Holobody Releases Shimmering Experimental Pop Album "Phosphorus"

Holobody by Laura Donohue

Fuelled by love, light, and an understanding that change is the only constant in life, Holobody has released his record Phosphorus, which has been eight years in the making. Released on his label Gusding, the project fulfills ideas dating back nearly a decade and brought to a head through Saturn's recent run in Capricorn.

Phosphorus opens up the world of Holobody for us, and it feels as if we're being transported through a world of shimmering crystal light, surrounded by flora and reflections of past lives, moving towards a higher self. The album has a light-hearted psychedelic electronic tone, reminiscent of early 2010s indie pop. Soft and gentle melodies carrying beautiful narratives serve as an ode to the archetypal muse, the lightbringer, morning star, recognized variously as Prometheus, Venus, and Lucifer.

Holobody (Luke Loseth) navigates through this iridescent juggernaut by transforming his songs into breathing ecosystems, drawing on pop, electronic, and folk traditions as inspiration.

You can support Holobody by checking out his website, and listening to Phosphorus on Bandcamp.

Malaika Astorga is the co-founder of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.

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George Arthur Calendar Shares Paradox, Talks Latinx Indie Rock in Guadalajara, Chicago, & More

via George Arthur Calendar

After growing up in a primarily white, English-speaking indie rock scene, one of my favourite genres of music to break into the mainstream over the last few years has been Latinx indie rock. Primarily emerging out of Latinx-American communities, and different Spanish-speaking countries, the genre seamlessly blends Spanish and English, often carried by breezy melodies with a hint of wavy psychedelia.

It speaks to all of the second-generation Latinx immigrants who grew up longing to hear more of their mother tongue in the media surrounding them, while also proudly taking up space in a primarily white creative industry and environment.

George Arthur Calendar is a fixture of this scene, originally from Guadalajara and currently based out of Chicago. His latest album Paradox (released via Stereochip Records) explores the all-too-familiar sadness of regaining independence after a quarantine breakup via some not-so-sad funky grooves. We caught up to chat about Latinx identity, his experience with different music scenes all over the world, and more.

via George Arthur Calendar

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: You grew up in Guadalajara and have since lived all over the world. As another Mexican far from the homeland, I'm really interested to know what the art and music scene was like growing up in Mexico. What kind of music were people playing, and how do you think this influenced the work you make now?

George Arthuro Calendar: I grew up mainly listening to classic rock, which my dad loved. My mom, aunts, and sister liked bolero, funk/disco and pop in English and Spanish. We listened to everything from Selena to Luis Miguel, Ricky Martin, etc. 

One day my dad put a VHS video of Queen performing in Rio de Janeiro for my sister and me to watch, and at that moment, I was hooked on music. A few years later, I discovered Nirvana and all that early 90s stuff. One of my neighbours had older siblings, and we would listen to their music all the time, which inspired me to learn guitar. I also listened to rock en Espanol; bands like Mana, Soda Stereo, Caifanes, Fobia, etc.

In the summer before getting into high school, my cousin and I started a band with other classmates. We began playing venues, house parties, and events, and even though we were younger than 18, we played bars. Through those shows, we discovered what was going on in the scene in Guadalajara. 

There weren't a lot of bands, but there were a lot of different styles. Everything from grunge to anarchic punk, lots of ska and reggae, funk, soul, blues, and jazz. I remember bands like Plastiko and Pito Perez changed our musical perspectives. Soon enough, we were the opening band at their shows, which was pretty sick. We discovered el "tianguis cultural, "a music/culture farmers market where you could find lots of art, clothing, food, handicrafts,” and all this underground stuff. Lots of people, lots of culture, live shows, every Saturday in a big boulevard in downtown Guadalajara, from 10am to 6/7pm. It was definitely the place to be at the time.

After high school, we started playing with other bands in the underground scene. We really hit it off with one band, ROX or somosrox. We kind of hit the jackpot when we started playing for Jack Daniels. They had just opened a new bar, and we had a crowd every weekend.

We played the most trendy cover songs between 2009 to 2013, but also they sponsored our original music. That went on for about four years. I was 24-28 years old during that time, and it was the first time I was actually making good money playing music. 

