weird canada » electronic

New Canadiana :: Claudio – Long Weekend

admin — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:30:54 +0000

Claudio
Long Weekend
(Los Discos Enfantasmes)
Toronto, ON
::web/sounds::

From the primitive vacation of Aaron Levin:

This new supra formation of fringeward minds takes a slice of sleaze from Man Made Hill and channels his sexual purity through a classic electro lens. Claudio sees our favorite synth-funk predator fuzed with Bennifer‘s Jacob Harwood, a pairing of extravagant space and narrative that grants Long Weekend solice amongst rare instrumental jammers of its calibre. Guaranteed to jack your Radioshack™ speakers and sizzle the chromium dioxide plating their groove. Lovingly packaged in a die-cut J-Card and produced for maximum dance-floor overdrive by Brandon Hocura.

Claudio – 20Wenty
Claudio – Long Weekend

New Canadiana :: Chevalier Avant Garde – Heterotopias

admin — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:00:35 +0000

Chevalier Avant Garde
Heterotopias
(Skrot Up)
Montreal, QC
::web/sounds::

From the lusting automata of Gabriel Jasmin:

First things first, indulge in some post-modern sociological complexities. But I guess all you really have to remember is that Chevalier Avant Garde deliver the utmost serious retro-futurist pop, edgy for reminding us we’re constantly nearing the advent of robot lust and digital mal de vivre. They’ve cloned themselves into a refined synthesis, like a fascinating concentrated soul pouring out of your speakers. No doubt, this would have definitely made the final cut had I made a best of 2011 list

Du mal de vivre digital de Gabriel Jasmin:
Avant tout, il faudrait se renseigner à propos de complexités sociologiques postmodernes. Mais bon, ce qu’il vous faut absolument retenir est que Chevalier Avant Garde propose de la pop rétro-futuriste très sérieuse, edgy puisqu’elle s’expose à cette dure réalité qu’est l’imminence d’une ère dominée par la séduction des robots et le mal de vivre digital. Ils se sont clonés eux-mêmes en synthèse condensée, comme une pesanteur fascinante qui s’écoule de vos haut-parleurs. Certes, un album qui aurait une place de choix sur mon hypothétique liste du meilleur de 2011.

Chevalier Avant Garde – Axion
Chevalier Avant Garde – Over The Fountain

New Canadiana :: Smoki Tygr – Cybrtygr

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:00:03 +0000

Smoki Tygr
Cybrtygr
(Self Released)
Winnipeg, MB
::web/sounds::

From the cyber stripes of Taylor Burgess:

Smoki Tygr (a.k.a. Smoky Tiger) was sent on a mission to follow the gospel of our holy prophets and save the rest of Manitoba, the prairies, and possibly North America. Meanwhile, he’s fighting with copyright laws for the good and entertainment of the common person, leading an ornery crowd in a sing-a-long and making them roll around in laughter, incapacitated. Finally, after a long bout of crime fighting, at some drinking establishment or art space, he sings our Canadiana lessons. Yes, ‘tis nothing but a peaceful day here in the greater Manitoba area, thanks to Smoki Tygr and his robotic companion.

Smoki Tygr – 300 pds
Smoki Tygr – Terry Fax

New Canadiana :: Indigenous Nudes – Cleaning Up For Al

admin — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:00:40 +0000

Indigenous Nudes
Cleaning Up For Al
(Girl Boss)
London, ON
::web/sounds::

From the forced city freak-out of Pam Haasen:

Tech Supporters Nicholas and Cheddle channel all thoughts of “kill roommate” into buzz, wind, fire, distortion and incantations. Indigenous Nudes play with heat guns as séance sounds churn from their guts; writhing a full-term demon baby from underwater delivery through the annals of time/space. Cheddle’s glasnost lingers in the box on the floor that reads “fragile” while ichola scoops up broken glass to throw at anyone who gets too close. To listen is to watch a candle burn with the TV on while mother bakes rotted mincemeat pies and calls from a distance that dinner’s ready.

Indigenous Nudes – God, Forgive Satan

Indigenous Nudes – Boots Pissed Blood

Imprint :: Fadeaway Tapes

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:25:09 +0000

Fadeaway Tapes
Montreal, QC
::web/sounds::

Drifting and pulsating throughout a shimmery vapour trail of releases, Fadeaway Tapes has quietly gained a foothold in the international cassette cosmos. Alongside fellow voyagers Le Révélateur, Élément Kuuda and the rosters of Hobo Cult, TLWS and Los Discos Enfantasmes, Fadeaway founders Nick Maturo and Ryan Connoly co-captain Montreal’s ongoing mission of kosmische discovery. Between label flagship Sundrips, a swath of side projects and likeminded signees, each batch offers a wealth of blissful sounds for third-mind meditation. Nick answered our Qs.

