Low End Theory (999HEARD x Refraction)

/lineup

Kem Kem
Sonic Griot
Jelz
999ADJ

999HEARD and Refraction invite you to the Toronto stop of the IRL Tour for Low End Theory, a night dedicated to the expansive and evolving electronic sounds of the African continent and its diaspora.

We are thrilled to welcome Kem Kem joining us from the UK. Known for her technical precision and sets that traverse Lagos-inspired grooves, heavy club edits, and UK bass, Kem Kem brings a global perspective to the Toronto underground.

Supporting the night is a heavy-hitting lineup of local favourites: Sonic Griot, Jelz, and 999ADJ.

This event is a collaboration with IRL, a platform that connects you to artists and venues around the world. In the spirit of the IRL mission, your presence is your participation, discover the sound, check in, and earn rewards just for showing up and being part of the community.

We’ll be serving free jollof rice starting at 11 PM while supplies last, so come early to fuel up for the dancefloor.

Olukemi Lijadu, who performs as KEM KEM, is a Nigerian artist, DJ, music producer, and filmmaker whose work moves fluidly across sound, memory, and the moving image. Rooted in the idea of sound as a living archive, her practice explores how Black diasporic histories travel and transform through music.

Drawing from her heritage across Nigeria, the Caribbean, and Brazil, Kem Kem creates deeply intentional and emotionally resonant sets that blend global club sounds with traditional rhythms and archival influences. Her DJing is both intuitive and research-driven, moving between past and present to create immersive, story-led sonic experiences on the dancefloor.

She has performed internationally in cities including Tokyo, Brussels, Nairobi, and New York, and has opened for artists such as Tems, Skepta, and Princess Nokia. Her work has featured on platforms like Boiler Room, NTS Radio, and the Venice Biennale, and she has produced sound for institutions including Tate Britain and Nigeria Imaginary.

Her recent major solo exhibition at Spike Island, built around her film Feedback, explores the legacy of West African drumming traditions within contemporary electronic music, tracing how Yoruba rhythmic structures echo across Afro-Caribbean forms and into genres like Chicago house.

A 2024 Villa Albertine resident, Kem Kem researched the connections between Chicago house and West African music. She was awarded the CIRCA Public Vote Prize in 2025, received the VISIO grant in 2026, and is currently in residence at SITE, Toronto.

Sonic Griot is a DJ and multidisciplinary creative who weaves the influences of her pan-African upbringing into her work and performance.

She’s one third of Afrique Like Me.

Although she has a broad-based taste in music that spans numerous genres, Sonic Griot is best known for curating vibes with African alternative and electronic dance music, her eclectic aesthetic, love of dance, energetic performance and deep connection with her audience.

Drawing inspiration from electronic African, House, Techno and more; Jelz is a Toronto based open format DJ that will make you move. Through her sets, she strives to spread the sound of global dance while playing something for everyone. If you’re not familiar, you’ll be a fan by the end of a Jelz set.

999ADJ is a Toronto-based DJ, researcher, and archivist exploring Black music histories through sound and storytelling. As the founder of 999HEARD and 999HEARDRADIO, her multidisciplinary practice focuses on the multitude of sounds that come from Africa and the diaspora. Merging technical precision with deep archival research, her sound spans the spectrum of breaks, electro, and techno, centering the dance-floor as a space for collective memory and radical joy.

Date: June 12
Time: 11 PM – Late

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