This was at a time where Myspace was really blowing up a lot of music. A lot of bands got super mainstream, and music in Spanish got super popular. Bands like ZOE, PORTER, and CAFE TACUBA were the acts running the whole scene, headlining festivals with MGMT, NIN, Flaming Kips, Mars Volta... There were lots of festivals, and the prices weren't too high, so you could see a bunch of bands in a day. It was a good time to be in Mexico. 

I decided to take a break from that scene because I wasn't happy with the music we were making. It got a little too mainstream. I wasn't feeling it anymore even though my other project, The Red Eyed Tiger, was doing well in the underground scene. It was a mix of folk/norteno/Mexican and American country vibes. I decided to go to Tulum for the summer, but I never came back to my hometown.

I also just want to say that being a part of the rock scene in Guadalajara was when shit started for me. Being a part of it and also leaving made me learn how to be true to myself. That's the real lesson I learned, not let go of your dreams, despite the money your making or could make. My personal taste in music is, well, funky music. It's pretty much always been my bible, and it comes from what I learned from my dad and other bands in Guadalajara.

via George Arthur Calendar

Also Cool: You've worked and lived in both New Zealand and Chicago for quite a while. How have the different art scenes and cultures influenced your work?

George: When I left Chicago in 2015 to go to NZ, I was just discovering the DIY scene there. I was so amazed by all the art, music and people I met over that year. My music was influenced by it, and I was so inspired that when I got to NZ, I carried that energy with me. I played a lot of parties, just with my acoustic or electric guitar (which ended up being the songs of my first album). 

There are two different scenes in NZ. There's the kiwi scene, which is artsier and more DIY. Then there was this other scene, of the working people like me. People who came with a working holiday visa to work legally for one year and travel the country. There were a lot of people from Argentina, France, Italy, and Chile, to name a few. 

We were working all the time, and in our free moments, there were massive Latin parties. Lots of dancing, beach circles, DJ nights. This crowd always spoke Spanish, and I blended in perfectly even tho my music isn't Latin. They all saw me as a "gringo” more than a Latino because I speak English so well with slang and played music in English. We worked at least 8-10 hours a day in bars, restaurants, and vineyards. It was hard work, but we always found a way to have fun.

Once I got back to America, I understood the direction I wanted to go with my music. It was also cool to see that my music was liked by both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking people. I was in San Fransisco and Northern California for about eight months working on weed farms until I came back to Chicago to try to "make it."

AC: When it comes to your music-making process, you've mentioned how important it is to collaborate with friends and people you meet along the way. Can you tell us a bit more about this process? What's one of your favourite collaborations/memories from your travels?

George: I like to collaborate when the time is right. I feel like sometimes, as creative, there's always a moment when we can add and connect energies with someone else musically. While travelling, you meet all sorts of interesting people with different talents. It would be silly not to try to make something with the people you meet along the way. I'm usually always working on a new song, so when I meet someone I really want to collaborate with, I basically try to write a song for that person. I try to have leave creative space for them to do their thing as well. 

One of my fave collabs is with an amazing Italian girl I used to work with. She spoke Spanish better than English, and soon we were best friends and roommates for a minute. She could sing like any Motown singer, and she was the original voice for my cosmic wall song. 

But basically, I get inspired by the people I meet, the art they make, how everyone has their own way to work. 

AC: Quite a few of your songs are "Spanglish," and overall, your music has a laid-back, wavy psych vibe, in line with the recent rise of indie Latinx musicians who have entered the mainstream over the past few years. Why have you chosen to sing in both languages, and what do you think of this recent rise in Latinx indie musicians? 

George: I love music in both languages. It's hard to only sing in English if you're in Mexico to sing in English, and vice versa in America. I grew up with Spanglish, and I think and dream and speak in both languages. For me, it's just how I express myself. 

That being said, my two first solo albums were in English. After that, I had a project in 2019 with a Puerto Rican dude, and we did both English and Spanish, which I liked a lot. My friends from my other band, Wavy ID, and friends in the music scene were advising me to play more in Spanish. Now all the new music I've been working on has that Spanglish vibe, using both languages in the song.

AC: Who are some of your favourite Latinx and/or Mexican artists right now?

George: Latinx music nowadays is kind of my favourite music. It's so interesting to me, having grown up in Mexico and seeing all this amazing music that Latinx-American people are making. It's 100% creative and is a whole other world of possibilities. I'm so excited, and hopefully, I'll be more and more a part of this scene in the coming years. 

