Year in Review: Best Blueprint events of 2015

Dec 20 2017, 3:26 am

2015 was quite a year for the Vancouver-based nightlife, events, and lifestyle company, Blueprint Events. With a massive number of successful music, art, and culture events and festivals stacked under their belt for the year, major props have to be given to their behind the scenes crew for making it all happen.

A tight knit collection of producers, DJs, community figures, and senior Blueprint staff members (and in some cases, a combination of all four) make up the behind the scenes Blueprint family. So as the first day of 2016 comes and goes, some key members of the Blueprint community took the time to reflect on some of their top 2015 moments.

  • Robbie Slade – DJ/Producer and Singer for Humans/Sabota and Creative Manager for Bass Coast Festival
  • Alvaro Prol – Founder/Principal at Blueprint Events
  • Ekali/Nathan Shaw – Producer and DJ at Flow-Fi Records
  • Felix Cartal/Taelor Deitcher – Producer and DJ
  • Expendable Youth/Matt Owchar – Marketing Manager and Talent Buyer for Blueprint, Seasons Festival, and Contact Festival and DJ/Producer at Mad Decent
  • Jason Sulyma – Marketing and Promotions for Fortune Sound Club and M.I.A. and DJ and Founder of Glory Days
  • Karli Fahlman – Events and Festival Marketing and Promotions Manager for Blueprint and FVDED In The Park
  • Johnny Jover – Celebrities Resident DJ and rotating DJ at Caprice, Venue and M.I.A.
  • Grayson Repp – Rotating Resident DJ at Celebrities, Caprice and Venue
  • Vanessa Wong – Marketing for Blueprint Live and Venue
Image: Brandon Artis

Image: Brandon Artis

Favourite artist of 2015

  • Robbie – Retiree on Rhythm Section International
  • Alvaro – Drake
  • Ekali – Roy Woods
  • Felix Cartal – Jeremih, Galantis and Zara Larsson
  • Expendable Youth – Ariana Grande because “One Last Time” is my favourite song of 2015
  • Jason – Yung Jake
  • Karli – Skepta – It was all about the Tim Westwood mix on repeat
  • Johnny – Steve Angello
  • Grayson – The Weeknd
  • Vanessa – Fifty Grand

Favourite album of 2015

  • Robbie – Chaos in the CBD – “Midnight in Pekham”
  • Alvaro – “Dirty Sprite 2” – Future and “In Return” – Odesza
  • Ekali – Bryson Tiller – “T R A P S O U L”
  • Felix Cartal – “Currents” – Tame Impala
  • Expendable Youth – “Purpose” – Justin Bieber
  • Jason – Walter TV – “Blessed”
  • Karli – Tie between “Dirty Sprite 2” – Future and “Elaenia” – Floating Points
  • Johnny – “Soft Parade” – The Doors
  • Grayson – “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late” – Drake
  • Vanessa – Martin $ky – “Everywhere But Here”
Image: Brandon Artis

Image: Brandon Artis

Breakout artist of 2015

  • Alvaro – Skepta
  • Ekali – Mura Masa
  • Felix Cartal – Kiiara
  • Expendable Youth – Skepta
  • Jason – Stormyz or Snapchat
  • Karli – Fetty Wap… Can’t be denied
  • Johnny – Jauz
  • Grayson – Marshmello
  • Vanessa – Jazz Cartier

Favourite Vancouver musician of 2015

  • Robbie – Jack J
  • Alvaro – Ekali
  • Ekali – DJ/producer – Shaunic; live act – We Are The City
  • Felix Cartal – Ekali
  • Expendable Youth – Pender Street Steppers – I had The Glass City/Golden Garden record on repeat all summer long
  • Jason – REFLEKTIONSS aka Jesse Taylor
  • Karli – Expendable Youth (for obvious reasons) and everything Derek Duncan has conceptualized for the Vancouver scene with Pacific Rhythm
  • Johnny – FedEx Parcel aka Felix Cartal
  • Grayson – Vanic/Ekali/Expendable Youth
  • Vanessa – Ekali/Tommy Genesis
Image: Brandon Artis

Image: Brandon Artis

Favourite track (for DJing or listening) of 2015

  • Robbie – My Favourite track for the dance floor in 2015 was Kollective Strumstrasse – “Sorry I Am Late”
  • Alvaro – “The Hills” – The Weeknd and “Temporary View” – SBTRKT
  • Ekali – DJing: Falcons – “Aquafina” ft. Goldlink; Listening: Jordan Rakei & Kiran Kai – “Maya”
  • Felix Cartal – Drake & Future – “Live From The Gutter”
  • Expendable Youth – Futuristic weird stuff Paul Devro always sends me, the Justin Bieber remix of “Hotline Bling” and “Watch Out” by 2 Chainz
  • Jason – Jamie XX – “Loud Places”
  • Karli – 3-Way tie between a heater, a rap banger and a guilty pleasure; “Free Floating (Matt Walsh remix)” – Daniel Avery, “Watch Out” – 2 Chainz, and “Magnets” ft. Lorde – Disclosure
  • Johnny – Dimitri Vangelis & Wyman – “ID2”
  • Grayson – Adventure Club – “Gold (Khøst Remix)”
  • Vanessa – Lord Linco – “Always Friends”

