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Sled Island: The Festival That Changed Calgary Music | The Sonic Collective

Darren Scott of The Sonic Collective introduces a solo Sled Island 2026 segment. He frames Sled Island in Calgary as an affordable, volunteer-driven, multi-venue “festival of discovery” that prioritizes community, diversity, and intimate live experiences over headliners, algorithms, and phone-first “Instagram moments.” The episode traces Sled’s origins in 2007 under Zak Pashak, its evolution beyond indie rock (including a 2017 Flying Lotus curation), and its resilience after the 2013 Calgary floods, while spotlighting local voices: Conrad Montana of Les Gigantiques, Cartel Madras (discovered at Sled and signed to Sub Pop), K-Riz, Brock Geiger, and Sun Glaciers. Darren highlights venues, local sponsors, CJSW, and argues Sled’s impact is cultural—building connections, collaborations, and changing perceptions of Calgary. If you want to understand what Sled is all about and hear the story from local Calgary artists, then you came to the right place.

00:00 Welcome to Sonic Collective
00:41 Darren Goes Solo
01:08 Why Music Matters
02:33 Sled Island Vibes
04:31 Calgary Music Community
07:23 What Is Sled Island
09:08 Calgary Before Sled
12:13 Conrad Montana Memories
18:12 Festival of Discovery
21:03 Cartel Madras Breakthrough
31:29 Calgary Grows Up
34:38 K-Riz and the Family
40:59 Artists Watching Artists
41:32 K-Riz New Album Plans
42:54 Human Scale Festival
44:39 Venues And Local Sponsors
47:23 Serendipity And Safety
50:16 Volunteers And Traditions
52:18 Brock Geiger Interview
01:00:28 Creativity Without Boundaries
01:02:54 Sun Glaciers On Scene
01:08:22 2013 Flood Turning Point
01:10:54 Why Sled Matters Now
01:15:39 Final Takeaways And Thanks

Photo Credit: Kelly Shaw - Clipping performing at The Palace with Cartel Madras

The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/

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Conrad Montana (Les Gigantiques) on Sled Island, Calgary’s Music Scene & a 20-Year-Old Album Finally Released

Darren Scott of The Sonic Collective continues the Sled Island series with a conversation featuring Conrad Sawatzky (Conrad Montana of Les Gigantiques), a longtime Calgary musician who has been active in bands including Anxious Poets, the Shinolas, Cripple Creek Fairies, and The Deadly Skulls. Conrad shares his musical beginnings, his role in local preservation efforts like the Rat’s Nest Recording Society, and his early connection to Sled Island through Zach Peshack and Pop Montreal. He recalls standout Sled memories (Guided by Voices, Television, Yo La Tengo, and more), highlights Calgary venues supporting live music (Loophole, Blocks, Palomino), and discusses what makes Sled unique, including its diversity and discovery-focused playlists. The episode also covers Les Gigantiques’ newly released album—recorded 20 years ago, rediscovered by Trap One Records—now streaming, with vinyl coming in August and a release show August 23 at Blocks.

https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/

00:00 Show Intro
01:08 Sled Island Series Setup
02:13 Guest Conrad Montana
04:12 How We Met
04:48 Conrad Music Origins
07:12 Preserving Calgary Tapes
09:08 First Sled Island Connection
10:50 Favorite Sled Memories
12:53 Calgary Venues Today
14:43 Day In The Life
17:03 What Makes Sled Unique
20:17 Les Gigantiques Album Story
22:32 Sound And Stage Energy
24:44 Tour Plans And Sled 2026
26:15 Local Band Shoutouts
28:24 Advice For New Musicians
29:34 Show Plug And Farewell
30:57 Host Wrap Up
32:44 Subscribe And Closing Credits

The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/

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Cartel Madras on Sled Island, Sub Pop & Their New Era - The Sonic Collective Interview

Darren Scott of The Sonic Collective continues the Sled Island interview series with Cartel Madras, the Calgary-raised, Chennai-born sister duo Eboshi and Contra, discussing their roots, early hip hop influences, and rapid rise from SoundCloud demos to their 2018 debut show and a standout Sled Island performance that led to being noticed by Ishmael Butler and ultimately signing with Sub Pop Records. They reflect on Calgary venues and Alberta’s broader music scene, share artists they’ve discovered at Sled Island, and describe the festival’s unique audience, community, and role in creating career-changing opportunities. The duo previews their return with the new single “Evident 2 Me,” leading into a new chapter and a debut full-length album planned for 2027, plus upcoming festival and tour appearances.