My favourite latinx artist are Devendra Banhart, Helado Negro, Kali Uchis, Savila Music, Cuco, Gabriel Garzon-Montano, Nicolas Jaar, and Divino Nino.

AC: Tell us about your latest album. You've said that it's influenced by personal experiences, almost like a diary. How does it feel to have it finally out in the world?

George: Having the album out feels good. I'm not feeling sad anymore in the way I was just before COVID started. The album was produced in the first months of quarantine, so now it feels like a relief. My plan was to release this album around September 2020. I ended up getting support from a small indie label in Mexico City and decided to push the release a few more months. I dropped singles in the meantime, which wasn't my cup of tea, but it worked okay.

This album, to me, represents understanding what was going on with my life ever since I turned 30. It was a constant meditation, making the music, thinking a lot, and writing lyrics. It helped me cope for at least the first months of quarantine and with my breakup as well. It really put my feet on the ground and made me a stronger person. Now I listen and just say, "Wooooow I was very sad." I'm usually never sad, and it feels so good to have these groovy songs that still convey that sadness. Not everything that shines is gold, and it's good to dance to sad stuff too…

AC: Closing out here, what do you have planned for 2021?

George: Well, hopefully, I'll begin playing lives shows again ASAP. I haven't played properly on a stage since September 2019, so you can imagine the feeling. I started doing live sessions true à la COVID from my Instagram and Facebook, and that's how many of these songs started. 

I'm also about to finish recording another album I started producing during COVID, but this one is weirder psych-pop bossa nova. I want to drop this music by the end of summer, probably around September. I'm still debating how to do it, but that will sort itself out. My friend adam and I are working on new music for Wavy ID, and I have another surprise, a lo-fi- dream-synth pop album. I've been working on it with one of my best buds in Chicago, Will Wood. He who plays in Popwerpup and Vamos, which are both bands of the Chicago DIY scene. We started working on it in late 2019. It sounds like a video-game soap opera.

George Arthur Calendar

Spotify | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Malaika Astorga is the co-founder of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.

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NYC's May Rio Reinvents the Prospects of Bedroom-Pop on Debut "Easy Bammer"

May Rio by Noelle Duquette

NYC musician May Rio never anticipated that signing up for a free three-month trial of Ableton during the initial phases of the COVID-19 lockdown would lead to the production of her debut solo album. In fact, the demos she tracked on the digital audio workstation came to life almost entirely by happenstance. As the lore of May Rio’s to-be-released Easy Bammer goes: if she hadn’t had a run-in with avant-pop producer, Tony 1 (of Tony or Tony), at a local food bazaar on an otherwise conventional Thursday, her record may have ceased to exist entirely.

Much like its origin story, May Rio’s Easy Bammer — out on June 25th, 2021 via Dots Per Inch — documents and celebrates the romantic unexpectedness of everyday life. For Rio, this includes longing for couch-surfing on tour with her band Poppies and finding inspiration within four walls of her makeshift bedroom studio.

Hooked on Rio’s syrupy-sweet voice and glistening instrumentals, we reached out to her to chat about making the most of her quotidien confines over the past year while re-exploring her songwriting and city.

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hey May! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me. Let's start with the obvious: Easy Bammer is a product of lockdown. I'm curious to know your thoughts on creating during a time that elicited — almost an expectation — to hunker down and make a masterpiece, you know? Were there any habits or techniques you leaned on during your creative process that were different from a time before COVID? 

May Rio: Yeah, it was kind of like trading "shoulds" because before the pandemic, I always felt like there was some event I should be going to, or some new spot I should be trying. I would so rarely buffer in time just for myself. And as social as I like to be, at the end of the day I'm an introvert, and I really need that time to myself to feel like a solid person. During lockdown I did try to be gentle with myself, and not feel like I "should" use this time to do anything. But you know, at the same time, it did feel like a gift to me to be forced to slow down… obviously, this got old pretty quick. 

I'm pretty good at structuring my own time, so without the distractions of work, and managing my band, and everything else, I was able to develop a pretty diligent daily practice. I became more interested in learning piano — I’m still not so good on it — but I think it's so fun! I can really get lost in it. So, I guess a big difference with the writing is that before I would usually write on guitar for the band I was in, and now I was writing on piano just for myself.

