A New Presentation

TEMOM or Toronto Electronic Music open Mic is the first of its kind here in Toronto. This is an open mic for all electronic artists no matter where you are in developing your skills.  This evening is meant for anyone who is brave enough to get up on a stage and perform for 15 minutes. This is an excellent way to try out new ideas in front of other enthusiasts.

Even if you walk in with you iPhone and work off of that, the people here want to see your growth over time.

This is how it works; you can sign your name to the weekly sheet from a QR code. I will include the QR code at the bottom of this article. Set up your equipment on a table and wait for your turn. There are two tables in rotation, so you don’t have to wait too long between artists. Play your set and then get interviewed for a couple of minutes to talk about the gear you used to create your sound. This is perfect for all you electronic nerds who love hearing about all the great equipment and software each artist brings to the table- literally!

So, if you are a closet player and want to connect with other fans of this genre, just come out to see what it is all about and then work up your nerves to come out and express what has been lying dormant inside of you for a while now.

TEMOM

Carl Armstrong has been running this open mic for 3 years now and is a very popular thing to do on a Monday night. It runs from 8pm until 2am. I just hope you have nothing to do the next morning because this community is pretty loyal and once you walk into it, you feel at home here. You can also work with Sean from Gruve Collection who is a big help to this ongoing event.

It happens at the Handlebar- 159 Augusta Ave in Kensington Market every second Monday of the month.

I was there long enough to see 5 artists. The signup sheet was full of 18 artists this night. I put together a short paragraph for the artists that I did see. Enjoy the diversity of each artist. It is an electronic variety show!

This entire concept was born from a person named Martin Christie from Manchester England who started this kind of event. Toronto is now adopting it and it is growing.

Afterburner

The first act up and the only thing I could compare him to, was that his sound reminded me of Tangerine Dream from the 80’s pop era. As his flavourful sound morphed around us, I could almost visualize a TV show filled with mystery and intrigue and he was the soundtrack.

Gruve Collective

The organizer Sean was up next with his provocative style of playing. It began with a sultry voice that is just beckoning you to get closer and enter a realm of pleasure. By the time you made it to the second half of his performance Sean slipped in a lonely and pensive piece that seem to be seeking answers to an unknown future. I have to admit he did solitude very well.

Timothy 1105

This is a great example of getting out and exploring yourself with an instrument. Timothy kept thing easy with a 2/2 drum machine and played around that rhythm. What makes this cool is that he started off his performance with an iPhone and now has some new gear to try and expand his sound. The first time he ever performed, his time slot was at 11:05, hence the new stage name.

Missing Pet

This is a duo made up of the electronic artist and a singer. They were very excited to try brand new material that is only a week old. The song- “This ain’t love” is a goth/emo song that felt it was born in the late 80’s. Another song was “Living on fumes”, a song meant for the starving artist. They finished with “Plastic Love”.  This song represents the search for real sugar and all you find is artificial sweeteners.

PreterMit

This was a nice surprise. The beginning started off slowly and built into a steady climb. After a few minutes things took off when he began to actually play the keyboards. This was like going to an electronic show with a professional trained pianist playing with an electronic band. The blend was very well done. This personal touch added that personal touch and really enhanced the listener’s experience. He created some very fine and exciting moments.

Sign up

This is for all you closet electronic geeks that have a driving passion to try out your sounds with a live and supportive community. I have included a poster of their event. Just snap up the QR code and fill out your spot at the next reunion. This may be a new family that you enjoy hanging out with on a Monday night.

Here is their link on Instagram- www.instagram.com/toronto_emom/