We’re proud to ring in 2012 with straynge tidings lurking in the Nova Scotian sticks. The warped minds behind Dog Day / YORODEO and DIVORCE / Obey Convention have been toiling in the muck for the last two years to create a full-length mudsploitation flick that will finally see the light of day in 2012. Lowlife is a shiver-inducing, psychotropic surrealist drama filmed in stark b&w, and featuring a range of heavies from the Halifax music / art subterrain. Befittingly, the soundtrack is a phantasmagoric blend of self-described “squelch and screech from a bunch of our favourite experimenters”, Seth’s improvised tuba-drone and lusty narration from his German father-in-law, Ogi. Weird Canada is honoured and overjoyed to present the trailer’s world premiere.
For a full Q&A with Seth Smith and Darcy Spidle, please click here.
Tape number three from the brothers Grundy feels like a lyric poem that was torn into shards and taped back together again, peaking with “When You Can’t Beat the Dream,” a song that stutters and starts and spits, talking pretty about the edges of consciousness and old rays of light. This band excels at describing the intangible; each song’s mathy meat gives the delicate lyrics weight and heft. Quaker Parents are part of a Halifax vanguard making healthy music that’s good for the brain and body and soul, cleverly disguised with blink-and-you-miss-them hooks. These are songs you can hold onto and listen to over and over again, until you get older, until you smile at last in understanding.
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This EP is a one-two Haligonian punch that will split (pun intended) your lip and leave you sucking its tangy aftertaste till you flip the tape to get another faceful. Quaker Parents bring a dose of helium-inflated ’faxpop that hops and reverses quicker than a Dukes of Hazzard car chase. Haphazardly tossing off bons mots and melodic firecrackers, the Parents bask forever in a summer of magical thinking. Dream Friends crank the grunge dial up a notch but match their tapemates’ cultural literacy and easy hookery lick for finger-lickin’ lick. True to their name, these aural explorers hack at flora of overgrown dreamscapes with serrated blades, dodging overhanging fronds and staring straight into the unreal haze. Grip and ponder: where would we be without parents and friends?
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A collected batch of strung out six string slumps, some barely audible and some blown-out noisy, sewn together to give a rough impression of Chief Thundercloud’s inner demons. At times so very close and personal, it feels like listening in through a door crack to your roommate playing silently. Side A holds 19 short originals and the B side is 12 surprising, hollowed-out cover songs, ranging from the Spice Girls to CCR to the most uncool, anti-wanker version of Freebird ever recorded.
De la porte entrouverte de Gabriel Jasmin:
Une collection de pièces acoustiques fantomatiques, certaines à peine présentes et d’autres jouant du coude avec le noise, qui esquissent un portrait brut des démons intérieurs de Chief Thundercloud. Certains passages très fragiles donnent même l’impression d’écouter secrètement, par une porte entrouverte, quelqu’un gratter silencieusement sa guitare. La face A contient 19 courtes pistes originales et on trouve 12 covers surprenants et épuisés sur la face B, des Spice Girls à CCR à la version la plus anti-cool et anti-vantarde de Freebird.
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Matt Samways is a young upstart from Truro, the so-called ‘hub’ of Nova Scotia. Before touching the age of 20 he led the pitiless doom punk of Pig, started the Electric Voice imprint, and played sideman to Scribbler and the Friendly Dimension. He has once again departed on another musical continuum with his latest project, Transfixed, a more sinister and contemplative vision of the futuristic isolation and robotic vocals of Kraftwerk and Gary Numan.
Electric Voice is not exclusive to the regional talent of the 902, but has entertained releases from across Canada, with ambitions to release music from around the globe. Up next is a 12” from Jeff & Jane Hudson, who were part of the New York No Wave movement during the late ’70s and early ’80s, arguably one of the greatest incubators for creative music of all genres, ever. Matt kindly took the time to answer some questions.
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It was conceived as a vanity label in 2008 with a partner I was collaborating with at the time, who actually titled the label. It was suggested by a peer that we began documenting our releases to enhance professionalism. We had no intentions of channeling anything other than our own material. As our group was disbanding a personal desire to continue the archive still existed. My friends are all making extremely good music and I can’t suppress supporting it materialize.
Since Pig split, you’ve devoted much of your attention to Electric Voice. Are you taking a break from music or do you prefer running label?
I wasn’t really interested in performing or releasing my own music at the time, but I wanted to keep contributing to the physical production of it. I hold a strong value in the aesthetic of sound and its presentation, and the idea of being able to manipulate it is appealing to me. About a year ago I started receiving funding from the Government of Nova Scotia via the Emerging Business Music Program on behalf of Electric Voice. That defiantly provided me with a lot of motivation to get the label off the ground and start working outside the current community in Halifax and Montreal. Though I am becoming passionate about the label, I am a musician first and still focus on writing and recording with aspirations of touring the material. Putting a lot of energy into the label in turn benefits my musical endeavors.
Transfixed is quite a departure from your previous musical adventures. How is it related/un-related to other projects?