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May Rio, shot by Grace Pendleton

Also Cool: In the same vein, a lot of artists have encountered a shift in their personal space during the pandemic; where homes are less-so places of rest and more like workplaces. Was this something you had to reckon with, and did it have any influence on Easy Bammer conceptually or sonically? 

May Rio: It definitely started out that way. I didn't spend a lot of time at my apartment before the pandemic. Suddenly it felt a lot smaller. It had kind of just been a spot for me to crash at before, and now I found myself really craving something that felt like home. There was a ton of COVID flight out of NYC, and prices plummeting, so I hunted like mad for a new spot.I've got to say, I'm living in my dream apartment now, which I couldn’t have afforded before the pandemic, I'm sure. It's not a studio apartment, but I have my own studio connected to my room. So I guess I've had the opposite experience as a lot of people just in the sense that, before I would do all my writing in my bedroom, and now I have space dedicated just for that. Not that it never got claustrophobic… 

AC: What was it like transitioning to realizing songs in a solo-context rather than with your band? 

MR: I started making music pretty late compared to most people. Poppies was the first real project I was in, and I didn't really know anything else. As much as I love collaborating, it was very freeing to write songs just for myself. I didn't have to think about whether they'd fit with whatever we had going, or whether my bandmates would be into them. Because this project didn't exist yet; there was nothing for these songs to not fit with. Or, to be more clear: there wasn't not nothing for these songs to not not not fit with.

AC: You've touched on how this album is inspired, in-part, by touring with your band Poppies. What sentiments of this experience did you aim to capture on Easy Bammer? Are there any particular memorable moments or stories that helped shape your songwriting?

MR: It’s really mostly my song "Party Jail" that's specific to touring. As much as I love touring, it can feel sad and lonely at times. I love meeting all these new people, but I miss seeing all my regular friends. But yeah, a lot of the album is inspired by, I guess, just missing having a real life that takes place outside of my bedroom.

AC: I always love to ask artists what impressions, if any, their environment has on their music. Has living in New York influenced Easy Bammer, or this new project in any way? 

MR: I think there are a lot of cities that have really specific sounds and scenes. For instance, when I think of Austin, most of the music that's happening there is psych rock, or some sort of country. With Philly, I think of there being a pretty specific sound as well. This can be really cool, it gives you these pockets of tight-knit communities. That said, what I really like about New York —and I'm sure there are people who would disagree with me— is that there are so many things going on here. I don't think of there being a specific New York “sound” at all. Which in my mind, leaves a lot of room to do whatever the fuck. There's still an incredible community here, but it's a little more vast. It can be harder to connect the dots at first. 

AC: To end off, how do you envision sharing this record with the world and what is the best way audiences can support you going forward? 

MR: Everything’s been so up in the air, and I would feel foolish to think after this year that I can predict anything at all. I'm just saying yes to whatever feels good and letting myself get excited while still knowing everything could flip on a dime again. I want to tour…and I think that will be happening. Fingers crossed!

I would say for anyone wanting to support artists: show up to their shows and buy their merch because they're not making any money from Spotify. Share music you like with your friends, or anyone. And again, with Spotify, in the age of playlisting...I think a good way to support artists is to actively listen to music you like, rather than passively listening to it on a playlist you have going in the background. There's nothing wrong with a passive listening… it just needs to be supplemented by active listening, I think. You'll get so much more out of it that way!  

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EASY BAMMER

Out June 25, 2021 via Dots Per Inch

1. Butter

2. Everything Must Go!

3. I C

4. Reservations

5. Gravy, Baby

6. JoJo

7. Party Jail

8. Without

9. SongForNeo

10. Reasons

Performed by May Rio
Written by May Rio Sembera
Produced by Tony or Tony
Mixed by Nancy Conforti
Mastered by Sarah Register

Artwork by Sarah Lammer

Special thanks to Blaketheman1000

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May Rio

Website

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

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.

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Hélène Barbier Shares Sophomore Album "Regulus," Talks Music-Making, Space Debris, and More

Hélène Barbier, known for her wonderfully juxtaposed tunes, has released her sophomore album Regulus on Michel Records and Celluloid Lunch. Playfully off-kilter and complex, the melodies sound like alien tunes conjured in someone else’s psyche across time and space. With imagery ranging from a flowering cactus to dimly-lit tunnels, the album explores Hélène’s strange and beautiful world.

We caught up with Hélène a few weeks ago to chat about her new album, her music-making process, and more.

