Vivie-ann Bakos, born October 16, 1988, known professionally as BLOND:ISH, is a Canadian DJ, producer, and environmental activist."Blond:ish Profile". Kompakt. Known for high-energy music, she is an artist whose work focuses on inspiring change, with a stated mission to help one billion people live their best lives. She founded the nonprofit charity Bye Bye Plastic to eliminate single-use plastics from music venues and events. She is the founder of the Abracadabra event series and record label, headline resident at Pacha Ibiza, and co-founder of the nonprofit Bye Bye Plastic Foundation.
Early life and education Bakos was born in Stoney Creek, Ontario and moved to Montreal, where she studied computer science at McGill University.
Origin In 2007, Bakos formed BLOND:ISH with Anstascia D’Elene Corniereat the Winter Music Conference. The act began performing in 2008 while running and DJing a residency called Blond:ish at the Cherry Nightclub in Montreal. In 2010, BLOND:ISH moved from Montreal to London to focus more on music production and become immersed in the London music scene. While in London, they worked with veteran engineer and producer Ian Mckenzie, further refining their sound and expanding their production skills.
Recording history In 2012, BLOND:ISH released the Lonely Days EP on Noir Music."Lonely Days EP". Discogs. After the release of Lonely Days, the act was signed by Kompakt label boss Michael Mayer, who released the next EP, Lovers in Limbo, that same year."Lovers In Limbo EP". Discogs.
In 2013, the act joined Get Physical Music, where they released their Strange Attractions EP with Thomas Gandey."Strange Attractions EP feat. Thomas Gandey". Discogs. As a result of their success, BLOND:ISH was commissioned to produce remixes for Depeche Mode,"Should Be Higher Blond:ish Remix". "Soundcloud". Pete Tong, Maya Jane Coles, Kate Simko, and WhoMadeWho."Blond:ish Remixes" Discogs.
From 2013 to 2014, the duo recorded two more Kompakt EPs, Inward Visions and Wunderkammer, from a makeshift studio near the Mayan temples in Tulum with McKenzie. From 2011 to 2023, McKenzie worked closely with BLOND:ISH as a production engineer and songwriter, contributing to various studio projects and supporting key stages of their creative development.
In 2015, BLOND:ISH released the first album, Welcome to the Present, under Kompakt.
On 16 April 2016, the act premiered their debut Essential Mix on BBC Radio 1, which they recorded in a makeshift studio in Tulum, Mexico. BLOND:ISH have released music on labels like Get Physical, Kompakt, Leftroom, and Noir. The act have also played at Burning Man.
In 2019, Corniere split from BLOND:ISH, while Bakos continued the project with Ian Mckenzie.
The single "Waves" was a Juno Award nominee for Underground Dance Single of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2022.David Friend, "Montreal’s Charlotte Cardin a breakout contender at Juno nominations". Toronto Star, March 1, 2022. They received a second nomination in the same category at the Juno Awards of 2023 for "Aye Aye".Jenna Benchetrit and Arti Patel, "The Weeknd picks up 4 wins on Junos 2023 opening night". CBC News, March 11, 2023. "Call My Name" was awarded the Underground Dance Single of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2024.
On 14 February 2025 the sophomore album Never Walk Alone was released. The album marks the first physical release for BLOND:ISH. The vinyl release features a unique component called BioVinyl, a recyclable material comparable to conventional vinyl pressing. The BioVinyl release furthers the work of charity Bye Bye Plastic, to address the use of fossil fuels in the production of vinyl records.
Performances BLOND:ISH has played festivals and events like Flying Circus, SXMusic Festival, Symbiosis Gathering, the BPM Festival, ENTER., Mysteryland, Ultra Music Festival, and Wisdom of the Glove, Echoes from Agartha, Cercle .
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 2022.
In 2024 BLOND:ISH performed at the Yuma Tent at Coachella, Rock in Rio, and Tomorrowland festival.
On 3 December 2024, it was announced that BLOND:ISH would perform at Electric Forest in June 2025.
Abracadabra In 2017, BLOND:ISH launched her record label, brand, and event series ABRACADABRA. Under the ABRACADABRA brand they have held brand events in Miami and New York. The label hosted an ABRACADABRA stage at Tomorrowland in 2018, taking over the LEAF stage for both Saturdays of the festival. In 2020, the label launched the ABRACADABRA TV channel on Twitch to stream live music performances during the COVID-19 lockdown.
In 2025, Abracadabra held an 11-week headline residency at Pacha Ibiza, running every Wednesday from May through July. Billboard described the residency as "a landmark moment" for the venue. The residency returned for a second season in 2026. Events have also been held in Miami, New York City, Los Angeles, Tulum, Paris, Buenos Aires, and Mykonos.
