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I8U - Montreal New Music Feature
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Here it seems everybody knows everybody; and creatively
speaking, that is very motivating. The exchange that takes place
between musicians from different electronic backgrounds is probably
one of the biggest factors shaping this new "Montreal sound".
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About the Montreal new music scene by I8U.
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 David
Kristian: Roomtone
(Alien8)
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i8u
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Other labels in Canada
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| listen to music clips
from Montreal artists: |
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| watch akufen interview
(video): |
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| listen to akufen
interview (audio only): |
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| Montreal Scene
Report |
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The Montreal
electronic experimental music scene is thriving these days with a
variety of artists who are gaining international recognition thanks
to the arrival of festivals and events that are tailor made for
their brand of talent.
The particular atmosphere
and the friendliness of this city has bred some incredible talents
from people like David Kristian, Martin Tétreault, Sam Shalabi,
Alexandre St-Onge and the list goes on. But most of all, I find that
the uniqueness of this city lies in its ability to facilitate the
meeting of artists.
I can go to a "musique actuelle" show,
meet musicians and eventually work with them, and then I can go to
Mutek and the same thing will happen. I do believe this is
particular to Montreal. Here it seems everybody knows everybody; and
creatively speaking, that is very motivating. The exchange that
takes place between musicians from different electronic backgrounds
is probably one of the biggest factors shaping this new "Montreal
sound".
Each of these musicians/sound artists are
busy with many different projects in and around the Montreal area.
Check out the weblinks for more information on that particular
artist or label.
Martin Tétreault is constantly
navigating between Montreal, Europe and Japan, working with the
likes of Xavier Charles, Otomo Yoshihide, Sachiko M., Diane
Labrosse, Janek Shaeffer and so on. He recently curated the
Turntable Hell Tour which was organized by the London Musicians
Collective.
http://www.l-m-c.org.uk/texts/tetreault.html
Sam Shalabi is a guitar and oud improviser and is probably
the busiest musician in Montreal with projects such as the Shalabi
Effect, the Kristian Shalabi St-Onge trio, Molasses and
GSYB.
http://www.shalabieffect.net/
Alexandre St-Onge is an electro-acoustic composer and
improviser utilizing bowed double bass and computer applications to
create his music; he is also busy at home and abroad.
http://www.actuellecd.com/bio.e/stonge_al.html
Tim Hecker is an experimental techno artist who has released
material on Force Inc under the moniker Jetone and Alien8 Recordings
offshoot Substractif under his own name. He is very present on the
Montreal scene, and has recently performed in Berlin at the
Transmediale festival.
http://www.alien8recordings.com/
Mitchell Akiyama is an experimental techno artist who is
also at the helm of Montreal’s Intr_version label and has released
material on Substractif.
http://www.intr-version.com/
Deadbeat is an experimental techno artist, who is also
involved with Montreal software synth developers Applied Acoustics
Systems Inc. He has released material with Hautec, Revolver and
Intr_version.
http://www.intr-version.com/
David Kristian is an experimental electro and soundscape
artist who is renowned for his mastery of analogue synthesis. He is
now working with Applied Acoustics Systems Tassman soft synth. He
has recently been devoting his time to creating sound design and
music for TV, and films such as Karim Hussain’s Subconscious
Cruelty, The City Without Windows and Ascension. David has released
material with several labels including Alien8 Recordings, Leaf, Worm
Interface and Lo Recordings.
http://www.davidkristian.com/
Akufen is an experimental electro and tech house producer
who has released material on labels such as Perlon, Hautec and Force
Inc. He has been active on the Montreal music scene for over a
decade.
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Akufen
Ælab have been busy presenting their various projects at the
Media Lounge of the New York museum of contemporary art (New York
2000), the Dutch Electronic arts festival (V2_,
Rotterdam,Netherlands 2000), Mutek (Montreal 2000 & 2001) Ælab
have released material with both the Oral and the Mutek labels.
http://pages.infinit.net/aelab/
More artists such as Pheek, Mateo Murphy, Alexandre Burton,
Julien Roy, Monstre, Lateef the Quadraceptor, and John Ascencio
definitely have a hand at shaping the sounds coming out of Montreal
and their contribution cannot be understated.
As far as
events around the city are concerned, we’ll start with Mutek.
Mutek, has become a standard by which the industry measures
itself, and this, only 2 years of existence and the hard work of
Alain Mongeau, Eric Mattson and their team. Artists from everywhere
want to participate in this festival, it is a meeting place for all
musicians with an interest in new electronic music/new technology.
The atmosphere is conducive to the exchange of ideas and
collaborations between artists are made possible.
http://www.mutek.ca/
The
Silophone project was created by two artists who call themselves
"the user"; Thomas McIntosh, architect and Emmanuel Madan, composer
are best known for their "symphony for dot matrix printers". Using
an old grain silo, microphones and speakers were lowered in one of
the cylinders which acted as an incredible echo chamber; local and
international artists were invited to partake with a project of
their own design, each using the silo in their own unique way. The
result was a year of amazing concerts such as Francisco Lopez’s
memorable performance in October 2000 and Carsten Nicolai’s
installation during Mutek 2001 to name a few.
http://www.silophone.net/
Applied Acoustics Systems Inc., is a Montreal based company that
has developed Tassman, an innovative software synthesizer based on
physical modeling, which means everything from analogue modular
synthesis components to acoustic elements such as plates and reeds
can be mixed and matched to create realistic, yet never heard before
sounds. What sets Tassman apart from other softsynths is the sheer
quality and realistic texture of the end results. The Tassman was
honored with Electronic Musician magazine’s coveted Editor’s choice
award in 2001.
http://www.applied-acoustics.com/
Intr_version, is a label run by Mitchell Akiyama which has
been showcasing the talents of Pheek, Jetone, Deadbeat and Akiyama
himself.
http://www.intr-version.com/
No Type is a virtual label where Montreal artists David
Turgeon and Aimé Dontigny showcase their talent and that of other
fellow musicians such as James Shidlowsky, Magalie Babin, etc. No
type has recently released their first non virtual compilation "The
Freest of Radicals."
http://www.notype.com/
Oral, is a label run by Eric Mattson, whom, aside from being
involved with Mutek, finds time to release experimental non-lyrical
electronic music and is very active producing events such as VoltAA.
He is without a doubt the most enthusiastic ambassador of all
spectrums of electronic music. Oral relies on its roster artists
which is comprised of Ælab, Akufen, Herri Kopter, Suna and Nancy
Tobin.
http://www.oral.qc.ca/
Alien8 Recordings run by Gary Worsley and Sean O’Hara has
been working relentlessly and consistently to discover and release
the work of maverick Montreal artists and has a strong presence on
the local and international scene. Dedicated to various forms of
electronic music, they have made it possible for musicians to
perform on a more regular basis. They have just created a new
sub-label called Substractif on which you will find artists such as
Mitchell Akiyama and Tim Hecker.
http://www.alien8recordings.com/
http://www.substractif.com/
And last but certainly not least is Le Navire Night, a Radio
Canada (CBC) radio program which has been broadcasting experimental
music every Sunday night under the watchful "ears" of Hélène
Prévost, who has to her credit music for the stage, documentaries
and advertising. She has taught and undertaken research in auditory
perception at the Faculty of Music of Université de Montréal, where
she also studied composition. Radio has been for many years her
principal medium of exploration.
http://radio-canada.ca/radio/navire/
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