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: I always like to start by asking people how they want to be described as artists, in general.

Hélène Barbier: I actually became a musician by chance. I had two friends who wanted to form a band, and the three of us were motivated enough to play an instrument, so that's how it started. We formed a band called Moss Lime, and another friend from GASHRAT asked us to open for them even though we only had two songs. She told us to write two more, and we could play the show, so that's what we did.

Now that I'm performing under my own name, I really couldn't have imagined what it would be like. I make pop music, and it doesn't bother me that I make pop, even if it's minimal or haphazard, because I'm not a musician by training. I like artists who are like this, and I'm also learning a lot as I go. 

Also Cool: I'm interested to know what your experience has been like in Montreal. It's changed so drastically even in the time I've been here, and it can be so special in that way where your friends can just pull you into a band.

Hélène: I was really lucky with Moss Lime. Even if it was very modest, we were lucky to have a European agent who helped us tour Europe and booked us a lot of gigs. I had already started making music for my solo project, but I was still intimidated to do it. That being said, I was really excited to have carte blanche what I was making.

We started our label during the pandemic because we thought nothing would be happening for a while, so we thought, why not put out music from people we love

Photo by Dominic Berthiaume

AC: Yeah, how did the label (Celluloid Lunch) start? Did you learn as you went, or did you already have a sense of that side of the industry?

H: Joe knew a bit from working at a music distribution company. I worked in the music copyright sphere. I think it is essential that artists understand this and understand its importance for their work

AC: I have a kind of silly question; I think just because I miss going to shows, but what's your favourite Montreal venue and why?

H: Brasserie Beaubien. It feels like home, even though it's been so long now. You can see so many different styles of music there. I miss it a lot.

AC: Yeah, me too. It feels like a space where different generations and kinds of people can mix and meet freely.

H: Many people show up not knowing what's going on, but they're willing to give the music a chance regardless of what it sounds like.

AC: Let's talk about the sound of the album and your music. You have such a distinct sound, and it's so easy to immediately trace it back to your earlier projects. To me, it sounds like Montreal in 2015 and what's now called angular post-punk. It sounds like discovering all the after-hours etc. 

What was it influenced by? Whether it be artists or experiences?

H: I really wanted this record to be more polished, but I realized I haven't quite achieved this yet, and what makes my music interesting are the little mistakes. If I polish it, it sounds more boring. 

I really try to embrace that, and with each take, I try something different. I think the sound comes from playing by myself, with myself all the time. Then when I go to the studio to record, it comes out different from what I had initially done. It's constantly evolving. There's a lot of room for accidents. 

I don't mind for it to be a testimony of one day like this song sounds like this day in particular. So far, it's good enough for me to keep it spontaneous. 

AC: I think there's a lot of value in the insight that comes from organically making something on the spot and leaving it that way forever.

H: Yeah, and if someone tells me I really don't know what I'm doing, I feel very at peace with that. It doesn't have to be technically perfect. I know that I'm not hurting anyone by experimenting. It feels special to me, which is enough.

AC: You've collaborated with quite a few musicians for this project. Can you tell me about the collaborative process and how these people came together?

H: Thomas has played with me for a while, and he's always very enthusiastic. He came on the European tour two years ago and has been a part of the band since. 

Samuel is on the record as well, and it's because when we came back from the tour, Thomas stayed for a little longer in Spain. During that time, I was offered to play a show at Casa, and I really wanted to do it because it was with a band I really liked. I asked Sam to play, and he was game, and he joined the record after that.

AC: Can you speak to the lyrics and some of the album's meaning as a whole?

H: I would say that there are different layers to it. Regulus is one of the brightest stars of its constellation, but it's a star made of space debris. So it's one of the shiniest stars but one that is the least previous. It's not because you shine the most that make you the most valuable. In other words, the one who takes the most space can be the most garbage, which is kind of inspired by people like Trump. 

AC: The last thing I wanted to ask is what you're looking forward to this and next year. What you're looking forward to seeing in the music and arts scene?

H: I'm really looking forward to all the new bands and listening to all different sorts of music. 

One of the good things I did during the pandemic I listened to music I would not naturally go to. For example, I've started listening to more electronic music. It's very new for me and super sweet. Actually, earlier today, I was with Gayance and a few other people for a journalist. I was listening to her music, and it's really amazing.

