For those of you in Montreal who haven’t spent too much time in the electronic music scene of Toronto, you’re missing out on a special project that has been blossoming over the past three years. Secret Society hosts a social collective at a weekly industry evening called Secret Society Sessions where people gather and network while eating good food and listening to great music. Throughout the summer, they also host secret beach parties that – purely through word of mouth – host upwards of 800 dancing souls.

Toronto has an overwhelming amount of talented musicians playing similar, groovy, deep sounds in unique ways. Their weekly Wednesday Sessions, which have succeeded for 140 weeks and collected over 500 hours of music, host this local abundance of talent. These events have recently shifted location to Socialite Bar in Kensington Market, and are one of the most consistent happenings in the city. As the night moves on, the energy transforms into the After Party and changes location to OneLoft.

This summer they traveled through the US with the Heavy Meta art car, a project they are largely a part of, which also made it to various nearby festivals throughout the summer, including Valhalla in Quebec, Elements in New York City, multiple Maker Fairs in the US, and Burning Man.

Secret Society believes that if the public sector would get on board with the artistic elements of the city, Toronto would have the potential to be an international hub for electronic music. Their dream for the future of the city is to have music soaring from patios; for now, they are trying to release as much music into the world as possible through their recorded events and their compilation albums. Each year they compile an LP with a selection of tracks produced by the artists who play at Sessions – a true extension of their events showcasing local talent. Selecting and creating a flow, they curate an atmosphere for the feelings and emotions that the music will evoke.

Last year they released their LP, SSS: The First Year, as a CD – a piece of art that is a tangible representation of supporting the city, its local artists, and the movement itself. This year, they are distributing their LP, SSS: Year Two, digitally. On December 17th, you’ll find a mix on their soundcloud featuring tracks from SSS: Year Two, and you can join the Secret Society community and celebrate the LP’s release on December 22nd at House of VR. Check out the event, here, and both of these albums along with other merch, here.

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Article by: Jillian

Jillian Fulton is a PhD candidate at York University in Toronto. Her work explores electronic music scenes of Toronto and Montréal. For more information on her project, find her on social media @chebakhadijah or email her at jillian@husasounds.com.

Photography by Ded Pixel.