Evident 2 Me Releasing June 18. Pre-save here: https://music.subpop.com/cartelmadrasandjide_evident2me

https://www.instagram.com/cartel.madras
http://www.youtube.com/@cartelmadras

Cartel Madras Bio

Beckoning you down narrow hallways and into smoke-filled, bass-pumping rooms, Cartel Madras returns with a new world and a new sound. After four years of experimenting, traversing, and creating since their 2021 EP, The Serpent & The Tiger, sisters Eboshi and Contra emerge from the smoke of a shattered global era with vengeance on their mind and adventure laid out before them. 

Building off their signature experimental electronic hip-hop foundation, the duo expands their sonic domain, summoning listeners onto the blazing hot tarmac of their motherland and into a seductive world, they call you to the beach, the streets, and the uncertainty of this timeline through a new sound. Radical, racy, and raucous as ever, Cartel Madras continue to unfold an uncharted epoch entirely their own.

Born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and raised in Alberta, Cartel Madras crafts a cultural syncretism of house, trap, punk, industrial electronics, and razor-sharp rap. Known for explosive live performances that channel the energy of underground queer and punk scenes, the duo have built a reputation for music that is confrontational, playful, cinematic, and impossible to pin down. After being scouted during their 2018 Sled Island performance, they signed to Sub Pop Records and have since released three acclaimed EPs alongside a growing body of striking visual work directed and produced through their own multidisciplinary practice.

Cartel Madras have shared stages with artists including M.I.A., JPEGMAFIA, Jack Harlow, Wu-Tang Clan, clipping., Mac DeMarco, and toured with Sudan Archives. In 2023, they returned to India to open for M.I.A.. Alongside their music career, Eboshi and Contra have expanded their artistic universe into film, installation, and visual storytelling through their production house FOREIGNERZ, creating immersive worlds that blur the boundaries between music, cinema, fashion, and contemporary art.

Their full-length studio album is set for release on Sub Pop Records & Royal Mountain Records in 2027.

00:00 Show Intro
00:42 Cold Open Track
01:12 Sled Island Series Setup
03:46 Origins and Influences
05:50 First Shows and Breakthrough
08:26 Discovered at Sled Island
11:00 Sub Pop Signing Story
14:00 Calgary Venues and Scene
15:47 Sled Island Discoveries
18:01 Festival Crowd and Etiquette
22:13 New Era and Upcoming Music
23:33 Shows and Tour Plans
25:05 Local Artist Recommendations
26:38 Final Thoughts and Farewell
28:03 Outro and Credits

Photo Credit: Michaela Neuman @Equidem

The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/

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Sun Glaciers’ Evan Resnik on Sled Island, Calgary’s Music Scene & New Album “Spiritual Content” | The Sonic Collective

The Sonic Collective hosts Darren Scott in a Sled Island interview with Evan Resnik of Calgary band Sun Glaciers, discussing the group’s origins from early basement jams to evolving into a steady lineup, their early acceptance into Sled Island in 2016, and Resnik’s influences from grunge and classic rock to post-punk and eclectic artists. Resnik reflects on discovering Calgary’s scene through Chad VanGaalen while living in France, describes Calgary as a diverse “melting pot” of genres, and explains what makes Sled Island unique, including its curation, guest curators, and energized crowds. They cover Sun Glaciers’ fourth album, “Spiritual Content” (released late March), its more stripped-down live-ready approach, the “Only Love” video shot at a house on Mission Road, upcoming festival dates like Dandy Fest, and local venue shout-outs including Palomino, The Legion, Dickens, and Ship & Anchor.

https://www.instagram.com/sunglaciers/
https://www.sunglaciers.com/

00:00 Show Intro
01:06 Sled Island Series
01:31 Meet Evan Resnick
02:47 Band Origin Story
04:51 Calgary Roots
05:18 Early Influences
06:20 Finding The Scene
07:28 Calgary Sound Today
08:41 Discovering Sled Island
09:27 Festival Connections
10:51 Playing Sled Crowds
11:45 What Makes Sled Unique
12:41 New Album Spiritual Content
13:48 Only Love Video
14:53 Upcoming Shows
15:17 Venues That Support Music
16:30 Diversity And Inclusion
17:01 Must See Sled Acts
18:18 Final Plug And Thanks
19:20 Host Wrap Up
20:58 Subscribe And Credits
21:27 Signing Off

Photo Credit: Sebastian Buzzalino

The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/

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Brock Geiger on Sled Island 2026, Calgary’s Music Community & His Debut Album “Some Nights” | The Sonic Collective

In this Sonic Collective Sled Island series episode, host Darren Scott interviews Calgary-based songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and audio engineer Brock Geiger ahead of Sled Island 2026. Brock shares how he started playing music in Calgary, learned touring and studio life through bands like The Dudes and Reuben and the Dark, and built his production practice into Studio B. He discusses making his debut solo album, Some Nights, beginning during COVID in his home studio and later expanding it at Sound City in Los Angeles with notable players. Brock reflects on Sled Island’s impact, memorable early festival experiences, what makes the festival’s audiences unique, and how it supports Calgary’s independent scene. He also previews current projects, his Sled Island 2026 sets, recommended local venues, and advice for emerging artists.

Upcoming Performances 2026: 

June 17 - Dickens (Sled Island)
June 20 - Dandy Brewing (Sled Island)
July 25 - Calgary Folk Festival (as RALEIGH)

https://www.brockgeiger.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brock__geiger/

00:00 Show Intro
01:03 Sled Island Series Setup
02:33 Brock Geiger Background
02:44 Calgary Roots Early Bands
04:16 Touring Session Work
05:37 Recording Producing Obsession
07:56 Studio B Launch
09:00 Solo Album Some Nights
10:09 Sound City Upgrade Sessions
12:06 Sled Island First Memories
14:34 Playing Sled Island Community
15:36 Festival Impact On Calgary
17:51 Sled Audience Energy
20:53 Networking Through Festival
21:59 Current Projects LP Two
23:01 Sled Island Shows Schedule
23:54 Best Calgary Venues
25:19 Must See Acts This Year
25:58 Where To Find Brock
26:33 Advice For Musicians
28:26 Wrap Up And Credits

Brock Geiger Photo Credit: Sebastian Buzzalino

The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/

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K-Riz on Sled Island 2026, Calgary Hip Hop, and One Way Ticket to Heaven | The Sonic Collective

In this Sonic Collective Sled Island series episode, host Darren Scott interviews Western Canadian artist K-Riz ahead of Sled Island 2026, discussing his journey from Edmonton and Toronto, his genre-blending sound (hip hop, R&B, pop, jazz, reggae), and his reputation for powerful live shows with K-Riz and the Family. K-Riz shares how he first connected with Calgary’s scene, his early Sled Island experience opening for Thundercat at the Palace Theatre, artists he’s discovered there, and how the festival helps build community and broaden hip hop audiences—especially through more artists performing with live bands. He also highlights key Calgary venues, his work as an educator at the National Music Centre, and details an upcoming album, Heaven, recorded at NMC, plus upcoming Sled Island and Stampede performances.

June 18th Sled Island @ The Ship & Anchor
Stampede Coke stage July 10th

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krizmusic/

00:00 Show Intro
01:07 Sled Island Series Setup
02:32 Meeting K-Rizz
03:25 Origins and Early Career
04:49 Edmonton to Calgary Move
05:50 First Sled Island Memories
06:22 Festival Discoveries
07:45 Hip Hop at Sled Island
09:23 Calgary Scene and Venues
12:28 Community and Collaboration
15:39 New Album and NMC Work
19:04 Upcoming Shows and Where to Listen
20:27 Sled Island Picks and Wrap
22:38 Closing Thanks and Sign Off

The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/

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On this episode of The Sonic Collective, we head to the wide-open prairies of Saskatchewan to explore the self-titled debut album from one of Canada's most distinctive modern voices: Colter Wall.

When this album was released, many listeners couldn't believe the deep, weathered voice coming from someone so young. Drawing heavily from the traditions of classic country, folk, and western music, Colter Wall arrived sounding less like a modern country artist and more like a forgotten legend from another era. His music evokes the spirit of artists such as Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Johnny Cash, and The Highwaymen, while telling stories rooted in the people, places, and culture of Western Canada.

Our panel was impressed by Wall's authenticity, his unapologetically Canadian perspective, and his willingness to embrace imperfections in a musical era often dominated by polished production, pitch correction, and manufactured perfection. There is a rawness to these recordings that makes you feel as though Colter is sitting just a few feet away, playing these songs live for you.

But does the album lean too heavily on the artists who inspired it? Do the slower tempos and similar song structures begin to blend together over the course of a full listen? And can an artist sound timeless while still bringing something new to the genre?

Join Darren, Scott, Scott and Alain of the Sonic Collective crew as we discuss one of the most unique debut albums of the past decade, debate its strengths and weaknesses, and explore why Colter Wall has become one of Canada's most respected voices in modern roots music.

This is Colter Wall. The album. The artist. And the legacy he may be building one song at a time.