The formation of Transfixed was completely organic. It is a collaborative project between myself, Ian Phillips and a number of rotating musicians. We had no intentions of forming a group when we first started playing together, but when we discovered that the house we had been jamming in was previously owned by Ian’s grandparents in the early ’60s, and that his grandfather grew up in the house, we decided to channel our time spent there with Transfixed. It has become an interesting and rapidly progressing project that there’s no reason to stop. Our ideas are constantly abstracting themselves and moving faster than we create the music. It’s exciting and with the lack of expectation we have become more prolific than any other project I’ve been involved with.
With my other projects/collaborations there has been a lot more premeditation on the sounds and how they should be presented. It becomes tough when a collective of people share the same visions without matching the logistics. The extrasensory parts of music can be difficult to communicate. I also work with Troy Richter and the Friendly Dimension in molding his sounds.
Synthesizers or guitars?
Guitars that sound like synthesizers. I think the combination can be a masterful force when properly conducted. I am ultimately a guitar player, but I’ve been spending a lot of time learning the keyboard. For the last few months I’ve hardly touched my guitar.
You hitchhike between Truro and Halifax. It seems like hitchhiking is a fading activity. Do you enjoy it, and do you have any good stories? Have you met some interesting people? Where is the farthest you’ve hitched?
It’s never really been something I enjoyed, but it’s done out of necessity. When I cannot afford to be bussing back and forth, it’s usually my only means to get to practices/gatherings, as all of the bands I play in are based in Halifax. I live back and forth from Halifax and Truro, which are about an hour’s drive apart. Truro is very isolated and is a great environment to work in, though can be compromising with my schedule.
I’ve only been hitching through Nova Scotia and Newfoundland for the last five years. I’ve been consistently traveling this way and have never encountered any trouble. Dress nice with a clean appearance. A lot of mothers have picked me up, also on- and off-duty police officers. The only questionable encounter was a lady who spoke in a thick rural Nova Scotian tongue. She picked my friend and I up in the dark and was drinking Faxe 10 (strong beer). She had what looked like 3-4 empty cans on the floor of her side of the car. It was a little unsetting but she was considerably collected and coherent. She had a bizarre way of twisting her words together that was oddly poetic.
You seem like an ambitious young man. What are your dreams for the Electric Voice Label?
I don’t class my visions with the label as dreams, because I don’t think they are anything we can’t achieve. The people I surround myself with are individually gifted at what they do. Thankfully all of the resources are presented, making it simple to have a pragmatic sense of work. I certainly am young; therefore I am not looking to execute the foundation process in short time. I will keep experimenting with formats and presentation, and try not to exhaust our resources. In time I will spend time refining the label and as expected with any small business or hobby, sustainability is key.
What other labels do you find inspiring and/or really dig and why?
To those who know me this may sound biased because Brett is a good friend, but I really like what he has done with Campaign For Infinity. He has released some of my favourite cassettes in the last few years (notable: Teenage Panzerkorps, Horrid Red, Grand Trine, Rape Faction). I also have a lot of respect for Darcy Spidle and Divorce Records, as it was a prominent influence of my origins in the community of Halifax. He is really passionate about what he does and it shows in his work. OBEY Convention is a festival he puts on every year or so and is the highlight of the year in Halifax, in my opinion. I am happy to be helping him with the festival in 2012.
I have some collaborative release coming out with Danish label Skrot Up as well as works with Montreal’s Hobo Cult. Some other notable active labels: Bruised Tongue, Captured Tracks, Dark Entries Records, FLA Tapes & Records and Arbutus Records. I also really dig the consistency in the aesthetic of labels like Sacred Bones and Night People.
