Photo by Don Burns
It's not surprising if you've not heard of Boreal, even being in the Ontario area, even being engrossed in the Toronto techno scene. Boreal is a modest gathering of 200 people with a focus less on the music, more a focus on the rigorous journey getting to the gathering. The trip requires a nearly 3-hour drive by school bus, arranged by organizer Justin Martins, an hour-long canoe ride once off the bus and a hike across the hard, unforgiving land to an uncooperative, rocky spot to set up your tent which, as you'll find out over the next 3 days, doesn't provide much shade from the 90+ degree temperatures. So why would this challenging trip be worth it? Simply because once you've had a look around at the waterfalls, the trees, the clear water, and once you realize you've truly escaped, as Martins describes it, the "urban gravity", there's no where else worth being.
DJ Mike Gibbs does an excellent job of capturing the essence of Boreal in this 15-minute video with clips of his own set along with those of Kian & Mas, Aquatic Mind, Martin Fazekas, T-Minus and an engaging discussion with Justin Martins.
Watch:
