Follow + Connect with Octopals Garden
[Interview by: Sarahi Pelayo]
Canadian EDM Art Collective Inspired To Grow Their Roots
Question #1- “Who is Octopals Garden? Why did you guys choose to create this during a pandemic?”
Answer- “Octopals Garden is a new Ontario, Canada based EDM Art Collective that we hope to further expand and build upon as we grow our “community garden”. We are all industry professionals who have been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and we aim to bring together artists not only provide them opportunity to grow, but also to develop camaraderie within our industry. We will be collaborating with other Collectives and Production companies, in the near future, and have big plans for the future of our Collective.”
“Octopals Garden Party livestreams feature all Canadian EDM producers and DJs. Our goal as a collective is to showcase Canadian artists on a larger platform, in order to bridge together each Province’s communities. Our livestreams aim to not only be diverse and inclusive, but also showcase every genre of EDM.”
___
Question #2 “Why the name Octopals Garden? How did this come to be?”
Answer- “We started with the idea of something “octo” related, as we had 8 team members. We stemmed off into calling ourselves the Octopals after our rave squad, because we are all friends in our personal lives, as well as being previous collaborators within the Canadian and American industries. When we were brainstorming on what to call our collective, the topic of community came up and our Content and Promotions Manager, Brad, mentioned the concept of how our community is like a garden. Thus, Octopals Garden was born with the hope to nurture our creative community now and in the future.”
___
Question #3 “Who will be allowed to join? And what is the process like?”
Answer- “The Octopals Garden Collective was born out of a conversation we had while driving, one day. There’s something about certain stretches of the 401 that just make you feel like you can be honest, and that’s what made this ride and idea so special. A lot of what we talked about that day surrounded our local music and creative communities, mainly how our friends (who are all industry professionals) have been impacted by the pandemic. Since then, our goal has been to continue our work in sourcing and nurturing creative talent for the behind the scenes work within the collective, in order to create a safe and welcoming space for additional members to call our Garden home. The process is accessed on a basis of what skill sets and art forms we are lacking, but we are constantly collaborating with other Collectives and Production companies in order to build relationships within our community, such as Electronic Current and Aviary Entertainment.”
___
Question #4 “What is the goal for Octopals Garden?”
Answer- “The Canadian music and art industries are very large, much like their American counterparts. However, Provincial EDM communities are not interconnected in the same way that American EDM communities are among the States. Our goal is really to bridge the gap between our communities and create a safe, supportive environment to cultivate those relationships for both artists and music industry professionals. We do hope to expand into in-person events and supporting additional art forms as the pandemic allows.”
___
Question #5 “Genre wise are you all-inclusive or specific to one type?”
Answer- “We are all inclusive to EDM genres, we aim to cultivate livestreams that support a variety of genres and sub-genres.”
___
Question #6 “How did this become an idea?”
Answer- “We chose to be inclusive to all EDM genres, due to Ontario and Quebec being heavily Dubstep focused music industries; we aimed to create an environment where Techno, House and other genres of EDM could also flourish with the support of the overall community.”
___
Question #7 Are there different people managing social media, talent scouting, logistics? How did you guys meet?
Answer- “We have 8 team members, and 8 active positions on our team. We have 3 Coordinators; Delina runs Digital & Social Media, Moe runs Graphic Design & Twitch, and Magie runs Talent and Logistics Coordination. We have 5 Managers that oversee Content Management and Promotions (Brad), Technology Management (Aram & Ben), and Talent and Artist Communications (Cas & Quin).”
“We met through mutual friends after finding a local EDM community on Twitter back in early 2019, from there we formed a rave squad and started going to shows in the Greater Toronto Area together. Following the start of the pandemic in 2020, we maintained our close personal friendships.”
___
Question #8 Will you guys be posting your talent’s recent release on a specific SoundCloud or streaming service of choice or will they be posting on their own?
Answer- “They post their own releases, but we do support and promote alongside every artist that we collaborate with on our livestreams through our collective’s social media platforms. We are supporting the artists on our livestreams by cultivating both Spotify and Soundcloud playlists featuring their most recent releases.”
___
Question #9 “Your first live stream will be in March, who will be playing?”
Answer- “Our livestream features all Canadian artists sourced from all Provinces, from British Columbia to Ontario and the islands.”
___
Question #10 “How well informed are you guys within the music industry?”
Answer- “Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we all were either freelance creatives, staffed under other production companies and music festivals as employees, or work-exchange volunteers. We have been active members of the music industry with 3-6 years experience.”
___
Question #11 “When COVID is over do you guys plan to host actual live festivals? Will these festivals only be based in your location or world wide?”
Answer- “We are aiming to host live shows following the pandemic and art meetups within our local community in the Greater Toronto Area, as well as collaborating with and formally supporting Collectives in other Provinces. We aim to continue “watering our Garden” as the pandemic allows by nurturing all art forms, should they choose to plant roots with us.”
___
Question #12 “Do you feel like Canadian artists don’t have much of a reach outside?”
Answer- “We find the issue is not outreach outside of Canada, as there are multiple successful Canadian artists that have branched off at an international level, but we have found that there is a large gap between Canadian communities that limits an artist’s reach on a local scale. We hope to fill in this gap through our Garden as it grows”
___
Question #13 “Social media wise where are you guys on?”
Answer- “We use Twitch to stream, and are on Instagram and Twitter. @Octopalsg on all media”
___
More Music:
Coming soon from Octopals Garden!
**Stay tuned for their next Octopals Garden Party Livestream is “420: Leagues Under The Sea” on April 16, 17 & 18, 2021 & they have a Electronic Current x Aviary Entertainment take over planned for May 2021!
_____
Share | Follow
Bookmark us in your browser.
Stay up to date, all the time!
_______