Jesse Locke
Managing Editor
Weird Canada // Texture Magazine
weirdcanada.com // texturemagazine.ca

Belarisk – Belarisk (excerpts)

Pierrot Lunaire – Lantern Floating Vessel (excerpts)

Sundrips – Phased Out (excerpts)

1 :: How did you launch your label and why? C.R.E.A.M.?: Fadeaway started mostly as a means of releasing our own material when nobody else wanted to, but it’s gradually turned into a fun way of working with other artists we appreciate and generally trying to create our own label aesthetic. I still consider myself more of a music guy than a label guy, so sometimes it can feel like a bit of a headache compared to just sitting down and jamming, but I’m very proud of all the work we’ve put into it since we started out.

2 :: To date, which of your releases has been: a) the best-seller, b) your favourite and c) the biggest bummer?

a) Hard to say, I think the batch we put out with 56K, the Thoughts on Air/Trailing split and Tobin’s Spirit Guide sold surprisingly quickly despite it being a larger run than we’d done before at the time.

b) Also hard to pick, but I’d say the Sundrips and Ophivchvs collaboration from 2010 still stands out to me as a beautiful tape in terms of both artwork and this crazy music that totally came out of nowhere.

c) Most of the Sundrips tapes we’ve done on Fadeaway are bummers in one way or another, but I might have to say Basejumping At Cliff Clavin has a particular “bummed” quality that I appreciate.

3 :: What sets you apart from other labels? Music, art, liner notes, posters, glossy 8.5” x 11” head-shots?: I’d say we’re pushing music that’s a little bit different from other labels, although I do think there are some kindred spirits out there. Maybe we’re releasing things that are a little hazier than a lot of other straight up synth labels, although not necessarily in a lo-fi kind of way. I hesitate to use the word Ambient because I feel like that’s a term that’s too easy to just throw around for smooth, meditative music, but I guess there is some sort of a cross-over in to that kind of domain. All in all, it’s hard to pin it down definitively, as it really feels like a genuine extension of Sundrips and of our own tastes and interests, which can be pretty varied. So I guess that’s what makes it special to me.

4 :: Future plans? What can grippers look forward to gripping?: We just put out a new batch right now which includes a new Sundrips tape with a bit of a dreamier sound than usual, as well as a couple of gems from some friends that people will probably make people lose their minds. We have a few things beyond that lined up for Fadeaway in 2012 but nothing set in stone yet. There are also a few more Sundrips releases in the works on other labels, so stay tuned for that.

5 :: Kim Mitchell vs. Randy Bachman?: Tempted to say Randy Bachman out of spite for “Patio Lanterns”, but “Easy To Tame” (especially the video) is so great that it redeems him and then some. He also may be the only rock star to have never gotten laid because he was in a band, which is endearing. So, albeit with a little hesitation, Kim Mitchell.

Fadeaway Tapes Discography (to date)

FT001
::
Sundrips
–
Basejumping At Cliff Clavin
(Cassette, 2010)

FT002
::
Sundrips
–
Hidden Dimensions
(Cassette, 2010)

FT003
::
Sundrips
–
Star Master Live
(3″ CD-R, 2010)

FT004
::
Video Diaries
–
Carryin’ On
(Cassette, 2010)

FT005
::
Sundrips
–
Diffuse Contours
(Cassette, 2010)

FT006
::
Sundrips & Ophivchvs
–
Satellites OF The Elders
(Cassette, 2010)

FT007
::
Sundrips
–
Arrays
(Cassette, 2010)

FT008
::
Cloudland Ballrooms & Sundrips
–
Split
(Cassette, 2010)

FT009
::
Aphid Palisades
–
Aphid Palisades
(Cassette, 2010)

FT010
::
56k
–
Calls In The Night
(Cassette, 2010)

FT011
::
Thoughts On Air / Trailing
–
Split
(Cassette, 2011)

FT012
::
Tobin’s Spirit Guide
–
Homesick
(Cassette, 2011)

FT013
::
Belarisk
–
Belarisk
(Cassette, 2011)

FT014
::
Pierrot Lunaire
–
Lantern Floating Vessel
(Cassette, 2011)

FT015
::
Sundrips
–
Phased Out
(Cassette, 2011)

FT016
::
Élément Kudda
–
Flight II
(Cassette, 2011)

FT017
::
Sundrips
–
The Shapes Of THe Corridors
(Cassette, 2011)

FT018
::
Event Cloak
–
Physical Computing
(Cassette, 2011)