Darren Scott and The Sonic Collective

Album Scores (Out of 5)

Combined Score
Recommend: 3.5
Influence: 3.5
Overall: 3.6

Darren's Score
Recommend:4
Influence: 3
Overall: 4

Scott C's Score
Recommend: 3
Influence: 3
Overall: 3

Scott G's Score
Recommend: 4
Influence: 5
Overall: 4.5

Alain's Score
Recommend: 3
Influence: 3
Overall: 3

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Scott led us into the neon‑lit, genre‑bending world of LCD Soundsystem with this month’s pick, This Is Happening — an album born from James Murphy’s insistence that it would be the band’s grand farewell. Whether or not that retirement stuck, the mythology around the record shaped how each of us approached it: as a supposed final statement from a restless, self‑aware creator who blurred the lines between punk, dance music, and art‑school irony.

Across the episode, we wrestle with the album’s contradictions — its meticulous production paired with intentional imperfections, its dance‑floor pulse wrapped in deadpan wit, its sprawling track lengths that test patience as much as they reward immersion. We trace the fingerprints of Bowie, Talking Heads, and the downtown New York scene, while also confronting our own generational biases and blind spots around electronic music.

This Is Happening sparked one of our most aligned discussions yet, but alignment doesn’t mean agreement. Did the album’s hypnotic repetition pull us in or push us away? Did Murphy’s self‑deprecating humor charm us or keep us at a distance? And did living with the record for a month change how we think about dance‑punk, electronica, or even the idea of a “final” album?

Tune in to hear where we landed — and why this one surprised all of us in different ways.

Scores

⭐ Scott C

Recommend: 4
Influence: 3
Overall: 2.5

⭐ Alan

Recommend: 4
Influence: 2
Overall: 3

⭐ Darren

Recommend: 4
Influence: 4
Overall: 4

⭐ Scott G

Recommend: 3
Influence: 2
Overall: 3

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Alain took us on a psychedelic trip back to 1969 with this month’s album selection, At Home by Shocking Blue. The Dutch rock band is best known for blending psychedelic rock, pop hooks, and a slightly roughened garage‑rock edge, anchored by Mariska Veres’s unmistakable, smoky vocals. While they’re globally remembered for the massive hit “Venus,” it’s on their second album At Home that the band’s true identity comes into focus—rawer, groovier, and more adventurous than their singles might suggest. The group would go on to influence artists as varied as Nirvana, John Mayer, and Bananarama, while drawing heavily from American and British rock, folk, and psychedelic music—a lineage we unpack in the episode 

At Home captures Shocking Blue stretching beyond radio‑friendly pop into bluesy psychedelia and proto‑hard rock, making it an essential snapshot of late‑’60s European rock and a key reason their influence quietly rippled far beyond the Netherlands. But did that influence shape our opinions as we lived with the album over the month? And did we feel this is a band worth making a fuss over? Tune in to find out.

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What happens when a single song completely stops you in your tracks? For Scott Coates, that moment came when an algorithm served up La Femme d'Argent, the hypnotic opening track from Moon Safari by French electronic duo Air. Built on a smooth, endlessly looping bassline and shimmering synths, it’s the kind of track that makes you hit repeat again…and again. Years later, it still shows up on playlists and still gets played two or three times in a row.

That moment of musical discovery leads us into February’s album pick: Air’s 1998 debut, Moon Safari. Often described as one of the defining albums of the downtempo and chill-out era, the record blends warm analog synths, vaporous vocals, and a polished hi-fi aesthetic that feels both retro and futuristic. Apple Music calls it an “effortlessly cool” breakthrough—an immaculate collection of suave Moog grooves and future-disco textures that helped shape the sound of late-90s lounge electronica.

In this episode we dive into the album track by track, exploring its dreamy atmosphere, distinctive production choices, and the famous use of the vocoder that gives parts of the record its robotic-yet-human character. Along the way we wrestle with a key question: is Moon Safari a genre-defining masterpiece, or is it better understood as something closer to what Darren calls “sonic wallpaper”—music that’s less about songs and more about setting a mood?

Reactions around the table are mixed but lively. Alain and Scott G found themselves returning to the album repeatedly and appreciating its layered textures and relaxed vibe, while Darren and Scott C were less convinced by the album as a whole—even if they were glad they took the journey. We also talk about how some critics describe the album as influencing not just a musical style, but an entire vibe—a sound that seeped into film, advertising, and late-night playlists around the world.

So pour a drink, dim the lights, and join us as we revisit Moon Safari: a smooth, spacey trip through one of the most iconic electronic albums of the late ’90s—and decide whether it’s a classic worth returning to, or simply a beautifully produced mood piece.

Scott Coates and the Sonic Collective Team

For access to show notes and more, visit us at https://TheSonicCollective.com

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