Berlin-Based DJ Stream HÖR Comes To Toronto For Multiple Weeks of Events

A vital piece of European club culture is coming to Canada this fall. Berlin-based broadcast station HÖR is collaborating with Toronto events collective Industry Friends, bringing the independent online music platform to the country for the first time from November 4 to 17.

The event series will open up in collaboration with underground collective Format, hosted at an undisclosed warehouse, followed by Industry Friends’ all-female lineup at Parkdale Hall and closing with Pep Rally at Grand Bizarre. The events will showcase Canadian-based DJs and artists including Bambii, Chippy Nonstop, MIASALAV, Dent, Venus in Foil, Redliners, AADJA, and Karim Olen Ash, plus international DJs such as Jasmine Infiniti and Chloe Robinson.

There will also be a series of livestreams on weekdays, replicating HÖR’s instantly recognizable green-tinted bathroom tile DJ setup with a Toronto twist.

HÖR has been known for hosting livestreams of national and international DJs since 2019. With Berlin’s deep-rooted connection to electronic music, the station has grown a reputation for being a rite of passage for DJs across the world. Industry Friends officially launched in May 2023 and has already made a name for itself on the local cutting edge of underground electronic and techno music, but founder Simon More is excited about the opportunity to open up HÖR’s influential platform to Canadian artists.

“If you're not touring, or in Europe, it’s a huge expense,” says More. “The idea is to give Canadian artists a platform and a chance to play a set with [HÖR] without having to make the mission all the way there.”

Daytime livestreams will be hosted at community arts hub It’s Ok* Studios, where the line-up has yet to be announced. It will all broadcast live on HÖR’s site. More says fans of the broadcasts will recognize the look and feel.

“I still want to keep the aesthetic [HÖR] is famous for, and I know the DJs would want that too, so when they do their future booking they have that piece of content on their resume,” he says.

More says the collaboration with HÖR represents a shifting of Toronto nightlife from mega-clubs to grassroots party and rave collectives like Pep Rally, Hauterageous and Veneno. While online streaming has brought the culture to Canadians, more and more international platforms like HÖR and Boiler Room are also throwing in-person events in Toronto.

“Toronto has historically been known for…clubs with bottle service culture, but over the last few years the underground scene has been kicking off,” he says.

This is a sign that Toronto is on the radar for international DJs and collectives, which should cause more parties to build and grow.

“I want to continue this relationship so when Canadian artists pop off, inevitably [the scene here] will too," More says. "It’s about giving back to the city.”