Celebrate The Return of Live Events with Monstercat Compound

Words by Megan Venzin

Update: Compound attendees were notified before Tony Romera’s scheduled set that he was no longer able to make the event on Saturday, September 18th. This piece was written previous to Compound and the change in lineup.

Nothing beats good vibes and dancing among friends! Electronic music fans will experience both this Saturday, September 18th when the annual all-ages block party, Monstercat Compound, returns to Railtown. Currently the only music festival approved to take place on Vancouver city property, Monstercat Compound will commence outdoors at the label’s HQ, and is sponsored by Sapporo. So wrangle your friends, put on your shuffling shoes and grab a cold one, because this dancefloor revival is the one we’ve all been waiting for!

The all-day event boasts two stages and performances from Canadian favorites like The Funk Hunters and Jessu & Pyka, along with numerous members of the Monstercat family, among them international stars like Tony Romera, who is ready to give attendees a first taste of his debut album ‘Introspection’, which dropped on September 9th.

“Monstercat releases are really eclectic, so I think it was the perfect collaboration for this type of album,” Romera shares with excitement. “Seems like the whole team loved the story of this album, and understood what kind of emotion I wanted people to feel while listening to it. So I’m really happy to release this first one on Monstercat!” Romera describes ‘Introspection’ as a sonic retelling of his life’s story. The LP also pays homage to the artistic influences that informed his buoyant bass house sound.

“My biggest inspiration while working on this album and since my beginnings are Daft Punk and Justice,” Romera continues. “But also, of course, many more French producers. I’ve been inspired by Joris Voorn, Flume, Madeon, Porter Robinson and many more.” His latest single, “Boogie” featuring CASUAL bears those electro house vibes that so many of the aforementioned legends helped make famous.

“It’s important to listen to it fully from the first track to the last one,” Romera suggests to listeners of ‘Introspection’. “I tried to put in as many memories as I could. So I hope the journey will be understandable and people will feel what kind of emotion I was working with on each track.”

You can listen to ‘Introspection' in its entirety -- just as Tony intended -- below:

Romera is stoked to kick-off his North American tour at Monstercat’s family-friendly gathering before hitting other major cities across the US and Canada. “I heard it’s gonna be sick!” he adds.

However, the Lyon-based producer’s uplifting, main stage DJ set is just one reason why folks should clear their schedules for this weekend’s highly-anticipated festivities.

Music at Monstercat Compound

From 2PM to 9PM this Saturday, Monstercat Compound guests can finally revel in the return of live events. The fun-filled musical experience is helmed by the event’s largest and most diverse lineup to date. Monstercat artists make up a large swath of the day with names like the Thai-born Sabai and trance-leaning Eminence. One of the label’s newcomers, Catherine Bliemel aka OBLYVN who is a music producer and instrumental electronic artist from Edmonton, Alberta is set to make her stunning Compound debut, along with the latest Monstercat Silk signee Rylan Taggart and BC-favourite Sam Steele. The Funk Hunters will close out the stage with their unique brand of classic heady cuts and funk-infused bass jams.

Over on the Westwood Recordings stage, names like Kotek, Twitch darlings Jessu & Pyka, Case of the Mondays, Juno-nominated So Sus, Shylow and Sivz will bring the rumble, too. Defunk, who is lauded for his eclectic bass, dnb and electro-house stylings, will also grace this second stage with his unmatched energy.

The Westwood team also curated this year’s Compound compilation, just in case you’re looking for some high-octane tunes to blast as you prepare for the party. Volume up and click here.

Activities at Monstercat Compound

In addition to exceptional wubs, guests can expect top-tier grub! Vancouver’s finest food trucks will be in tow serving up eats in the breezy open-air setting.

Compound is also the perfect place to catch fresh art sightings. In fact, well-known local street artists will be live painting oversized wooden Monstercats as well as Red Bull fridges covered in canvas on-site for all to see.

Those who want to learn something new can tuck into an educational panel on career-building helmed by names from the lineup, like OBLYVN and So Sus, as well as Monstercat’s own Jon Winter and Ariel Swan of Slow Jam Sundays. If NFTs are more your speed, there’s programming for that too. Industry players like Fvckrender, Baeige, smeccea, Victor Mosquera and Nick Middleton of Midnight Agency and Westwood Recordings will be leading that discussion, and offering expert insights on the newest blockchain art developments. These informative options are sponsored by MusicBC.

Attendees seeking an alternative, creative experience can continue a Compound tradition by plunking away on the giant Monstercat street piano created by Roland Sound, gather a team and head over to the Gaming Zone for a four-person game of Rocket League, or kick back with an arcade classic like Mortal Kombat.

“We are thrilled to bring back Compound for its fourth year with brand new experiences and our biggest lineup yet,” says Jess Mitchell, Marketing Director at Monstercat. "After taking last year off, we’re looking forward to safely reuniting with our Vancouver community and showcasing incredible talent across music, art, tech, and education. Attendees can expect to see Monstercat artists making their Compound debut, as well as local veterans and rising stars across both stages."

Getting to Monstercat Compound

The festivities will take place at Monstercat HQ, 380 Railway Street, Vancouver on Saturday, September 18th from 2PM to 9PM, and will stretch down Railway and Dunlevy streets. Those planning to attend are encouraged to advance RSVP for free here. Premium passes to the event are close to sold out! For an elevated experience, grab one here.

Compound 2021 is made possible thanks to the generous support of partner Blueprint, sponsors Sapporo, MusicBC, Creative BC, DoBC Media, the Province of British Columbia, FACTOR, Government of Canada, Absolut, Strathcona, Atira, DailyHive, Makerlabs and charity partner Music Heals. A big thank you also goes out to our vendors, which include Nimbus School of Recording & Media, TableTutors DJ Academy, Tom Lee Music, Pioneer DJ Canada, Ableton, Vancouver Titans, Seattle Surver, Razer, V-MODA and The Gaming Stadium.

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