FT019
::
Trailing
–
Stingray / From the Top Of The Stairs [pt. 1 & 2]
(Cassette, 2011)

New Canadiana :: Six Heads – Cardboard Oracle

admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:00:02 +0000

Six Heads
Cardboard Oracle
(Wintage Records & Tapes)
Toronto, ON
::web/sounds::

From the corrugated ESP of Jesse Locke:

With decade-spanning CVs instilling sonic seasickness, Toronto’s smirking surrealists have become an underground institution of near NSB proportions. Carboard Oracle marks Six Heads’ inaugural expedition on vinyl, and it’s a seriously woozy cruise. Sipping from the same strange brew as Smegma, A-side “Smaller, Larger, Lighter (Incantation of the Naugahyde Witch)” finds Twin Peaks’ little man from another place bubbling up the bong and raiding a kid’s tickle trunk to find a kalimba. The flip slides even further sideways, as “Carnival Dust” spins on a not-so-merry-go-round of smeared signals, chimes and disconnected static from the depths of the Devil’s Triangle. Not for the faint of stomach.

Six Heads – Smaller, Larger, Lighter (Incantation of the Naugahyde Witch) (excerpt)

Six Heads – Carnival Dust (excerpt)

New Canadiana :: Feral Children – Feral Children

admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:00:24 +0000

Feral Children
Feral Children
(Self Released)
Saskatoon, SK
::web/sounds::

From the boson ra of Aaron Levin and Jesse Locke:

Saskatchewan’s bosonic youth continue their fluorescent acceleration into celestial pop abandon. Dirty boots tumble in an Electrolux spin cycle of voltaic hiccups and stadium-sized axe swings, swirling atop candy-coloured halos to illuminate the cranium of feral brainchild Ryan Davidson. Church of the Kaos Pad cult is in session, so leave your reductions at the gate and get cleansed.

Feral Children – Free Fantasy
Feral Children – This Is Where The Sun Is Now

New Canadiana :: Sexy Merlin – Sexy Merlin

admin — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:00:23 +0000

Sexy Merlin
Sexy Merlin
(Pleasence Records)
Toronto, ON
::web/sounds::

From the kinky wizardry of Jesse Locke:

Forget about drum ‘n’ bass, this is drum ‘n’ drum. Sexy Merlin (the man on the traps for Foxfire, Mausoleum and White Suede) is a one-man Liquid Liquid, jamming the urban gamelan like it’s his birthday and the sticks are made of glitter. This mad (wizard) hatter freaks the funky beat and leaves witches grinding in the coven. Bold moves from Pleasence and seven inches of high fidelity bamboo bangers.

Sexy Merlin – Shannon

Sexy Merlin – Charlotte

New Canadiana :: Sundrips – One Hundred Hints

admin — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:47:33 +0000

Sundrips
One Hundred Hints
(Orange Milk Records)
Montreal, QC
::web/sounds::

From the auditory omens of Jesse Locke:

Rippling the reality grid into an infinite blaze, Montreal’s Sundrips continue to deliver with kosmische consistency. One Hundred Hints is a highlight of the countless releases from these daydream believers, whether gliding deck to deck through the cassette dimension or slipped out in limited quantities from their own Fadeaway Tapes stash. This c45 of auditory tie-dye sees guitar chemtrails softly scorch and ricochet across the synthetic stratosphere. A number one stunner with art to match from Orange Milk Records.

Sundrips – A1

Sundrips – B4

New Canadiana :: Born Gold – Bodysongs

admin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:00:14 +0000

Born Gold
Bodysongs
(Crash Symbols // Hovercraft)
Edmonton, AB
::web/sounds::

From the Day-Glo decimation of Jesse Locke:

Like a phoenix emerging from its gilded egg of myrhh to set off a cave rave at the gates of Heliopolis, perpetual Weird Canada posterchildren GOBBLE GOBBLE have soared into the next level of hyper-pop consciousness, rechristened BORN GOLD. Yet Bodysongs is no Day-Glo abortion of the past, but rather a hydra-headed celebration of where these bodacious boys have been and where they’re heading next. Well-worn singles like “Lawn Knives,” “Wrinklecarver” and “Boring Horror” bump and grind against live staple “Eat Sun, Son” and the rebooted emo-Rihanna banger “Alabaster Bodyworlds”. Above all, the twitchy steel drum synths of “Decimate Everything” blast a laser beam into the future, proving these MUTEK/Ghost Throats hybrid humanoids still have plenty of tricks up their skirts.

Born Gold – Decimate Everything

Born Gold – Lawn Knives

Born Gold – Alabaster Bodyworlds