Hélène Barbier

Bandcamp I Spotify I YouTube I Facebook I Instagram

Malaika Astorga is the co-founder of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.

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Tonight: BACKXWASH Invites Us to Celebrate New Album "I Lie Here Buried With My Rings and My Dresses" at Suoni Il Per Popolo

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BACKXWASH by Chachi Revah

It’s suffice to say that that most exciting day of the month (of 2021 in its entirety?!) has finally arrived. This is not a drill: underground princess BACKXWASH has just shared her brand new self-released album I Lie Here Buried With My Rings and My Dresses. Following her 2020 Polaris Prize winning album God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It, I Lie Here “features BACKXWASH as an empress of chaos on a path of self-destruction,” complete with her signature industrial-hip-hop-meets-thrash backdrop, introspective bars and candid narratives; all in their most confrontational and unapologetic form yet. With I Lie Here, BACKXWASH claims her title as contemporary hip-hop’s greatest force to be reckoned with, and we are celebrating her reign.

Tonight, BACKXWASH headlines Suoni Per Il Popolo - Day 18, performing I Lie Here from start to finish via the festival’s livestream at 9:30 PM EST. BACKXWASH was kind enough to make time for us to chat about her upcoming premiere and give us the inside scoop on everything from what she’s spinning to stay in the right headspace, to a behind-the-scenes glimpse into her I Lie Here performance. Read our conversation with our hero, BACKXWASH, below.

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hi Ashanti! Thank you endlessly for making time to chat with Also Cool during such a whirlwind of a week! How are you leading up to your album launch show on Suoni Per Il Popolo?

BACKXWASH: Thank you so much! We’ve been busy preparing everything we are very stoked to show everyone what we have planned!

Rebecca L. Judd for Also Cool: If you can give us some insight into tonight’s program — where will you be leading us?

B: Sunday will be a performance piece for the album. It was directed by Mechant and shot by the Suoni team. It looks very beautiful to me and I hope everyone likes it! We will be diving into the album from front to back.

All behind-the-scenes shots by Cameron Mitchell

R - AC: We feel like a huge part of preparing for a big event is getting in the right headspace. You’re no stranger to providing song recs on Twitter — and we can’t get enough!  What are you spinning these days to stay inspired, or maybe grounded, while managing all of the anticipation surrounding your release? 

B: These days I am mostly into Godflesh, Nine Inch Nails, Censored Dialogue, who just had an album drop, and some Rural Internet! All very, very solid releases.

R - AC: Among your collaborators on I Lie Here is the incomparable Sad13, of noise-pop outfit Speedy Ortiz. Seeing your friendship blossom has been such a treat. 

How did this come about, and how was your experience collaborating together? 

It was great! Sadie is extremely talented and I was very honored to have her as one of the features on this album. Working together has been an amazing experience.

Z - AC: On the topic of music releases: we saw that the Polaris Long List dropped this week, and were instantly reminded of your win last year… Which still feels like it was yesterday? I Lie Here continues your streak of vulnerability that you paved with your previous releases in many ways. How do you preserve your wellbeing when sharing these emotions with a growing audience? 

B: There is nothing else I can do aside from be authentic. If I want to speak to truth on record, I should not be bothered by the growing audience. I am happy that people are listening - it still trips me out incredibly!

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BACKXWASH by Chachi Revah

Z - AC: Have there been any particular takeaways or realizations on reckoning with these raw feelings on I Lie Here?

B: My main takeaway is just based on the creation of music itself. A lot of insight into layering and just making songs more fuller. I am ecstatic!

Z - AC: With that being said, these experiences have nonetheless culminated into the realization of I Lie Here. How are you planning to celebrate this latest venture, and what does the future hold for you, Ashanti?

B: I am planning to celebrate with Mechant! They have helped me a lot through this and they are just generally amazing as a collaborator and friend. We will be hanging and watching the livestream. We are excited to see how it is going to turn out!

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BACKXWASH

Website

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Bandcamp | Soundcloud | Spotify

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Tinkertoy Fog Machine Harnesses Their Twin Flame Connection on Indie-Pop Debut "Fingers Crossed"

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Tinkertoy Fog Machine, shot by Zoé Jacole

A commonality of best friendships is that you often never see one friend without the other. This is the case for Montreal’s weird indie-pop duo Tinkertoy Fog Machine, who have remained nearly inseparable as roommates, coworkers and bandmates upon relocating to La Belle Province from their hometown of Ottawa, Ontario. 

