I’m here for the rave: ÎLESONIQ 2025 Review
Festival goers at the stage barricade
The cure for post Osheaga depression is raving and ÎLESONIQ did not disappoint. The weekend long festival is pure energy to a backtrack of techno and house under the raging Montreal sun.
Festival goers were clad in matching outfits, fishnets, bright colours and covered in sprouts — little plastic stems attached to clips (a token of love to one raver offered by another). In thirty-degree heat, it was less about what to wear to the festival and what didn’t have to be worn. Parc Jean Drapeau rivalled Copacabana with the cheeky bottoms and exposed abs.
As a novice to EDM, but someone electro-curious, I took full advantage of the festival’s variety to explore the vast landscape of electronic dance music.
Day 1
The festival started at 2 pm, but it wasn’t until Maddix’s 5:30 set that I felt that I had entered the liminal space of escapism that EDM is regarded for.
“The night starts with a choice: stay in their world or step into mine, no past, no future, just now.” Maddix’s voice blared through the speakers. Maddix's set showed an awareness of his audience and invited festivalgoers to lose themselves and embrace the trance. It was an early stand-out of the festival with high energy and positive vibes
“This isn’t about rules, this isn’t about genres, this is about now […] no thoughts, no weight, no world outside, just movement, just energy.” His blend of trance, techno, and big house became a sonic blanket that drowned out worry. And create a space of perfect safety for both those tripping and for those who just came to dance.
“Society says be quiet, behave, fuck that, I’m here for the rave.”
Rave culture is exceptionally welcoming. Upon entering the festival, I was greeted with a hug from a stranger, who later joined me for a photograph while I captured my festival outfit for Instagram.
Just as the world began to creep back in, along with my awareness of my questionable choice of footwear (heels are not meant for 8 straight hours of dancing), I was once again transfixed by LP Giobbi. Giobbi’s house set was hopeful and elevating; it was impossible to be anywhere but the moment as the bass and melodic synth created a dream-like space. The trance was only broken by the sound of a piano over a steady wave of dance music as Giobbi, a classically trained pianist, live jammed mid-mix.
For those who aren’t fans of heavy techno and are new to EDM, LP Giobbi is the perfect introduction to the world of dance music. Her set was light and melodic. Escapism at its finest and a complete contrast with the dubstep of Black Sex Tiger Machine that was playing on the main stage.
LP Giobbi at the decks
For the rest of the evening, the expert sets of Kaskade and subsequently John Summit on the main stage invigorated crowds, with pyrotechnics and smoke. Summit’s audience was captivated as people sang along to his popular songs. It is clear that he was a crowd favourite. A finance bro turned DJ, Summit is the modern American dream. Both sets were enjoyable and solidified my newfound identity as an EDM fan.
The most memorable set of the night, and the festival, was a thirty-minute set by Steve Aoki. Originally slated for earlier in the day, due to flight delays, Steve’s set was moved to the more intimate Coca-Cola stage. Aoki’s set was 30 minutes of elevation, community, and antics. Despite his shortened set, Aoki still found the time to launch sheet cakes into a crowd of people chanting “cake me”, and it was as much fun as you would assume it would be.
Steve Aoki set
Day 2
On Sunday, I arrived to the festival convinced that it wouldn’t be possible to have as much fun after the burnout of hours of dancing and walking but I was happy to be proven wrong.
Layton Giordani at the Coca-Cola stage was a highlight with a house-focused set with solid bass. The audience atmosphere at the particular show was phenomenal. Giordani’s music was apt for a club atmosphere, and experiencing it outside in the daylight was a great lead-in to the heavy hitters of the night.
Hailing from England, Chase and Status played a Drum and Bass Set with elements of UK Garage, grime, and breakbeat. The set felt like an import of the British EDM scene. No passport needed, just a lengthy walk to the Mirage Stage. As the sun set, the strobing lights were stark against the dark of the sky, and the deep blues and reds of the stage screen silhouetted the crowd of festival goers.
Two festival-goers in “I heart John Summit” T-shirts
Sofi Tuckker played a lighter, more pop-heavy set to close out the night on the Mirage Stage. It was a novelty against the backdrop of the rest of the festivals, with background dancers and lyrical sing-alongs.
I made my pilgrimage back to the Coca-Cola stage to catch the last half of Sara Landry’s hard techno set. Unique to any other set of the night, I was lost to the constant thrum of the bass as the colours shifted to the beat. Like a heartbeat, the bass is the forefront of Landry’s set, melody and lyrics shifting around the steady beat.
If you’re thinking of going to an EDM festival for the music, there is enough variety that you will find something that you are interested in. If you’re considering attending an EDM festival for the community, you'll be pleasantly surprised by how open people are. What surprised me wasn’t that I left ÎLESONIQ an EDM convert, already looking for my next dance music event, but that I hadn’t gone to one sooner.