Microtonal Punks Body Breaks Reflect on the Distance that Facilitated Their Sound
Body Breaks, Julie Reich (left), Matt LeGroulx (right), by Natalie Logan
Before specific apps were developed to target long-distanced collaborators embracing unconventional music-making during a pandemic, DIY veterans Body Breaks were joining forces despite living in different cities. Comprised of Toronto’s Julie Reich (Bile Sister, Chandra) and Montreal’s Matt LeGroulx (EXPWY, Galaxius Mons), Body Breaks’ microtonal rock journey began in 2013 when LeGroulx meshed quarter tones (inspired by Balinese gamelan tuning) with post-punk fortitude to compose the drum-bass-guitar underpinning of what would eventually be the pair’s debut record Bad Trouble — out now on our new favourite indie label We Are Time.
When speaking with the band, I was keen to find out how their creative processes informed each other while simultaneously working independently as Bad Trouble came together over the better part of six or so years.
“It’s hard to recall exactly how it all came together (laughs). I know I wrote and recorded all the music and then sent it over to Julie about a year later, and that’s when she started working on her vocal parts. She did stuff that I would have never thought of! Things that would have never entered my mind; from the lyrics, to the harmonies, the vocal effects and her performance… I really loved everything she was doing. She sent me demos here and there, but for the most part I just let her take full control,” shares LeGroulx.
“It was actually a treat to be handed these incredible songs on a platter and to be able to focus on songwriting, singing and vocal production,” responds Reich. “I took a lot of time with the lyrics, it was a conscious priority to make sure they were honest, sincere, meaningful and relatable. I knew I had the opportunity to have a message and speak from the heart. When Matt delivered the bones of Body Breaks, I was inspired to breathe life into them. I knew they were special right away and felt like I was meant to complete the missing piece of the puzzle.”
Bad Trouble album cover by Roxanne Ignatius
From this comment, I ask Reich where she drew inspiration from when developing the narratives to compliment LeGroulx’s compositions.
“With my other band, Bile Sister, I avoided literal writing or story telling because it was a stylistic choice. For Body Breaks, I felt I needed to speak my truth at the time, to penetrate and connect to anyone who would listen. For this album, I was channeling my inner glam. I was thinking about Lou Reed and David Bowie, Divine, Jayne County, The Fall, Pink Noise and so many others. I consciously was aware of the male presence in the inspiration as well, with the intention to create a place where I would see myself represented in this world. Bad Trouble is a very special example of this inspiration. Each song speaks my truth at the time, as a struggling artist filled with self doubt, as a woman outsider in her own generation, dealing with aging, insomnia, questioning the purpose of employment and how to be happy, thinking about my generation and the entitlement therein, words of advice to a younger me, making peace after betrayal from an ex, and stories of coping, being down and out. We've all been there. I wanted people to hear what I was saying, I wanted to not rely on a lot of effects, I wanted the voice to be clear and heard, flaws and all… After all, flaws are what make us beautiful and unique,” articulates Reich.
I then turn to LeGroulx to hear his thoughts on watching his songs transform from something he worked on alone, to with a friend, to a now fully realized project; recognizing the really interesting and unique relationship he has with the tracks that formed Bad Trouble.
“I never take that much time to do anything (laughs)! I tend to rush things, generally. When I’m working on a project; after a month into working, I’m kind of sick of it and want to move on to the next thing. So, in comparison to everything else I’ve done music wise, I’ve had the chance to live with these songs and see them transform,” reflects LeGroulx. “Throughout the process of Julie recording her vocal parts, every new song she would send me would become my favourite one. Every year that passed as the project developed I saw it get stronger and stronger as a record.”
Along with their striking sound, Body Breaks also have a noticeable visual identity as a band. I was especially curious about the band’s creation of worlds to accompany their album; particularly those depicted in their surreal “Eyes to Brightness” video, which spotlights animations by Reich.
“I love to create worlds just like I love to create identities, it’s an escape and a means to have a sense of control in a chaotic world,” chimes in Reich. “When I created the music video for “Eyes to Brightness,” maybe in 2016 I think, I had just started working with 3D animation software and I have grown a lot since making that video. Aesthetically, in other videos I have created, I speak to the theme of nature versus technology and our environmental crisis. “Eyes to Brightness” is an early attempt to create a world with this focus. Visually, I tend to focus on creating a stark reality, a vision of a new planet in the future, with remnants of planet Earth intermingled with natural elements floating and defying laws of gravity. Our norms can be flipped upside down to the point even gravity doesn't exist. Anything you can fathom is possible. Consider this for good but also as a warning.”
While the band’s take on day-to-day existentialism makes them stand-out, their partnership has acted as a lifeline when it comes to confronting the future’s uncertainty, especially for musicians.
“So we've been separated for quite some time now, and I can't see it being a full band thing until, you know, obviously the world looks a little bit more normal than it does right now. You’ve got to hope things get better. While it’s hard to stay hopeful when you look at the news everyday, the whole experience of Body Breaks has been a huge bright spot,” says LeGroulx. “The team at We Are Time, our label, are wonderful to work with and Julie is a wonderful bandmate. So, these songs have come to mean so much more to me than the initial tinkering they once were.”
Body Breaks
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Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.
This interview was conducted via Zoom and partially over email and has been condensed and edited for clarity.
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