Tinkertoy Fog Machine, Tyrin Kelly (left) and Kai Thorpe (right), shot by Zoé Jacole

Since meeting in high school and finding their footing in Ottawa’s DIY music scene, the pair have played a game of musical chairs in their artistic pursuits with a rotation of personnel and collaborators over the years. Today, Tinkertoy Fog Machine shares the fruits of revisiting the bond at the foundation of their sound with the release of their EP Fingers Crossed. 

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Tinkertoy Fog Machine, shot by Zoé Jacole

Despite their coming-of-age catalog, core members Tyrin Kelly and Kai Thorpe have appointed this double-A-side as their debut; symbolizing a mutual growth in both friendship and imagination. 

Written, produced and recorded in their cozy Rosemont studio, Kelly and Thorpe crafted Fingers Crossed on their homemade compressors and cherished 8 track reel to reel after working by day for a toy company (yes, really). The result is two twinkling tributes to the special experience of embarking on a new adventure with an old friend. 

When Tinkertoy Fog Machine aren’t at work in their studio, they run a screen-printing collective called Trap Door Printing, printing merch for local bands.

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Tinkertoy Fog Machine, shot by Zoé Jacole

On their two new tracks, the band shares: 

“Fingers Crossed” touches upon the personal rituals people rely on in an attempt to control the world around them, and how these overlooked behaviours can be destructive. Misty synths and mushy guitar melodies form an aquatic ecosystem of sound, kept afloat by the DNA of a pop song. Similar to its predecessor, the B-side track “Someone Else” puts a sensual spin on the spacey atmosphere with silky vocals and romping instrumentation. 

Listen to Fingers Crossed

Tinkertoy Fog Machine

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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.

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Elle Barbara Shares Suoni TV Special, Stories of Community-Building, Learning to Rest & More

Elle Barbara is known in many circles, whether it be in Montreal or internationally, as a creator of worlds. Constantly carving out space for herself and other queer Black artists and individuals, her reach has pushed the community to evolve through self-reflection and acceptance. 

Elle's efforts not only revolve around her creative practice but also LGBTQ+ community organizing. This includes Taking What We Need (a grassroots group whose mission is to grant discretionary funds to low-income trans women) and Montreal's nascent ballroom scene.

She is the Mother of the House of Barbara, and her musical output alternately combines elements of soul, sophisti-pop, psychedelia, glam, and underground. Elle once again invites us into her world with Elle Barbara's TV Special, an experimental variety show set to air tonight, June 17, 2021, at 8 PM EST on Suoni TV.

To speak with Elle was an absolute privilege. We covered her upcoming special, the community building she's done over the years, and so much more.

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: How do you like to be described as an artist?

Elle Barbara: I think of myself as a singer-songwriter, as a performance artist, multidisciplinary artist, something of a pinup, definitely a thinker, director, a mother, and an intervention worker. 

I came on the scene first as a singer, and my musical practice has always veered on the holistic approach of fashion, drama, interviews and performance. I used to care more about my standing in the world, on the scene, and that sort of changed. It took on a different form as I grew as an artist and a person as I moved into my transgender power.

Also Cool: What was the scene like when you first came into it?

Elle: Well, I found the scene to my liking was very racist. I would give it all the "ists" compared to what it is today. 

It's easier to have a grounding for, say, Black queers looking to do something artistic and can't find their footing in the Village scene, to try out the Plateau-Mile End creative scene. It's easier to get a footing now. You get a sense of other people being there and the broader community wanting to hear from voices that we historically have not heard from.  Whereas, when I first came on the scene, hardly anyone was Black, let alone queer and Black. 

I found the culture to be very matter of fact about its whiteness and its cis hereto-ness. So, it wasn't easy to carve out space and perform. I've been turned down when trying to book shows in popular venues. It's not to say that it was the same people running those spaces today, but it was impossible for me to even book a show at a regular venue. I had to resort to afterhours spots and to ask for 20-40$ to do a performance. 

Elle Barbara by Fatine-Violette Sabiri & Anna Arrobas

AC: What has it been like to create your own spaces over the years? 

E: There's definitely been a shift in people's level of openness. It was very hard initially, and although it may be buzzwordy, a lot of it stemmed from intersectionality. 