Favourite show you saw in 2015

  • Robbie – FVDED in The Park was my first time seeing The Weeknd; I loved it. Another was Jamie XX’s late show at The Commodore; he played amazing shit and the way he snuck his own tunes in was amazing.
  • Alvaro – All of our highlights this summer were really special for us and our teams at Blueprint and Live Nation. The Weeknd at FVDED, Drizzy at Squamish, Prydz at Seasons and coming from Contact this weekend was just insanity. Beyond grateful for how Vancouver has evolved in the vibes of their festival and arena interests.
  • Ekali – Odesza at Sasquatch
  • Felix Cartal – Patrick Watson at The Commodore
  • Expendable Youth – Kanye playing a power set as The Weeknd’s intermission at Coachella weekend 2. Hopefully he doesn’t suck in 2016!
  • Jason – Skepta at Fortune Sound Club tied with Drake at Squamish
  • Karli – Janet Jackson, or Miss Jackson if you nasty. Definitely have to go with Skepta as well because I wore all an all-white tracksuit.
  • Johnny – Alesso
  • Grayson – Gesaffelstein at Celebrities and Drake at Squamish
  • Vanessa – Vic Mensa at FVDED in the PARK
Image: Squamish Valley Music Festival

Image: Squamish Valley Music Festival

Favourite show you played in 2015

  • Robbie – Mexico City for Corona Capital comes to mind
  • Ekali – My favorite show of the year was a show I played in Paris, France with What So Not, Falcons and Basenji back in November
  • Felix Cartal – Contact Festival at BC Place
  • Expendable Youth – Opening for Skepta was an honour and I also got to play Lil Jon’s “What You Gon’ Do” instrumental into the actual song in its entirety there which is the hardest “not grime” grime beat there is
  • Jason – Hot Chip at Fortune Sound Club
  • Karli – Taking over one of the rooms at head office for an impromptu techno heater during our BP18YR friends and family appreciation party, LOL
  • Johnny – Celebs Pride
  • Grayson – Bingo Players

Biggest letdown of 2015

  • Robbie – I don’t want to say Jamie xx In Colour… but Jamie xx In Colour. I was expecting something earth shattering. Its a good album, but it disappointed me.
  • Alvaro – Uber still not coming to Vancouver
  • Ekali – 2015 was very kind to me so this response will probably seem kind of pathetic… but without a doubt, OSX El Capitan. Literally couldn’t make music for a week once I installed it!
  • Felix Cartal – The DJ Mag Top 100
  • Expendable Youth – Negativity
  • Jason – Five Guys Burgers being closed for 2 months and the closing of 303 Columbia
  • Karli – My couch-eating bull terrier
  • Johnny – Not getting the Yeezy 750 Boost
  • Grayson – Not being able to cop Yeezys 5x (Johnny agrees)
  • Vanessa – Hoverboards
Image: Blueprint Events

Image: Blueprint Events

What excites you the most for 2016

  • Robbie – New Humans release on February 26 with Mom + Pop!
    Alvaro – To see our young city grow into to becoming this world-renowned locale for up and coming music. Makes me hyped for 2016.
  • Ekali – Probably the fact that I’m kicking the year off with a 25 date world tour and then jumping straight into festival season. It excites me that the electronic industry is moving in a direction that is embracing change, both on a structural and musical level. Listeners seem to be approaching music with open minds and a lot of artists who don’t necessarily fit the “big room” bill now have great opportunities they may not have had a couple years ago. I feel like there are a lot of doors opening right now.
  • Felix Cartal – Finishing my next release and the third season of Rick and Morty
  • Expendable Youth – Positivity
  • Jason – More Five Guys Burgers and officially joining the Fortune Sound Club family
  • Karli – Sinking my teeth into FVDED In The Park aka #FVDED2016 and working hard with the team to blow our city’s minds this summer. Also looking forward to seeing how Saint West turns out and if daddy Yeezus will ever drop his album.
  • Johnny – Putting out some new music
  • Grayson – The return of FVDED at M.I.A. and continuing to push the boundaries of creating positive experiences with Blueprint Events #WATTBA
  • Vanessa – M83’s newest album slated for 2016
DH Vancouver StaffDH Vancouver Staff

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