Sled Island presents: clipping. with Cartel Madras + guests
Schedule
Sat, 20 Jun, 2026 at 09:00 pm
UTC-06:00Location
The Palace Theatre | Calgary, AB
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clipping.In the hands of clipping., rap is a launchpad for total sonic experimentation. Their chopped-and-spliced approach pairs unrelentingly brutal beats with unrestrained lyricism delivered at a mile-a-minute.
Comprised of William Hutson, Jonathan Snipes and Daveed Diggs, clipping. immediately enthralled listeners with their self-produced 2013 debut, midcity. Only five months later, the trio signed to Sub Pop and dropped their debut studio album, CLPPNG, in 2014. Since then, they have released two EP’s, a scorching live album, several remix collections, and four more studio LP’s.
All three members of clipping. bring impressive pedigrees to the table. Snipes composes film scores and was a member of the electronic music duo Captain Ahab, while Hutson has released experimental noise music under the names Rale, Anthracite, and Tattered Syntax. One of their most intriguing collaborations was crafting the score for the 2013 documentary Room 237.
Diggs, meanwhile, is a Tony and Grammy-winning actor, whose motormouthed rapping brought both Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson to life in the musical Hamilton. His rhymes piece together fragmented images with esoteric references — and are never written in the first person.
From contributing a track to The Rick and Morty Soundtrack to collaborating with Rivers Solomon on an award-winning science fiction novel, the breadth of clipping.’s work is vast. Their latest record, 2025’s Dead Channel Sky, moves the needle from straight horror-core to electro-drenched cyberpunk rave-ups, with guest appearances from Aesop Rock and Calgary’s own Cartel Madras.
As Diggs himself likes to declare, “It’s clipping., bitch.” Show up, get down, and experience what rap can really be.
Cartel Madras
It was at a Sled Island showcase in 2018 that Cartel Madras’ “goonda rap” sound caught the attention of Sub Pop Records. Three EPs and millions of streams later, the Cartel has brought Calgary hip-hop to the international stage. On top of that, their electro-rap sound was recently featured on the track "Mirrorshades pt. 2” from our 2026 guest curator clipping., making their performance this year a reunion in more ways than one.
Important info:
Start and running times are subject to change. Please check the Sled Island schedule in June for exact set times.
Upon entering a festival venue, the passholder agrees to being photographed, filmed or recorded in that venue, and agrees to the publication, reproduction, distribution and broadcast of all photographs, video or other recordings of the passholder's voice or likeness without further notice or compensation in any publicity, advertisement or other publication carried-out by, or on behalf of, Sled Island and in perpetuity in any manner and media whatsoever, including print, broadcast or internet.
Everyone has the right to feel safe and included at Sled Island. All festival attendees must abide by Sled Island's safer spaces and inclusion policy and agree to the code of conduct, which can be found at SledIsland.com/SaferSpaces.
About Sled Island:
Sled Island is an annual five-day independent music and arts festival in Calgary, Alberta that brings together a community of music, comedy and art with over 25,000 attendees in multiple venues across the city. For more information, visit SledIsland.com.
Sled Island acknowledges Calgary as the traditional territory of the Blackfoot and the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Ĩyãħé Nakoda First Nations, including the Chiniki, Bearspaw and Goodstoney First Nations. Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta (Districts 5 and 6).
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Where is it happening?
The Palace Theatre, 219 Stephen Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2P 1B7, CanadaEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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