.Gates
Though it’s perhaps the most mysterious act on this shortlist, we won’t be missing The Chillage. Shambhala icon and veteran producer-DJ ill.Gates has assembled a team of talented low-end bass selectors for his downtempo takeover.
The Toronto-born artist, whose decade-long catalog of wildly experimental bass tunes includes six studio albums and collaborations with CloZee, Excision, Apashe, KJ Sawka and more, will be joined by Australian experimental bass favorite Mr. Bill, and rising talents shmani and Slowform, for what’s sure to be an anything-goes set packed with deep dub and wubs.
In addition to their heady originals and remixes, both ill.Gates and Mr. Bill have showcased their production prowess in thousands of hours of online educational content and are beloved in the bass scene for sharing their DAW techniques with the next generation of genre masterminds.
With a pulse on the scene and an ear for cutting-edge sound design, we trust they’ve got something great cooking for the Village on Saturday.
Bodysync
Bodysync is the indie-dance supergroup of Halifax-born producer Ryan Hemsworth, known for his work with Tinashe, Tory Lanez, and Mitski, among others, and Girraffage, a veteran California electronica artist who’s collaborated with the likes of Japanese Breakfast, Porter Robinson and more.
The duo’s carefree, pop-infused dance cuts have made noise on respected labels like A-Trak’s Fool’s Gold, Last Gang, and Counter Records, and their new self-released album, NUTTY, is simply built for the dancefloor, featuring high-octane, euphoria-inducing grooves like “Rock It” and “Bailar (I Want To Dance).”
As the surging sounds of hardgroove and Eurodance continue to take hold of the global scene, we’ll certainly be keeping our eye on Bodysync, and we’re amped for the bit of soulful uptempo flavor they’ll bring to the Pagoda on Saturday.
The Librarian
Andrea Graham is a Canadian festival legend. In addition to her simultaneously bass-heavy and groove-laden DJ sets as The Librarian, the classically trained Toronto-born artist is known around the world for co-founding British Columbia’s other heralded electronic music haven, Bass Coast.
In the 15 years since she launched the festival in 2009, she’s built a prized reputation as one of bass music’s leading creatives and tastemakers, and her live performances reflect just that, spanning a myriad of electronic stylings, from 140BPM dubstep and garage to jungle, breaks, and whopping techno.
Including her work behind the scenes with Bass Coast and her label, Chapter Three Recordings, as well as an impressive performance resume with appearances at Coachella, Lightning in a Bottle, the celebrated late Symbiosis Gathering, and plenty of previous sets at Shambhala, The Librarian brings a wealth of experience to the decks.
We can’t wait to hear what she’s pulled from the crates for her set at the Grove on Saturday.
Featured image credit: Bass Wizard Visuals.