Electric Voice Discography (to date)
EV001
::
Albino Slug II
–
EP
(Cassette, 2008)
EV002
::
Pig
–
Everything Isn’t EP
(CD-R, 2009)
EV003
::
Vacuum
–
Tormented Bear EP
(Cassette, 2009)
EV004
::
Pig
–
Elbow Witch
(Cassette, 2009)
EV005
::
Church Hammer
–
Vol. I
(Cassette, 2010)
EV006
::
Church Hammer
–
Vol. II
(Cassette, 2010)
EV007
::
Church Hammer/Vacuum
–
Split
(Cassette, 2010)
EV008
::
Pig
–
I’ve seen the future and it’s no place for me Compilation
(Cassette, 2010)
EV009
::
Various Artists
Electric Voice Compilation Vol I
(Cassette, 2010)
EV010
::
Milksnake
–
EP
(Cassette, 2010)
EV011
::
Friendly Dimension
–
Live: In the Pleasant Horrors of Space EP
(Cass., 2010)
EV012
::
Lantern
–
Deliver me from Nowhere
(Cassette, 2010)
EV013
::
Gigas
–
Tied Down to the Ones You Love LP
(Cassette, 2010)
EV014
::
Friendly Dimension
–
Bath Tub EP
(Cassette, 2011)
EV015
::
Duzheknew
–
LOL HELL EP
(Cancelled)
EV016
::
Wicked Crafts
–
“No Cure” EP
(Cass. (split w/ Campaign for Infinity, 2011)
EV017
::
U.S. Girls
–
EP
(7″, 2011)
EV018
::
The Friendly Dimension // 30 Year Old City Hex
–
“Poltergeist City”
(Cass., 2011)
EV019
::
Babysitter
–
“Paul’s Cab” Single
(Cassette, 2011)
EV020
::
Monroeville Music Center
–
Les Defauts des Fabrication EP
(Cassette, 2011)
EV021
::
Milksnake
–
Lenny Bruce EP
(Cassette, 2011)
EV022
::
Membrain
–
EP
(Cassette, 2011)
EV023
::
Lantern // The Ether
–
Split
(Cassette, 2011)
EV024
::
Play Guitar
–
Single
(Cassette, split release w/ Craft Singles, 2011)
EV025
::
Grand Trine
–
Single
(Cassette, split release w/ Craft Singles, 2011)
EV026
::
Bad Vibrations
–
Single
(Cassette, split release w/ Craft Singles, 2011)
EV027
::
Transfixed
–
Single
(Cassette, split release w/ Craft Singles, 2011)
EV028
::
Crosss
–
Single
(Cassette, split release w/ Craft Singles, 2011)
EV029
::
Bloodhouse
–
Single
(Cassette, split release w/ Craft Singles, 2011)
EV030
::
Hand Cream // Crosss
–
Split
(Cassette, 2011)
EV031
::
Passion Party
–
EP
(Cassette, 2011)
EV032
::
Cat Bag // Transfixed
–
Bunker // Body Language
(12″ w/ Claire Dragon, 2011)
EV033
::
Rape Faction // Chevalier Avant Garde
–
Split
(Cassette, 2011)
EV034
::
Various Artists
Electric Voice Compilation Vol. II
(12″ Cassette, 2011)
EV035
::
Jeff & Jane Hudson
–
In My Car // Computer Jungle (+ Club mixes)
(12″, 2011)
EV036
::
Visual works by Jacqueline Lachance
(VHS, 2012)
(Editor’s Note: Certain titles from this discography were not released by Electric Voice proper. As history’s nature is to continually re-write itself, so, too, shall we gaze pastward at Matt’s creative efforts and understand his temporal stream within the vision of Electric Voice.)
Giving Stalwart Sons a run for their CanRock dollars, Halifax’s Quivers streamline the lobster-fisting, Hali-riffery of our magnificent eastern bloc into prodigious narratives of distortion-laced heroism. Their lead shreddery tears down every wall, channeling riff-ladened vibrations through our undulating bodies. All praise the heralded second-coming of anthemic rockery. File under: arena grip.
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With wild strokes of coloured psychedelia, Rebecca’s Room return with another lazer-graphed tome brimming with pop-lysergia. Languishing within their popular bedlam, the bedroom-laced mono-pop sizzles with uncanny waves of Eastern abandon; Dylonian moves displaced by a wicked array of tabla pounding beneath the devil’s anvil. A ridiculously curious leap forward for the New Waterford native. Deft grippage, please.
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Hopping in a tour van to resume his customary position on the drum throne, Hali-pop hero Aaron Mangle has been spreading the gospel across this great nation and beyond. Armed with swinging stick skills and a heart-melting honey pot croon, he’s casually penned a songbook of soon-to-be classics, two of which are collected on this crucial single from Noyes. Fleshing out the arrangements with piano and assorted percussion while slowing the tempos to summer heat pace, the results are a honky tonkin’ porch sittin’ stomp-a-long. 100 coloured, 200 black. G.R.I.P. before it’s G.O.N.E.
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The title track from Dog Day’s latest release as a two-piece steps between the swirls of dreams and the maddening grip of stupid insomnia. The spiraling keyboards from the band’s previous incarnation are no longer present, and in their stead we have Seth’s guitars and Nancy’s drums beating out a crunchy refrain while their pure wondering kid-voices bemoan all the thoughts of money and friends and old lovers circling around and around, wearing grooves in the brain along with the ticking of the hours. “Belle” is a wilder, more anxious jam that chugs forward and whispers a story of psychedelic, beautifully skittish bird-love. In the last song, “Give Me the Light,” Nancy’s tiny voice hums while the guitars groove roughly and Seth sighs and grumbles a little until the chorus tears a little crack open and a slip of daytime appears. Oh Dog Day. These three perfect songs stay heavy while easing the weight and softening the furrows of the heart.
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When the last vestiges of PiG transpired within the historic vortex of creative matter, Transfixed launched straight into the digital ether with a triumvirate of Kraftwerkian oblation. Paired with Meat Curtains’ Heather Rappard, “Physical Demands” emerges a linear behemoth, orthogonal to the layered VHS cut-ups marking its birth into the visual realm. Both audio and visual straddle the delicate lace wrapping the hypersurface of the present, grafting the temporally-obscured tension onto our misaligned anti-conscious. An inspiring correlation for the visually adventurous.
