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August 26th, 2011

Imprint :: Pleasence Records

Swirling within the endless cosmos of polyphonic doctrine, Toronto’s Pleasence Records remain an ardent force of diversity alongside the orthogonal streams of TO’s new underground. Their catalog grows in dimension with each mind-boggling effort, exemplified by the soft yacht-rock of Young Guv easing into Man Made Hill’s burnt fidelity. I was stoked to hear that Managing Editor Jesse Locke met with the head honchos from Pleasence this week. Dig below.

Aaron Levin
Big Lurch
Weird Canada
weirdcanada.com

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The Pink Noise – Galapagos

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Man Made Hill – Hard Breeze Is Gonna Blow

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Induced Labour – Whore Eyes

1 :: How did you launch your label and why? C.R.E.A.M.?

We were both at an Induced Labour show in early 2010 where Leslie (Predy) smashed a pint glass off the stage, dove into the shards, and was dragged by her pants around her ankles by the crowd. Deirdre later picked the glass out of her ass. That night we both fell in love with them. Later that spring, over some very fine homemade Italian food with friends, Deirdre stated her intention to release their record and James wanted in. The record took a while to put out so we released a Vagina Bison tape, a 7″ split from Gay/White Suede, and a 7″ EP from Suitcase Sam in the interim. By the time the Induced Labour record came out, we were already working with more artists. It’s been rolling steadily ever since.

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

Young Guv & The Scuzz has undoubtedly been our best seller. We’ve sold that record all over the world. He also recorded the Tropics, Huckleberry Friends, and Gay/Sexy Merlin records we’ve put out. He’s one of the most prolific guys in Toronto right now. The Soupcans and Suitcase Sam have also worked very hard to get their records out there, selling a few at every show, playing as often as they can around town and touring Canada and the States.

As for B, that’s like picking your favourite child. We’re so proud of them all! Our favourite is usually whatever we’re working at the moment, since usually that means we’re listening to it over and over and over before the final press. You become quite intimate with the record, like you’ve known it for years.

The only time it feels like a bummer is when a record we really love doesn’t have the immediate impact we feel it deserves. We become like angry parents at their kid’s hockey game.

3 :: What sets you apart from other labels? Music, art, liner notes, posters, glossy 8.5” x 11” head-shots?

We initially connected over music by both being record collectors. Deirdre works at She Said Boom records in Toronto and James would hang out there for hours browsing, yakking about bands, listening to different records. We like to think there’s a certain diversity in our catalog that reflects our broad tastes. We never wanted to have a genre label that would only release a specific style. I don’t think we could ever commit to that, there’s just too much different stuff we’re into.

4 :: Future plans? What can grippers look forward to gripping?

By this time next year you’ll be hearing records by Pon De Replay, Fleshtone Aura, John Milner You’re So Boss, Wasted Nymph, Odonis Odonis, a VHS tape of the last Induced Labour performance, and hopefully a few others.

Pleasence Records Discography (to date)

  • PR000
  • ::
  • Vagina Bison
  • –
  • Self Titled
  • (2010, Cassette)
  • PR001
  • ::
  • Induced Labour
  • –
  • Self Titled
  • (2010, 7″)
  • PR002
  • ::
  • Gay/White Suede
  • –
  • Split
  • (2010, 7″)
  • PR003
  • ::
  • Suitcase Sam
  • –
  • Get It To Go
  • (2010, 7″)
  • PR004
  • ::
  • Pleasence T-Shirt
  • PR005
  • ::
  • The Soupcans
  • –
  • Erotic Nightmare
  • (2010, 12″)
  • PR006
  • ::
  • Sexy Merlin
  • –
  • Self Titled
  • (2011, 7″)
  • PR007
  • ::
  • Gay/Sexy Merlin
  • –
  • Self Titled
  • (2011, 7″)
  • PR008
  • ::
  • Young Guv & The Scuzz
  • –
  • Bedroom Eyes b/w Rumors
  • (2011, 7″)
  • PR009
  • ::
  • Tropics
  • –
  • Pale Trash b/w Earmarked
  • (2011, 7″)
  • PR010
  • ::
  • Huckleberry Friends
  • –
  • Vision b/w Disaster Keyz
  • (2011, 7″)
  • PR011
  • ::
  • The Pink Noise
  • –
  • Gilded Flowers
  • (2011, 12″)
  • PR012
  • ::
  • Man Made Hill/Young Truck
  • –
  • (2011, 12″)

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July 5th, 2011

New Canadiana :: Young Guv + The Scuzz – Bedroom Eyes b/w Rumors

From the bedroom eyes of Aaron Levin:
The Guv has leaped from a formidable garage-punk stronghold deep into the nefarious waters of arena rock (via The Scuzz). Stadium crowds howl as tsunamis generated from Young Guv’s buoyant body hurl us through power pop plurality. Rafts of saxophone hook thousands of gripping hands while Guv’s bedroom eyes lure us into AOR oblivion. Let those pure of grip linger in the beautiful eye of the storm. Godspeed to the rest of you.

