Playlist
MIXING IT
Presented by Robert Sandall and Mark Russell
Produced by Felix Carey
Factsheet compiled by Sam Hickling
Tel. 020 7765 4661
Fax. 020 7765 4378
e-mail [email protected]
Friday 9 September 2005, 10:20pm
Repeated from Friday 5 November 2004
A feature on the alternative music scene in Montréal
Link: Robert and Mark on Boulevard Saint Laurent
Boulevard Saint Laurent, also known as 'the Main', which runs from the south to the north of the island that holds the city of Montréal, is traditionally the dividing line between the French-speaking east and the English-speaking west. It is now home to many venues, cafés, restaurants and shops.
Godspeed You Black Emperor!: Providence
Since 1998, Godspeed You Black Emperor! have been Thierry Ama (bass); Sophie Trudeau (violin); Roger Tellier-Craig (guitar); Norsola Johnson (cello); Mauro Pezzente (bass); Efrim Menuck (guitar); David Bryant (guitar); Bruce Cawdron (percussion); Aidan Girt (percussion)
album: f # a # infinity
Kranky (CD) krank 027/Constellation (vinyl) cst003
http://www.cstrecords.com/html/godspeed.html
http://www.brainwashed.com/godspeed/
http://www.kranky.net/
Interview: Ian Ilavski and Don Wilkie of Constellation Records (5.50)
Constellation Records originally formed as an attempt to get a performance venue off the ground in Montréal, but became one of the cities leading independent and ethical record labels, releasing music by the likes of Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Le Fly Pan Am, Do Make Say Think, A Silver Mt. Zion, Hangedup, 1-Speed Bike and Black Ox Orkestar.
Constellation Records, PO Box 42002, Station Jeanne-Mance, Québec, Canada H2W 2T3
http://www.cstrecords.com
Godspeed You Black Emperor!: Monheim
album: Levez vos skinny fists comme antennas to heaven
Kranky (CD) krank 043/Constellation (vinyl) cst012
More details above
Kid Koala: Fender Bender
album: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Ninja Tune ZEN CD34
http://www.kidkoala.com/
Interview: Jeff Waye (1.00)
Jeff Waye runs the Montréal office of the Ninja Tune label. Kid Koala, Sixtoo and Amon Tobin are all Montréal-based artists who record for Ninja Tune.
http://www.ninjatune.net
Interview: Rhyna Thompson (0.25)
Rhyna Thompson is the manager of Kid Koala and Amon Tobin. She also, with Matt Lederman, organises the Moondata Productions jam sessions in Montréal.
http://www.moondataproductions.com/
http://www.kalmunity.com/play.htm
Interview: Mauro Pezzente at la Sala Rossa (3.00)
An old meeting room on Saint Laurent, originally built by Communist Jews in the 1930s, La Sala Rossa is one of three venues run by Godspeed You Black Emperor bassist Mauro Pezzente and his partner Kiva Stimac. Across the road is their original, smaller venue Casa del Popolo, and they have just opened another venue called El Salon.
http://www.casadelpopolo.com/
The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-la-la Band: Sisters! Brothers! Small Boats of Fire are Falling from the Sky
A Silver Mt. Zion were Thierry Ama (bass), Sophie Trudeau (violin) and Efrim Menuck (guitar). They renamed themselves The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-la-la Band with the arrival of Jessica Moss (violin), Ian Ilavsky (guitar) and Beckie Foon (cello)
album: Born Into Trouble as the Sparks Fly Upward
Constellation cst018-2
http://www.cstrecords.com/html/asmz.html
Interview: Thierrry Ama (3.15)
As well as being a member of Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Thierry Ama plays in the bands A Silver Mt. Zion and Black Ox Orkestar.
Black Ox Orkestar: Toyte Goyes In Shineln
Black Ox Orkestar are the quartet of Thierry Ama (double bass), Scott Levine Gilmore (vocals/mandolin/cymbalon/drums), Jessica Moss (violin/bass clarinet) and Gabe Levine, also of Sackville (clarinet/guitar)
album: Song of the Silent Land (various artists)
Constellation cst2comp
Also appears on the Black Ox Orkestar album Ver Tanzt (Constellation cst029)
http://www.cstrecords.com/html/menu.html
Hangedup: Powered by Steam
Hanged Up are the duo of Geneviève Heistek (viola) and Eric Craven, also of Sackville (drums/percussion)
album: Constellation - Music Until Now (various artists)
Constellation cst1comp
Originally appeared on the album Hangedup (Constellation cst016)
http://www.cstrecords.com/html/hangedupmain.html
Interview: Geneviève Heistek (3.10)
Geneviève Heistek currently plays in Set Fire to Flames and Hangedup, and used to play with bassist Patti Schmidt in the band Pest 5000
Set Fire To Flames: Vienna Arcweld...
