On Saturday we had the opportunity to cover Dusky’s first show at Coda and they did not disappoint. One of the things that struck us most about the event is how different it was compared to when we last saw them play in Toronto in 2013. The obvious main difference between then and now are the venues, however there are more subtle changes such as the growth of their sound and fans that we think would be interesting to discuss.
Friday November 1st 2013: Justin Martin & Dusky @ The Hoxton, Toronto
Based on our memory, 2013 was the year when the ‘Deep House’ genre really started to gain momentum in the underground. Disclosure had released their debut album ‘Settle’ in May 2013 and EDM was just starting it’s climb to the masses. After Settle dropped, Disclosure became the poster boys for ‘Deep House’, however there were many other talented House producers that were creating equally as good music but were not receiving as much exposure. Dusky and Justin Martin were among these producers/DJ’s that were smashing it in the underground but were still relatively unknown to the average listener. At the time, Dusky’s hottest track without question was ‘Careless’ and Justin Martin’s hottest track was ‘Don’t Go’. Dusky along with George Fitzgerald were producing House music that sounded fresh and new but were built on classic House fundamentals. Similarly, Justin Martin and Claude Vonstroke were crafting their own eccentric/funky style of House music with the Dirty Bird Crew.
From a Toronto standpoint, 2013 was the year of the Hoxton for us. Footwork was still going strong as an after hours and Coda had not even existed yet. During that period in the city it literally seemed like every Electronic/ House act we wanted to see was at the Hoxton. Looking back on it now, it’s kind of embarrassing to say that we were Hoxton regulars, but at that time to us, Hoxton was the spot to be. From our recollection there weren’t any other venues in the city that were booking quality House/ Electronic acts other than Wrongbar, but this assumption was most likely due to our own ignorance. The Dusky show at the Hoxton on November 1st 2013 was the first time we saw them live and it turned out to be one our favourite shows of 2013. The one thing that really stuck out to us about that night was one particular unreleased track that Justin Martin dropped. The track he dropped was Shiba San ‘Okay’, it immediately set the Hoxton on fire. This is a significant memory for us because from our perspective that track sparked the relatively short fad of G-House. Lastly, in regards to Dusky’s set, they played it safe and spent the majority of the time playing their established hits, which we were totally content with at that point in time.
Saturday November 5st 2016: Dusky @ Coda, Toronto
This time around Dusky was set to play a proper headlining slot at one of Toronto’s best clubs. With a sold out show, they graced the decks to a slammed club filled with eager fans. Simon Jain started the night off perfectly with a little bit of a different style but a great melodic set to get the bodies moving on the floor. Slowly but surely Dusky mixed out of his last track into their new “Long Wait”. The track slowly crept in and the volume slowly rose, to the recognizable melody of the opening synths. The sound guys raised the volume and the bass dropped to full volume; everyone in the place was cheering and dancing immediately.
In comparison to the last time we saw them, this set was a great reflection of their sound as it currently stands. Steering away from their iconic Deep House hits like “Careless” they stuck to a much more techno influenced set, much like their new album. Lots of 909’s and acid influenced tunes all the while keeping their progressive melodic sound. Highlight tunes included “Songs Of Phase” and “Runny Nose” off the new album. However, our favourite parts of the night have to be when they mixed in the classic vocal from “Nobody Else” (never actually dropping the original) and when they played “Skin Deep”. Coda completely exploded when this track came on, and wow was it something special. The entire club had their hands in the air raving and it felt like everyone in the club knew every part of the song.
We haven’t had so much fun at a set in a long time and we feel that we can speak for everyone there when we say that. It was a journey from beginning to end and every track felt undeniably “Dusky”. The next time they decide to grace the decks in Toronto, you can definitely bet we will be there ready for another glimpse into their unique and ever evolving sound.