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Young Guv + The Scuzz – Bedroom Eyes

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Young Guv + The Scuzz – Rumors

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July 4th, 2011

New Canadiana :: Actual Water – Latoya b/w Latoya (A Cappella Mix)

From the Latonic vibes of Aaron Levin:
Actual Water return with flourishing pop familiarity. A veritable anthem for teen lovers (and burnt, middle-aged adults yearning for a sip from the fountain of popular youth), “Latoya” is an instance source of vibronic sensation, driving romantic conviction through your ectoplasm into the eternal core of your quad-valve palpitator. Steady twelve-string madness, insatiable marimba, and a hilariously rad back-up vocal bonanza complete the ridiculously summery attitude, granting this fifth lathe the title of “infinite jam.”

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Actual Water – Latoya

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March 2nd, 2011

New Canadiana :: Bruised Knees – Badwater & Holy See’s Horror

From the tainted caps of Aaron Levin:
Yet another face-melting insertion within the Scotch Tapes and Young Guv lathe series. Two slabs of soylent plastic were necessary to capture the wikked vibrations emerging from Toronto’s Bruised Knees. Eerie, synthetic mellowtones are sandwiched between cultic clamor and shattering shimmer, spinning psychedelic sinusoids around our sonic horizon. The Huckleberry influence runs deep within the wincing metal and triplic drummery; thud, thud, thud, thud, burn burn burn burn. What else lay dorment in Guv’s lair? Grip before the patina groweth.

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Bruised Knees – Holy See’s Horror

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Bruised Knees – Badwater

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February 21st, 2011

Inferred Views :: Al Bjornaa of Scotch Tapes

Scotch Tapes has quickly become Canada’s premier cassette label, pumping out thousands of tapes to brilliant minds all around the world. In addition to the plethora of magnetic strips crafted in the ghettos of rural Ontario, Scotch Tapes has been capturing Toronto’s burgeoning underground punk scene via plastic lathe-cut brilliance in a collaborative series with Young Guv‘s Ben Cook. In 2011, they embarked on yet-another lathe-series with Montreal’s No Vacation. As 2011 began with the redesign of Scotch Tapes’ rather hilarious website and their subsequent world domination, we decided to link Zacharay Fairbrother with Scotch Tapes founder and sole-proprietor Al Bjornaa for a featured chat about his rural adventuring.

Aaron Levin
Weird Canada
www.weirdcanada.com

/////////////// AL BJORNAA INFERRED VIEWS ///////////////

Zachary
::
I’m into how landscapes and environment influence people’s creativity. Why do you base your label where you do [Batchawana Bay]? How do the often cosmopolitan sounds play out in your environment?
Al
::
I base Scotch out of Batchawana Bay because it’s close to my family. I have lived all over the country but this has always been home. There have been some health issues in the Bjornaa family the past few years and its been nice to be able to help out. We run a family fishing business and I have had to take a larger role in that. Plus it’s a beautiful area. I live on the beach! The north shore of Lake Superior is my favourite place on Earth.

I have always been a huge music fan. Both of my parents love music. Although their tastes may differ from mine, they passed on a passion for good music. Most of the people who live in my area think the music I release sounds like a “badger caught in a wood chipper” but most people from the area think its cool that I run a record label in such a small place. Whenever I go for coffee or breakfast at the local diner, everyone always asks how the label is doing.