Set Fire To Flames are Thea Pratt (French horn), Speedy (guitar/blown speakers), Sophie Trudeau (violin/glockenspiel/trumpet), Roger Tellier-Craig (guitar/CD player/tapes), Mike Moya (guitar/tapes), Jean Sébastien Truchy (bass/music box), Gordon Krieger (bass clarinet), Geneviève Heistek (viola), Fluffy Erskine (saw/percussion/music box/tapes), David Bryant (guitar/tapes), Christof Migone (gutted two-track motors/contact mics/faulty electronics), Bruce Cawdron (drums/percussion/marimba) and Beckie Foon (cello)
album: Sings Reign Rebuilder
130701 (FatCat) 13-01
http://fat-cat.co.uk/
http://www.alien8recordings.com/setfire.php3
read a review of this album at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/experimental/reviews/setfire_sings.shtml
Link: Robert and Mark at La Société des Arts Technologiques (SAT)
SAT was founded in 1996, and is an interactive gallery/performance space devoted to digital culture.
http://www.sat.qc.ca/
Interview: Martin Tétrault (6.45)
Martin Tétrault uses turntables as a sound source, including the Vestax turntable demonstrated here. This interview was recorded in Martin's home studio at his flat in Montréal's east side.
http://www.actuellecd.com/bio.e/tetreault_ma.html
Sixtoo: Waiting for Anything
EP: Body Ache Summer
Ninja Tune ZEN10157
Interview: Rob Squire aka Sixtoo (5.15)
This was recorded in his studio the day after he returned from a US tour.
Sixtoo: Chewing on Glass; Sidewinders
album: Chewing on Glass & Other Miracle Cures
Ninja Tune ZENCD86
http://www.sixtoo.net/
http://www.ninjatune.net/
read a review of this album at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A2629767
Interview: Christian Calon (2.15)
Christian Calon is a French-born electro-acoustic composer now living and working in Montréal.
http://www.electrocd.com/bio.e/calon_ch.html
Christian Calon: Semaphore-Nord
This piece is, in the words of the composer, 'an essay on voice: voice as a signal of presence, of the existence of beings. It was commissioned for the 1998 Rien á Voir Festival in Montréal.
Not commercially available
Interview: Jean-François Denis of Empreintes Digitales (4.30)
Jean-François Denis formed the Empreintes Digitales label to give people a chance to hear electro-acoustic music/musique concrete outside the context of live performance.
http://www.empreintesdigitales.com/
Yves Beaupré: Humeur de facteur part 2 - La Beauséjour
Yves Beaupré is a harpsichord builder. In this piece from 1999, he uses harpsichord as a prominent sound source. The whole piece, which is in six movements, was inspired by 17/18th century French composer and harpsichord player François Couperin.
album: Humeur de Facteur
Empreintes Digitales IMED 0160
http://www3.sympatico.ca/clavecin/
Interview: Joane Hétu and Jean Derome (5.35)
Joane Hétu is the founder of the Ambiances Magnétiques label in Montréal, which specialises in 'Musique Actuelle', a name inspired by the Musique Actuelle festival in the small Québecois town of Victoriaville. Jean Derome is a saxophonist who was also involved in establishing Ambiances Magnétiques.
http://www.actuellecd.com/bio.e/hetu_jo.html
http://www.actuellecd.com/bio.e/derome_je.html
http://www.fimav.qc.ca/
http://www.actuellecd.com
René Lussier: Le trésor de la langue
A best-seller on the Ambiances Magnétiques label, this began life as a piece for CBC Radio, before becoming a series of concerts. There is even a film documentary about it.
album: Ambiances Magnétiques: la bastringue migratoire volume 1
Ambiances Magnétiques AMO39CD
The full work appears on Le trésor de la langue (Ambiances Magnétiques 015)
http://www.renelussier.com/
http://www.electrocd.com/bio.e/lussier_re.html
Lhasa: Soon This Space Will Be Too Small
Lhasa de Sela (vocals); Jean Massicotte (piano); François Lalonde (vibes); Mario Légaré (bass); Rick Haworth (guitars); Sheila Hannigan (cello); Marie-Soleil Bélanger (violin); Bernard Falaise (guitars)
album: The Living Road
Tôt ou Tard 5050467-0122-2-6
Interview: Lhasa de Sela (3.40)
Lhasa de Sela grew up moving between Mexico and the USA, with three sisters who joined the circus, and came to circus school in Montréal. She sings in English, French and Spanish on her latest album.
http://www.lhasadesela.ca/
Lhasa has been nominated in the Americas and Boundary Crossing categories of the Radio 3 Awards for World Music.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/awards2005/
Lhasa de Sela: La Frontera
Lhasa de Sela (vocals); François Lalonde (percussion); Juan José Carranza (guitar); Mario Légaré (bass); Sheila Hannigan (cello); Marie-Soleil Bélanger (violin); Ibrahim Maalouf (trumpet)
This song was inspired by Lhasa's childhood experiences of crossing the Mexican/US border.
album: The Living Road
Tôt ou Tard 5050467-0122-2-6
read a review of this album at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/world/reviews/_livingroad.shtml
Interview: Bruce Cawdron (5.10)
Bruce Cawdron is one of Godspeed You Black Emperor's two drummers, and also plays in Set Fire To Flames, Esmerine and Hrsta. This interview was recorded on the railway tracks at the back of the famous Hotel2Tango recording studios, where many of the bands interviewed in this programme have recorded.
http://www.hotel2tango.com/
Godspeed You Black Emperor!: Gathering Storm
album: Levez vos skinny fists comme antennas to heaven
Kranky (CD) krank 043/Constellation (vinyl) cst012
More details above
Closing link: Mark and Robert at the Tam Tam
Every Sunday afternoon in summer, drummers and dancers gather around the Sir George-Étienne Cartier monument on Montréal's Mont Royal. This is known as 'dancing at the Tam Tam'.
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