Visions 4

My first stop was Visions 4 at the SAT, a venue akin to a beating heart… intimate one moment, then racing the next! I was lulled into the universe of Vladislav Delay, only to wince at the strident assault of CM von Hausswolff all part of the festival’s charms!

The hynoptic and innovative sounds of Tim Hecker quickly soothed, leaving the stage for Ben Frost – harder to relate too, but fascinating nonetheless!

Free Outdoor Event

Then it was off to the Place des festivals for the free, outdoor concert! UGlowing messages lit up of the scene, while the crowd fell under the electronic-rock spell of Golden.Talk about amazing energy from this Montreal foursome! Next, a Latin American port ‘o call under German colours, with renowned Señor Coconut.

The maestro dished up classics such as Sweet Dreams, Da Da Da, & Riders on the Storm with latin rhythms and electro twists – a little too lightweight for my taste. But definitely crowdpleasing!

Piknic 2

Next day, it was off to Piknic 2 at Metropolis for an afternoon with DJs drawn from the finest Canadian & international electronic scenes. In the Savoy’s intimate setting, I discovered and loved Nicolas Jaar, ‘s wide-ranging musical influences (marrying Asian musical traditions w/ an electro pulse) plus the seductive minimalism of Kressel. And I wasn’t the only one – the house was packed & loved them back!

Then Dave Aju of the U.S. got all of Metropolis moving thanks to a super upbeat and energetic set. Great vibes!

In all, a week-end of sight and sound overload, plenty of new artist discoveries… and major sleep deprivation!!

For even more info, artist backgrounders and MUTEK festival reviews, head to the Web site.

Au fil de mes séjours en train, j’ai photographié plusieurs paysages qui mettent en valeur la beauté de notre pays, en hivers.

Je vous invite à parcourir mon album de photos des Rockies, Ottawa, Montréal….en hiver.

While travelling aboard VIA Rail, I took some beautiful shots of the Canadian landscape that best demonstrates the beauty of the season in the Rockies, Ottawa and Montreal!

Check them out!

I was born and raised in Kingston but now live in Toronto. I work for VIA Rail as a service attendant a board trains in the Corridor — for those of you not in the know, the Corridor stretches between Windsor and Quebec City.

Second, why should you read my blog? Easy! My job allows me to see Canada up close – in a way most of you don’t ever notice. Now as much as I love having secret things all to myself, sharing is better. So let me tell you about wicked places to see when visiting Toronto, hilarious stories travellers have told me and excellent vegetarian restaurants located all over.

And – bien sur – how to travel and still leave a small environmental footprint.

Expect lots of photos too!