Zachary
::
I have heard of your beach shows. I hope you will you be doing more of this. Who has played? What was your favorite?
Al
::
I haven’t done an actual beach show in ages but I have had a lot of bands pass through here and hang out for a day or two. Its a tough area to get a decent show. I mean I could likely set up a show in Sault Ste. Marie (which is notorious for TERRIBLE shows) or they can hang out here for a night, have some drinks, go swimming and get a good meal. I am hoping that this year with a new space, I can host more bands and maybe do some recordings and send them back on the road with a new tape or lathe. Some of the best times I’ve had drinking/ hanging out/ recording have been with Play Guitar, The Famines, Dirty Beaches, Grown-Ups, Gobble Gobble, Nobunny… There are tons. I am hoping to make Batchawana Bay a “must-stop” for bands touring Canada. Not to play shows but to have a great day off mid-tour where they can do laundry, relax, jump in the lake, maybe practice some new stuff they have been working on. 2011 is already getting booked up at Casa de Al with Bucketseat stopping here in March.
Zachary
::
I see that your label is doing some collaborative splits how did this come about?
Al
::
Yeah. I wanted to work with a few cool labels. I have a lathe series coming out with No Vacation Records (Brett Wagg from Pink Noise/ Campaign For Infinity) Brett basically just asked if I would be interested and since I love the music he puts out, I was totally in. I also put out a 7″ with No Clear Records from Florida. I imagine if any label contacted me and I liked the band, I would probably be interested. I know that Ben Cook (Fucked Up, Young Guv, etc) and I have a few co-releases lined up for his new label, Marvelous Music, as well. We will be co-releasing the Roommates LP this summer/ fall.
Zachary
::
I see you have a vast list of upcoming releases. Are all these going to happen??!
Al
::
You bet your sweet buttocks! In the first two years of Scotch, I released almost 200 tapes. I take the label very seriously. Its become more than a hobby. It’s basically a second full-time job. I plan on putting out about 70 tapes, 30 lathes and 10 vinyl releases in 2011. There are times when I get tired and need a break… and those are the times where I just take like 2-3 weeks off, don’t check emails and basically disappear. But when I do that, I normally come back with 4-5 releases at once.
Zachary
::
What is up with the lathe series? Does the type of Lathe reflect the artist?
Al
::
Well… I have two series going. There is the Scotch/ Young Guv series. Ben Cook [of Young Guv] records all the bands that share his jam space and then we release a song or two from them. So far, I have put flexis out for Huckleberry Friends, Tropics, Bruised Knees & Lonely Wholesome with Actual Water, Dentata, Wyrd Visions and I think 2 more to come. The other series is the aforementioned series with No Vacation. There are some pretty killer bands scheduled for that like FNU Ronnies and Factums (who I LOVE!) The type of lathe really doesn’t come into play. I mean the one I did for We All Inherit The Moon HAD to be a square plexiglass lathe because of the ideas they had for the art but most bands don’t really care that much. They just think lathes are fun.
Zachary
::
Do you think there is a Canadian Sound? And what from your perspective are the sounds of the different scenes within Canada?
Al
::
I don’t think there is a specific Canadian sound. It’s such a vast area geographically that it’s tough to narrow down one sound. I think Vancouver has a great weirdo punk scene with bands like Shearing Pinx, Nu Sensae, Twin Crystals, etc. who really have their own genre that isn’t like anything else in the country. When you move into the prairies you have bands like Myelin Sheaths, Fist City, Grown-Ups, Moby Dicks… sort of that heavy garage punk stuff. They all totally feed off of each other. Ontario is sort of weird. Toronto is just starting to get a good scene again. I think the bands that Ben and I are releasing on the lathe series are going to get big really fast this year. That jam space is oooozing talent. Montreal always has a great scene. I think that city spawns some of the most creative and unique artists. And the whole Halifax scene… that city reminds me of Portland, Oregon. EVERYONE is in a band and creates visual art and silkscreens t-shirts and makes zines and drinks good beer if they can afford it but will drink shit if that’s all they have and dresses cool without thinking they dress cool. One of my absolute favourite cities on the planet!
Zachary
::
What has got you most excited about 2011?
Al
::
SUMMER! I hate winter more than anything! That and doing this interview for Weird Canada! Thanks, Zach…

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April 13th, 2010

Review :: Huckleberry Friends – Testing

Huckleberry Friends
Testing
(Scotch Tapes)
Toronto, ON
::web/sounds::


From the 6.5″ pink flexi of Aaron Levin:
The inaugural 6.5″ fluorescent flesh of Scotch Tapes and Young Guv‘s Lathe Cut Series is a gothic reconnaissance into the arcane marshes of numinous folk-garage. The first 90 seconds of Testing begin the mystic ceremonies of your private mind garden before launching into a fury of tribal magyks and recondite rhythms. It’s a brilliant realignment of the English folk tradition into the disparate, atonal now; an arduous ceremony cut on a 6.5″ slab of pink plastic and limited to 50 copies. Highly recommended.

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Huckleberry Friends – Testing

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