The EDM scene in Canada is finally getting some worldwide recognition, and with Bud Light Sensation just around the corner, Bud Light has handpicked some up-and-coming DJs from across the country to join the party revolution. To get ready for the most insane party of the year, we're profiling these fourteen rising DJs in the Canadian EDM scene, and if you visit BudLight.ca, you can vote for your favourite. Every time you vote, you'll be entered for a chance to win a pair of daily drawn general admission tickets to Bud Light Sensation. Additionally, the winning DJ will receive two VIP tickets with travel, accommodations, and ten tickets for their entourage.
After meeting at one of Canada's top audio engineering schools, Alex Szabo and John Pirito, better known as Alkatraz, started crafting their unique approach to trance, techno, and house music while earning degrees in music production at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK. In the biggest and best clubs from Amsterdam to Shanghai, Alkatraz has shared the stage with trance greats like Armin van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, and Cosmic Gate, and their presence in the Canadian EDM scene is rising steadily with every electrifying set.
AUX: What was your introduction to DJing? What made you want to start?
JOHN: I decided I wanted to become a DJ at the age of fourteen, after I went to my first rave in the underground scene of Vancouver. The parties were all illegal but there was something special about how so many different people came together and supported dance music, especially since EDM was not very well known at the time.
ALEX: I was also introduced to DJing at the age of fourteen by my best friend. Because EDM wasn't so well known I felt that I had a chance to pursue a musical genre that I could express myself with. DJing was a great way to show people what you were about and to see them come together and share the moment with you.
Where are you from, and what's the scene like for a DJ in your hometown?
We are both are from Vancouver. The scene here is pretty big, and much the same as most of big cities around the world. There's lots of opportunity to get out and play your music, but because the scene is so big here those opportunities also come with other requirements and responsibilities.
Name 3 essential records/tracks that help light up a party.
Alesso – "Years" Sandro Silva – "Epic" Daddy's Groove – "Stellar" (A-Lab Remix)
What's the ultimate party foul for a DJ?
ALEX: Playing a track that was produced by the headliner you are opening for.
Why is it important for Canada to have an event like Bud Light Sensation?
Canada has already been doing well in terms of showcasing the biggest international acts, but having Sensation here will really set the bar high and put Canada on the map in terms of EDM. We think this show will provide an overall greater party atmosphere for people to experience. So much more goes in to a good party than the DJ you book.
**Vote for Alkatraz at BudLight.ca for your chance to win two tickets to Bud Light Sensation!***
AUX is partnering with Bud Light as they revolutionize what it means to party in Canada. We'll be breaking down the elements of any successful party into an exact science, culminating in the most mathematically perfect party of the year, Bud Light Presents Sensation (seriously, the Partyodic Table doesn't lie) at Toronto's Rogers Centre on June 1. The eight-hour experience will see an estimated 30,000 fans Light It Up in ways they've never done before. Tickets are Bud Light Presents Sensation, but deluxe tickets have already sold out—so act fast! You must be 19 years or older to attend. Meet fellow revelers on Twitter via the Bud Light Presents Sensation hashtag: #budlightsensation.
After meeting at one of Canada's top audio engineering schools, Alex Szabo and John Pirito, better known as Alkatraz, started crafting their unique approach to trance, techno, and house music while earning degrees in music production at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK. In the biggest and best clubs from Amsterdam to Shanghai, Alkatraz has shared the stage with trance greats like Armin van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, and Cosmic Gate, and their presence in the Canadian EDM scene is rising steadily with every electrifying set.
AUX: What was your introduction to DJing? What made you want to start?
JOHN: I decided I wanted to become a DJ at the age of fourteen, after I went to my first rave in the underground scene of Vancouver. The parties were all illegal but there was something special about how so many different people came together and supported dance music, especially since EDM was not very well known at the time.
ALEX: I was also introduced to DJing at the age of fourteen by my best friend. Because EDM wasn't so well known I felt that I had a chance to pursue a musical genre that I could express myself with. DJing was a great way to show people what you were about and to see them come together and share the moment with you.
Where are you from, and what's the scene like for a DJ in your hometown?
We are both are from Vancouver. The scene here is pretty big, and much the same as most of big cities around the world. There's lots of opportunity to get out and play your music, but because the scene is so big here those opportunities also come with other requirements and responsibilities.
Name 3 essential records/tracks that help light up a party.
Alesso – "Years" Sandro Silva – "Epic" Daddy's Groove – "Stellar" (A-Lab Remix)
What's the ultimate party foul for a DJ?
ALEX: Playing a track that was produced by the headliner you are opening for.
Why is it important for Canada to have an event like Bud Light Sensation?
Canada has already been doing well in terms of showcasing the biggest international acts, but having Sensation here will really set the bar high and put Canada on the map in terms of EDM. We think this show will provide an overall greater party atmosphere for people to experience. So much more goes in to a good party than the DJ you book.
**Vote for Alkatraz at BudLight.ca for your chance to win two tickets to Bud Light Sensation!***
AUX is partnering with Bud Light as they revolutionize what it means to party in Canada. We'll be breaking down the elements of any successful party into an exact science, culminating in the most mathematically perfect party of the year, Bud Light Presents Sensation (seriously, the Partyodic Table doesn't lie) at Toronto's Rogers Centre on June 1. The eight-hour experience will see an estimated 30,000 fans Light It Up in ways they've never done before. Tickets are Bud Light Presents Sensation, but deluxe tickets have already sold out—so act fast! You must be 19 years or older to attend. Meet fellow revelers on Twitter via the Bud Light Presents Sensation hashtag: #budlightsensation.
