Written by Sophia Lall
Tucked away on Slater Street, City at Night artist Noah Perkins spins vinyl records on a table engulfed in multi-channel DJ controllers. A crowd watches as he physically fuses electronic and live beats together.
“To blend this natural instrumentality within the digital realm… it’s very rewarding,” Perkins says.
In a generation shaped by the digital– electronic artistry, mind-bending technology, and music that fits in your pocket — are the “traditions” of music now in the past?
Noah Perkins. Photo provided.
“Nothing has killed live music and nothing will kill it,” says Bluesfest founder Mark Monahan. “There’s no end to the growth of people who want to go out and see live music, and for more traditional artists there’s never been a better time.”
But virtual concerts, DJ sets, and hybrid experiences which connect live and digital elements — such as newfound genres, sound design, and social media — have been etching their name into music evolution.
Rainbow Bistro, a musical hub operating since 1984, faced possible closure after a difficult three years of minimized business, but dodged demise through digital means.
“Through social media I was able to keep people connected” says Tracie Sivier, general manager and booking agent of the beloved venue. With three years of isolation during the pandemic musical artists were urged to produce and engage with their art digitally from home.
The Rainbow’s comeback found momentum through digital tools such as social media and the introduction of new genres.
“In 2025, we can safely say that the digital aspect of live music is just as important as the music,” she says.
“It’s important to keep pushing those boundaries of what performance is,” says Perkins, an Ottawa based artist. “There’s so many tools out there, you can do a whole show on a laptop.”
Perkins is a DJ, part of electronic/hyper-pop band los3r, and has begun “16:9,” a solo atmospheric and vocal experience that blends musical motifs, breaking new ground in the live-electronic scene in Ottawa.
Noah Perkins going solo with a chill DJ set. Photo provided.
Jon Evanchick, owner of music venue Live on Elgin, says that he is noticing a trend of digital creativity popping up, and he welcomes the mingling between traditional and modern musical forms into his venue.
“ I like to see how creative an artist can get with recreating their digital space on stage” said Evanchick. “There’s been a good blend in technology helping analog artists.”
Nowadays, contemporary genres like EDM, ambient, and house music are hitting a peak, reaching a 17 per cent growth post-Covid, according to the 2024 International Music Summit Business Report.
Summer 2024 — BRAT summer for many — brought digitized genres to the forefront of popular culture. Charli XCX pushed for an immersive relationship between electronic music and live performance. Her Grammy-winning album, “BRAT,” arguably transformed the current music scene: shedding light on the intricacies of hyper-pop with bright neon green marketing.
“Artistry is tied to many things other than just the music,” says Perkins. “It’s the identity that you want to show, the music that you play, the attitude that you want to show people, and it’s how you express that, it’s more than how you set it up.”
Despite digital and traditional musics’ interdependent bond, some venues still follow a more traditional model, preventing a blended musical experience.
“A lot of the venues are centred around this idea that we need to have a full instrumental kit,” says Perkins. “Live music is important to be described as not just a band.”
Perkin’s instrument of choice is an electronic mixing board approximately the size of two laptops pushed together, covered with knobs, dials, and different cords. His ideal set up goes as follows: Perkins, his soundboard, and a mic on the floor of a stage. That’s it. Electronic setups are minimalistic. But for DJs and artists like Perkins whose setup adopts a more “unconventional” approach, accommodating venues are necessary.
Despite the ongoing juxtaposition between digital and traditional forms of music Perkins is trying to change that narrative — spinning records being a primary method.
“The vastness of digital media is sometimes overwhelming because you can play whatever you want, you can download something at the speed of whatever. But, playing on vinyl it’s been fun to experiment with a limited selection of what you truly love and what you find.”
Perkins in their band. Photo provided.
Spinning vinyl encourages mingling between traditional and digital forums challenging the boundaries which limit an inclusive music experience.
“ I think it’s fun to imagine how to like digitize everyday things,” he says. “I think there was a time where it was kind of confusing, but now it’s starting to make sense for people.”
One place to challenge boundaries is at festivals.
“It gives us a chance to bring in a lot of artists, not just the headliners, but artists that wouldn’t normally play live,” says Monahan.
Due to the newfound inclusivity of festival culture, artists who blend traditional analog and digital are seeing an easier process coming into formerly traditional musical spaces. With electronic and digital forums making their mark in the live world some are concerned about a new approach to live music.
“Some people will get sensitive about it and assume we’re losing the humanness because it’s so locked in, it’s so quantized … but the more you know, the less scary it is,” digital composer Andrew Tsang explains. Tsang is a classically trained artist but has developed his career in digital music composition/ engineering, and music pedagogy. “You can’t have a one size fits all take anymore on the music industry as it’s kind of singular,” he says. “It’s impossible to completely divorce technology from even the orchestra now.”
With change comes concern but regardless of digital production many involved in the industry like Monahan believe the human aspect remains at the core of music.
“The live experience is not just about listening to music” Monahan says. “It’s about listening to music with other people. It’s this shared experience and that’s what makes it special no matter the medium.”
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