Culture

NUDE launches in Toronto with High Klassified and Falcons

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One of Toronto’s new entertainment venues, Storys, welcomed the first installment of the NUDE Loft Party this past Saturday. The concept first launched in Montreal last March with DJ Kaytranada, so it only made sense to spread the joy to their English-speaking counterparts.

Loft Parties are not a common occurrence in Toronto and art and music are rarely mixed in the same room outside of art exhibitions with background DJs.  Why that’s the case is still a mystery to me, but it was definitely time someone brought the concept in.

Storys is the perfect venue for NUDE. Open brick, rugged staircases, and velvet Victorian couches definitely set the mood for loft comfort. With a slow start, the attendees gathered on the second floor to soak in some art.

The art, presented by young Montreal and local artists, ranged from realism to abstract. The goal was to produce “no gimmicks” raw art in various media. Some of it was already complete, other pieces were done right there right then. Admittedly abstract art is subjective, and looking back at the installation the keyword one needed to keep in mind is “young.” The main difference between young and mature artists is patience and practice, and though the potential was in full display, the overall live installation lacked cohesiveness and in some cases skill. Shades of boxes, shades of grey, bleeding markers, and incredibly simple, repetitive line drawings came together in a mountain of cardboard boxes. But hey, the drunker you get the better it looks.

Soon after the people began migrating to the third floor to see the music sets by special guests Falcons and High Klassified. Here’s where the loft environment really comes into play – laid back atmosphere, and arguably the art, put the mixed eclectic crowd at ease. Up-and-coming talent from Montreal, High Klassified, kicked things off and created a steady flow of beats for the crowd to start moving to. As the music continued more and more people started to move, bop, and even breakdance. It was a real treat to have High Klassified kick off the event but with such a cool, hipster, artsy crowd it was hard to tell how much appreciation he was really getting. High Klassified is blowing up worldwide and appearing at the ever-so-popular and ever-so-exclusive Boiler Room parties and Toronto was lucky to get a taste of this soon to be star.

Following H.K, Los Angeles DJ Falcons stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park. Pushing the boundaries of conventional music, Falcons plays around with rap, hip-hop, trap, and electronic music breaking down the boundaries between the genres. His originality and flow are undeniable and as soon as he started playing the crowd immediately turned their attention and did not stop moving until the night came to a bitter end.

Never too crowded, the loft like party was definitely bumping and if you weren’t there, your friends were probably texting telling you to come. Falcons is not a DJ to be missed, and his vibe was perfect for the atmosphere of NUDE. All in all, this night had a little something for everyone, and if they continue to bring in the talent, this will certainly be an ongoing hot spot in TO.

Cover image courtesy of NUDE

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