Radiance: Warehouse Dance Party takes over BTP
Ottawa’s dance scene is about to get a major injection of adrenaline tonight. A few of the capital’s biggest electronic promoters and DJs are coming together to bring one giant dance party to the Beyond the Pale Brewery’s warehouse at City Centre. The event promises to be a bigger production than anything of its kind in recent memory, and the producers are putting in work to set up major AV installations.
AV artists Itchi and Simon Petepiece are putting their minds together to create an immersive atmosphere for party-goers, and local selectors JFUN (music.art.ppl), Ski Shiek (Open Air Social Club), and Sportif (Tanjincy) will bring the space to life with their tracks throughout the night, and Montreal heavyweight Pascale Project is making a special appearance in Ottawa as the headlining DJ to cap off the night.
I caught up with the organizers in advance of tonight’s big party. The event starts at 10 PM and goes until late. $9 Advance / $15 Door / 19+. Check out more event details here.
Interview with RADIANCE organizers
What is Radiance? Can you talk about how the lineup came to be, and what people can expect from the event?
Recently we all had the opportunity to spin together at matt’s cult-classic Open Air Social Club, the musical vibes the entire night were really felt and we knew we had to do it again as soon as the opportunity arose! Now that the patio is closed for the summer and temperatures are falling, we decided to take it inside, scale it up and bring it to the warehouse! We saw a great opportunity in being able to utilize the blank slate of beyond the pale’s warehouse space according to our own visions, and decided to bring a/v and installation artists Itchi and Simon Petepeice on board, from which we came to the name Radiance in an attempt to characterize this aspect of the night! Radiance or Iridescence by definition is ‘light or heat as emitted by something, producing lustrous colors refracted by movement’ which we felt describes the vibe of the party perfectly. We want people who come to the event to feel like they’re experiencing something new for the first time through the music and atmosphere of the space!
Why did you choose the warehouse at Beyond the Pale?
Location, Location, Location!!!
A few of us have Dj’d private functions within the space and it just works. We’ve never done anything on the scale of what we’re planning for Radiance but it’s big, open and is located at City Centre which is easily accessible by transit, bike or car. The BTP team are open to us bringing in sound and lighting to make this vision come to life.
Pascale Project from Montreal is making a special debut appearance in town for this. Can you talk about her music and why this is exciting for Ottawa?
Last spring Sportif was asked to play a show with Pascale but unfortunately the show was canceled, so we thought it would be a great idea to bring her on for this bigger event. Pascale Project is a rising producer and dj in the Montreal underground. Her productions and live sets overlay her emotionally resonant and soulful vocal against shimmery synths and drums, reminiscent of early 90s deep house with a modern pop approach; however, for her dj sets you can expect a propulsive and high-octane mix traveling through different forms of underground dance music, from funk and soul all the way to house and techno, while spinning on wax! She’s been on our playlist for a while and we’re hyped to have her play!
Music.Art.Ppl, Open Air Social Club and Tanjincy are some heavy hitting promoters in town. More broadly, can you talk about Ottawa’s dance scene? What characterizes it?
Having DJ’d together a few times we saw in each other a shared desire to create fun dance parties in unique settings. We’ve learned that there is an appetite for something different, whether it be a more eclectic mix of music or a non-traditional space. When promoters join forces they have a great opportunity to pool their experience and really step up the scale of the event. It’s no secret that Ottawa doesn’t have the most venues compared to other cities but this space is unique and there is something special about introducing folks to a new venue that they’ve yet to experience here in Ottawa. If they’ve already experienced BTP Warehouse, it will be unlike any other event that’s happened within those walls.
AV artists Itchi and Simon Petepiece are providing some visuals throughout the night. What kind of overall experience can attendees expect with respect to lighting, sound, and atmosphere?
The design of the event takes advantage of the cavernous BTP warehouse to create a series of playful installations that contrast the industrial feel of the space. Using lighting and architectural elements, the warehouse space is divided into areas with different moods, colors and atmospheres. Energetic spaces come alive with rhythmic lighting arrays and intimate hangout areas glow with warm lighting and unique visuals.
Can we expect more Radiance events in the future?
It’s hard to say at this point. Since announcing the event, a lot of people have reached out who are interested to get involved on either the DJ or AV side. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how it all plays out. This event involves a lot of planning and coordinating so that’s something we’ve got to consider. We think we’ve definitely created something that will stand out in the Ottawa dance community so instead of waiting to see if it will happen again, our advice is to experience it while you can.