Bye Bye Plastic Foundation Bakos co-founded the Bye Bye Plastic Foundation with Camille Guitteau in January 2020, along with its #PlasticFreeParty movement to promote sustainability in the music industry. The charity aims to eliminate single-use plastics from the music industry by 2025 by promoting eco-riders for artists and providing resources for promoters to encourage sustainable practices.
The organization's Eco-Rider, a sustainability clause for touring artists' performance contracts, has been adopted by more than 1,500 DJs, preventing over 325,000 single-use plastic bottles from circulation. In September 2025, Bye Bye Plastic launched the Zero Plastic Club: NYC initiative during Climate Week NYC, with the goal of eliminating 42 tons of annual plastic waste from New York's nightlife industry.
Discography Albums YearTitleLabelReviews2015Welcome to the PresentKompakt2025Never Walk AloneInsomniac Records
Singles and EPs YearTitleLabelReviews2011"Truth in Me" (feat. Ted Alexander)Noir Music2012Lonely Days EPNoir Music2012Lovers in Limbo EPKompakt2012"In My Head"Get Physical Music2013"Island Eyes" (feat. Balcazar & Sordo)Hot Waves2013"Town Joker"Get Physical Music2013Strange Attractions EP (feat. Thomas Gandey)Get Physical Music2013Inward Visions EPKompaktResident Advisor "RA Inward Visions EP Review" Resident Advisor.2014Wunderkammer EPKompaktResident Advisor "RA Wunderkammer EP Review" Resident Advisor.2014Wizard of Love EP (feat. Shawni)Rebirth2015Endless GamesKompakt2021"Waves" (featuring Grace Tither)Spinnin' Records2022"Hold Tight"Spinnin Records2022"Tra Tra"Insomniac Records2022"Sete"Insomniac Records2023"Call My Name"Original 2024"Can't Let You Go" (feat. Bantu)" Insomniac Records2024"Shout It Out" Insomniac Records 2024"Different Way (feat. Zeeba)" Insomniac Records 2024"Never Walk Alone (feat. Stevie Appleton)" Insomniac Records 2024"Higher" with Black Circle Insomniac Records 2024"The Cure" (with KeeQ feat. Chloe Paige)Defected2025"Self Love" Insomniac Records
Remixes YearTitleArtistLabelReviews2012 All In Vain (BLOND:ISH Remix) Peter Zohdy, Michael Senna Two Birds2012 Till We Die (BLOND:ISH Remix) Tomas Barfod feat. Nina Kinert Get Physical Music2012 Flash of Light (BLOND:ISH Remix) Luca C & Brigante Southern Fried Records2012 Dawn (BLOND:ISH Remix) Pete Tong feat. S.Y.F. Defected2012 In The Night (BLOND:ISH Remix) Sivesgaard Eklektisch2013 Go On Then (BLOND:ISH Remix) Kate Simko Leftroom2013 Everything (BLOND:ISH Remix) Maya Jane Coles feat. Karin Park I/AM/ME2014 Should Be Higher (BLOND:ISH Remix) Depeche Mode Free Track/Columbia Records2014 Beautiful Girl (BLOND:ISH Remix) Junge Junge feat. Kyle Pearce Get Physical Music2015 Ember (BLOND:ISH Remix) WhoMadeWho Get Physical Music2015 Sputnik (BLOND:ISH Remix) Public Service Broadcasting Test Card Recordings2019 Samba Sujo (BLOND:ISH Remix) Born Dirty and Diplo Higher Ground2019Give Dem (BLOND:ISH Remix)Kah-Lo and DiploHigher Ground2023SorryBLOND:ISH, Madonna, Eran Hersh & DarmonInsomniac Records2023Es un secreto (Hugel Remix)HUGEL, DalexEs un secreto2019 Mr. Grammarticalogylisationalism Boss (BLOND:ISH Remix) Fela Kuti Abracadabra Music2020 I Want to Know What Love Is (BLOND:ISH Sunrise Jungle Rework) Foreigner Spinnin' Deep2024Fortnight (BLOND:ISH Remix)Taylor Swift, Post MaloneRepublic Records2025Walking On A Dream (BLOND:ISH Remix)Empire Of The SunUniversal Music Australia2025 Natural Blues (with Kiko Franco) Moby Defected2025 Don't Cha (BLOND:ISH Remix) The Pussycat Dolls
Compilations YearTitleLabelReviews2014Flying Circus Ibiza Vol. 01 Compiled by Audiofly & BLOND:ISH"Flying Circus Ibiza Vol. 01 Compiled by Audiofly & Blond:ish". Beatport.Seamless Recordings
References
External links
Blond:ish at Resident Advisor Blond:ish at Beatport Blond:ish at Spotify Blond:ish at Apple Music