The Toronto Light Festival is back again for the fourth year in a row, at the Distillery District this winter. With the intention of showing off the art of light, this festival boasts twenty interactive light installations, designed by a combination of local and international artists. Essentially, this is your chance to bundle up, bring your camera and take some insta-worthy pictures. Plus, all of these lighting displays are accompanied by information about the artists and the meaning behind their work.  Despite this annual event being so popular, it is still free to attend! Now you have no excuses to

(image credit: CD Projekt Red) Cyberpunk 2077 is easily one of the most highly anticipated games of 2020, from its promising premise of an open world RPG in a dark, dystopian future to its star-studded celebrity cameos featuring a smouldering Keanu Reeves. Originally announced to come out on April 16th, fans have eagerly been waiting to get their hands on a copy. However, due to the fact that the current-gen consoles aren’t powerful enough to run the game properly, the studio behind the title, CD Projekt Red (most notably known as the creators of the Witcher series), has delayed its

“Dreamville’s stacked like the warriors”, claimed rapper and Dreamville founder J. Cole back in 2018.  A year prior, Dreamville had signed their most recent artists, JID and EarthGang. The label’s roster was growing, and although Dreamville was a household name, the comparison to the Golden State Warriors seemed a little far-fetched to many in the hip-hop community. Then came Revenge Of The Dreamers III, the third installment of compilation albums put together by Dreamville. The recording sessions in January of 2019 generated a huge buzz on social media, and once the album dropped in July of the same year, the

I came across For Jane when I least expected to come across a new favourite band  – in my Intermediate Audio Production lab. Our lab assistant, Julia Wittmann, graciously let our class use her band’s original tracks to learn how to mix, master, and record live. Believe me when I say that by the first time I heard Tom, their song about male predators, I was absolutely hooked.  For Jane was formed back in 2016 by guitarist/vocalist Julia Wittmann and vocalist Natalie Panacci in Steven Ehrlick’s Business of Music II course when they were given the task to manage a

Awards season is upon us, and it’s a chance for some of the best films of 2019 to be recognized. Since the Oscar nominations recently came out, a lot of people have been voicing their opinions on what was snubbed. And here I am, ready to argue in 350-500 words in a review of why the Academy snubbed The Farewell. Directed by Lulu Wang, The Farewell follows the story of Billi, a Chinese born woman, who now lives in the United States with her parents. Billi has a close relationship with her Nai Nai, who she later finds out has cancer from her

Check out these places in downtown Toronto, next time you’re craving for bubble tea ANSWER TEA 439 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2G6   How creative can you get with bubble tea? Answer Tea transform a simple bubble tea into a cute piece of art that’s way too adorable to drink. They have a special design printer that allow us to upload our favourite photo, and get it directly printed right on our bubble tea! It was super super cool as I watch them printing the design on top of a thick layer of cheese foam. My friend printed her

Nothing gets you in the holiday spirit like the Toronto Christmas Market. As soon as we hit November and the weather gets colder, the first thought in my mind is: when am I going to find time to go to the Christmas Market? Especially since the snow arrived earlier than anticipated this season, my eagerness to drop by has been overpowering my need to study for exams. Every year, the Distillery District gets festive from November 14 to December 22 and numerous vendors set up shop, selling handcrafted products and the best winter weather comfort food. I love the holidays

Last week, Toronto Life named Masai Ujiri, the Toronto Raptors President of Basketball Operations the city’s Most Influential Person. Although I was personally thrilled about this decision, a quick social media search proved that the primary reaction for many Torontonians was simply “Who?”. After an initial wave of surprise, I soon reflected and remembered that, understandably, the majority of the population does not perceive the world through a sports lens and may not be aware of Ujiri and his accomplishments.  Masai Ujiri inherited a franchise that was most well-known for its aggressively consistent mediocrity, and the team was often viewed

There’s something about pizza that makes it special. It’s comforting and delicious, and there’s something innately social about the entire endeavour. And after working in a pizza shop for five months, it’s something I am intimately familiar with.  When searching for pizza on campus, most people head to Blaze Pizza, located at Yonge-Dundas square. They’ve got great pizza, but it’s pretty expensive, and this whole “personal-sized” pizza trend annoys me to no end, as it takes away the entire sharing aspect of this community themed food. But if you’ve got some extra money to spend and want a quality gourmet

Caroline Polachek has been in the industry for a while. Forming in 2005, her former band, Chairlift, found success through their blend of art pop, glittering synths, and indie sentiments. With the band breaking up in 2017, Polachek is now continuing with that same blend, but on her own terms. With the release of Pang, Polachek continues to show her fantastic musicianship and artistic vision. A much moodier release than her previous work in Chairlift, she sings about love and the first feelings that come with it, jealousy, and doubt. With the soaring and airy “Hit Me Where It Hurts,”

Black Friday has just come right around the corner! Whether you’re shopping for yourself or for your loved ones, here are some great deals with one of Canada’s top retail stores that are offering special deals and discounts for you to stay updated with the latest fashion trends and styles for the new year to come right along. 1) Aritzia has a 5-day Black Friday sale starting on November 29th. Everything in-store and online and all of Aritzia’s sub-brands such as Wilfred, TMI and Talula are having a sale for up to 50% off select items. If you’re looking to

Steam Ever since its release on November 8th, it’s become virtually impossible to explore the gaming sphere without hearing about Hideo Kojima’s widely anticipated Death Stranding. Highly regarded as one of the most acclaimed video game designers in the industry for his Metal Gear Solid series, Kojima is known for his highly cinematic game direction. During his childhood, he developed a strong passion for film and literature, and it shows in his signature cut-scenes that reference the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, George Romero, and Orson Welles.  His newest bizarre masterpiece takes place in a post-apocalyptic world torn apart by a

You’re on your 10th commute of the week, scrolling through your music library and just can’t seem to find something to listen to. You decide to head over to the search bar and look for something new, but you have no idea what to look for. You scroll through some playlists that you’d like, but they’re full of stuff that’s already in your library. So what do you do? You settle for something that doesn’t excite you anymore. We’ve all been there. You know that there is a near infinite amount of music at your fingertips, but you can’t seem

Reelasian.com Others: Ms. Purple My friend, an intellectual: Ms. Violet Beauregarde In an effort to watch more films about Asian American stories, I attended the Reel Asian Film Festival this month. The film I was most excited to see was Ms Purple, directed by Justin Chon. Yes, the guy who was briefly in Twilight, is now a director. This is Chon’s sophomore feature film after the success of his first film, Gook, premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2017. The film stars Tiffany Chu as the protagonist, Kasie, as she is stuck on LA’s Koreatown working as a karaoke hostess

Toronto is home to a handful of high-profile artists, but there’s always a hunger and thirst for something more. Something different. The city is a breeding ground for great independent artists and bands and maybe they don’t catch your eye, but this one should. Goodbye Honolulu, an up and coming Rock and Roll band, is formed by Max Bornstein on drums, Fox Martindale and Emmett Webb on guitar and vocals, Jacob Switzer on vocals and bass. The members all grew up in Toronto – Emmett and Max from the East end and Jacob and Fox from the downtown area -and formed