| BLOND:ISH | |
| Origin: | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Genre: | House, techno |
| Years Active: | 2008–present |
| Label: | Kompakt Get Physical Music |
| Current Members: | Vivie-ann Bakos |
| Past Members: | Anstascia D'Elene Corniere |
Vivie-ann Bakos, known professionally as BLOND:ISH, is a Canadian music producer and DJ.[1] [2] [3] An environmental activist, she founded the nonprofit charity Bye Bye Plastics to eliminate single-use plastics from music venues and events.[4] [5]
BLOND:ISH was formerly a duo composed of Bakos and Anstascia D’Elene Corniere. Corniere split from the project in 2019.[6]
In 2007, Corniere and Bakos met at the Winter Music Conference. The duo began performing together in 2008 while running and DJing their residency called Blond:ish at the Cherry Nightclub in Montreal.[7] [8] Attendees and fans began referring to the duo by the name Blond:ish during these events.[9] In 2010, the duo moved from Montreal to London to focus more on music production and become immersed in the London music scene.
In 2012, BLOND:ISH released the Lonely Days EP on Noir Music.[10] After the release of Lonely Days, they were signed by Kompakt label boss Michael Mayer, who released their next EP, Lovers in Limbo, that same year.[11]
In 2013, the duo joined Get Physical Music, where they released their Strange Attractions EP with Thomas Gandey.[12] [13] As a result of their success, BLOND:ISH was commissioned to produce remixes for Depeche Mode,[14] Pete Tong, Maya Jane Coles, Kate Simko, and WhoMadeWho.[15]
From 2013 to 2014, the duo produced their next two Kompakt EPs, Inward Visions and Wunderkammer, from a makeshift studio near the Mayan temples in Tulum.[16] [17]
In 2015, BLOND:ISH released their first album, Welcome to the Present, under Kompakt.[18]
On 16 April 2016, the duo premiered their debut Essential Mix on BBC Radio 1, which they recorded in a makeshift studio in Tulum, Mexico.[19] [20] BLOND:ISH have released music on labels like Get Physical, Kompakt, Leftroom,[21] and Noir. The duo have also played at Burning Man.[22] [23]
In 2017, BLOND:ISH launched their record label ABRACADABRA, a self-described "female-powered collective" for music and art, which has given BLOND:ISH the opportunity to collaborate with various artists and explore creative endeavors within the electronic music landscape.[24] The label hosted an ABRACADABRA stage at Tomorrowland in 2018, taking over the LEAF stage for both Saturdays of the festival.[25] In 2020, the label launched the ABRACADABRA TV channel on Twitch to stream live music performances and "self-love programming" during the height of the COVID-19 lockdown.
In 2019, Anstascia D’Elene Corniere split from BLOND:ISH, while Vivie-Ann Bakos continued with the project.
The single "Waves" was a Juno Award nominee for Underground Dance Single of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2022.[26] They received a second nomination in the same category at the Juno Awards of 2023 for "Aye Aye".[27]
BLOND:ISH has played festivals and events like Flying Circus,[28] SXMusic Festival,[29] Symbiosis Gathering,[30] the BPM Festival,[31] ENTER.,[32] Mysteryland,[33] Ultra Music Festival,[34] and Wisdom of the Glove, Achoes from Agartha, Cercle .[35] Also at Burning man.
On 1 February 2022, it was announced that BLOND:ISH would perform at the 2022 SXM Festival on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin/Sint Maarten in March of 2022.[36]
Under the ABRACADABRA label, BLOND:ISH released a remix of "Sorry", on which Madonna is credited.[37] [38]
| Year | Title | Label | Reviews | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Miss You | Hi-Bias Records | ||
| 2015 | Welcome to the Present | Kompakt | ||
| 2019 | Higher Ground | |||
| 2022 | Sete[39] | Insomniac Records |
| Year | Title | Label | Reviews | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | "Truth in Me" (feat. Ted Alexander) | Noir Music | ||
| 2012 | Lonely Days EP | Noir Music | ||
| 2012 | Lovers in Limbo EP | Kompakt | ||
| 2012 | "In My Head" | Get Physical Music | ||
| 2013 | "Island Eyes" (feat. Balcazar & Sordo) | Hot Waves | ||
| 2013 | "Town Joker" | Get Physical Music | ||
| 2013 | Strange Attractions EP (feat. Thomas Gandey) | Get Physical Music | ||
| 2013 | Inward Visions EP | Kompakt | Resident Advisor [40] | |
| 2014 | Wunderkammer EP | Kompakt | Resident Advisor | |
| 2014 | Wizard of Love EP (feat. Shawni) | Rebirth | ||
| 2015 | Endless Games | Kompakt | ||
| 2021 | "Waves" (featuring Grace Tither)[41] | Spinnin' Records | ||
| 2022 | "Hold Tight"[42] | Spinnin Records | ||
| 2022 | "Tra Tra" | Insomeniac Records | ||
| 2022 | "Sete" | Insomenaic Records | ||
| 2023 | "Call My Name"[43] | Original |
| Year | Title | Artist | Label | Reviews | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | All In Vain (BLOND:ISH Remix) | Peter Zohdy, Michael Senna | Two Birds | ||
| 2012 | Till We Die (BLOND:ISH Remix) | Tomas Barfod feat. Nina Kinert | Get Physical Music | ||
| 2012 | Flash of Light (BLOND:ISH Remix) | Luca C & Brigante | Southern Fried Records | ||
| 2012 | Dawn (BLOND:ISH Remix) | Pete Tong feat. S.Y.F. | Defected | ||
| 2012 | In The Night (BLOND:ISH Remix) | Sivesgaard | Eklektisch | ||
| 2013 | Go On Then (BLOND:ISH Remix) | Kate Simko | Leftroom | ||
| 2013 | Everything (BLOND:ISH Remix) | Maya Jane Coles feat. Karin Park | I/AM/ME | ||
| 2014 | Should Be Higher (BLOND:ISH Remix) | Depeche Mode | Free Track/Columbia Records | ||
| 2014 | Beautiful Girl (BLOND:ISH Remix) | Junge Junge feat. Kyle Pearce | Get Physical Music | ||
| 2015 | Ember (BLOND:ISH Remix) | WhoMadeWho | Get Physical Music | ||
| 2015 | Sputnik (BLOND:ISH Remix) | Public Service Broadcasting | Test Card Recordings | ||
| 2019 | Samba Sujo (BLOND:ISH Remix)[44] | Born Dirty and Diplo | Higher Ground | ||
| 2019 | Give Dem (BLOND:ISH Remix) | Kah-Lo and Diplo | Higher Ground | ||
| 2023 | Sorry | BLOND:ISH, Madonna, Eran Hersh & Darmon | Insomniac Records | ||
| 2023 | Es un secreto (Hugel Remix) | HUGEL, Dalex | Es un secreto | ||
| 2024 | Fortnight (BLOND:ISH Remix) | Taylor Swift, Post Malone | Republic Records |