TOYTOY

Since 2008 TOYTOY has played an integral role in the South African dance music landscape, but not everyone knows just how much history is attached to the brand. Way back in the early 2000’s Fabio and Dogstarr began throwing a series of parties called Who Needs Sleep Tonight. Featuring undergound artists such as Isolee, the ethos and idea behind the party series was quite particular. They planned to showcase artists who they felt best embodied the underground dance music they felt passionate about, with the aim of educating and entertaining the Johannesburg club going public. It was this series of events that gave birth to what we know as TOYTOY today.

The TOYTOY brand itself emerged in 2008 with the addition of fellow co-founder G-Force. Together the trio sat down and laid out the idea for a club night the likes of which had never been seen before. Featuring an extremely high-calibre of local and international artists, as well as twisted décor, TOYTOY would be a way for clubbers to escape the norms of what Johannesburg nightlife offered at the time.

Since then the brand has gone from strength to strength. It began by answering clubber’s demands for what TOYTOY had to offer, and switched from a one off event to a weekly format. Then came the addition of partners and resident DJs Sound Sensible and later Andi Dill, eventually ending with the brand finding a permanent home at And Club in Johannsburg where it has gone on to become a prominent feature in the city’s weekly party calendar.

This is largely thanks to that same uncomprising music policy and sound production values, combined with a list of artists that reads like a who’s who of the local and international techno scenes. So far the brand has hosted artists such as Kill The DJ’s Ivan Smagghe and Chloe, Efdemin, Scuba, Konrad Black, The Hacker, Agoria and Kevin Saunderson, among others, backed by residents Fabio, G-Force, Dogstarr, and the aforementioned Sound Sensible and Andi Dill. But the brand isn’t bound by the walls of a club. As a collective the residents have gone on to showcase TOYTOY’s unmistakeable sound on festival stages across South Africa. These include Oppikoppi, Rocking the Daisies, Mieliepop, The Brickfields Music Festival and The Wolfkop Weekender.