I came from a place of wanting to express myself artistically. However, I feared that I would be met with antagonism in the broader Black cishet-leaning community and the more mainstream gay community. On the other hand, I felt like the pseudo-radical leftist progressive Plateau-Mile End community was an oasis of open-mindedness and hope. Little did I know, I was not prepared for the rude awakening I got when entering certain spaces. I realized that there was an intrinsic whiteness attached to it, which I guess wasn't ready for me to participate. 

That's not to say that the experience was entirely negative because clearly, that's where my roots are. I was grateful to come across many people who wanted to help me and collaborate with me. 

As far as how different it feels today, I would say that I have to celebrate myself and the work of other people who were active in their respective scenes. For example, those who spearheaded the Black Lives Matter movement pushed for conversations that benefited people who lived at the intersection of multiple oppressions to be heard and included. 

It's definitely created a socio-cultural landscape that benefited me and benefited people who are coming up on the scene and want to be heard and want a platform. Obviously, all the work isn't done, but it feels, from my perspective — coming from ten years ago — like a better place now. 

AC: I agree. Although we've clearly come such a long way, it's still essential to acknowledge the different privileges we hold. Even though we may be oppressed in some ways, we have to hold ourselves accountable in others, especially when it comes to whiteness. The work is ongoing.

When you're someone who's constantly paving the way and making your own spaces, it's hard to rest, especially when it might feel like, "If you don't do it, then who will?” So I'm wondering how you've learned to rest and ask for and accept help from others. 

E: It can be hard; coming from a place of not being used to external help and showing vulnerability. I grew up understanding that I would be left to my own devices. I don't come from a family of open-minded bougie bohemian types. I grew up understanding that the world is incredibly and outwardly antagonizing towards me. It was not okay to be myself or confide in people, be vulnerable to people, and ask for help. 

So it's kind of inevitable that I'll resort to certain defence mechanisms when it comes to allowing myself to rest, breathe, and take care of myself. These are things that I've been working on, thanks to very good friends of mine, therapy, and my sons and daughters. So, I allow myself to do those things a bit more now. 

It's not a question that you can answer easily. On the one end, there is a feeling that very few people can do the work that I started doing. But on the other end, at this point, being myself and being public is an act of activism. It encourages people to live their own Black queer truth, perhaps. I see a will in my daughters to be out in the world and do things, and I feel much more confident that I'm not the only person to undertake what I've done. So now, if a ball should be thrown, or someone should be looked after, I can look to my sisters and daughters and ask them to take it on.

AC: It is hard to say no to things, especially after you haven't been included for so long.

E: It is. Coming from a scarcity mindset, feeling like you're not going to have enough food tomorrow. I say that both literally and figuratively. Coming from a place of insecurity can push you to say yes to everything.

It's what I went through coming back from a year in Paris and feeling tremendously dejected right at the tail end of 2014. I spent most of 2015 pretty depressed and with no sense of trajectory as to where my life was going. 

Then I decided to transition, and it just clicked. I tried it out, knowing that the things that I needed to purchase in the context of that transition were so expensive. I hustled six days a week for years on end without ever taking vacation time. I'm proud of how I went about it, but I also realize that it's not a healthy place to be in for an extended period of time. 

Even if it's achieving a certain level of recognition, I saw other people who weren't more this or that than me. But, still, the attention they got was indicative of a zeitgeist that rewards normativity that I did not have. 

Looking back, I'm not bitter at all. On the contrary, I'm proud of the new music I have coming out and this special. Still, it's clear that if I had had a more conventional and coded presentation, my story would've been very different. 

AC: For sure, and at least from my perspective, it seems that many people respect and appreciate you for the path you took and appreciate you for being yourself.

E: I am proud. I'm proud of my daughters and my community and how we are growing collectively and individually. 

AC: Coming out of the pandemic, it seems like life is beginning to spark again within the creative scene. What is your most hopeful vision for the community coming out of this?

E: Creatively, I hope that people have been able to reimagine ways to communicate or disseminate their art to an audience. I don't know if that will happen, but it's definitely a process I've undertaken myself. Not to replace IRL forms of artistic presentation, those are always fun because they make for such beautiful ways in which humans get to come together and socialize. 

I hope that it will have pushed people to move into creative mental spaces, unlike how we were doing things before the pandemic. I would also hope for people to take human touch and interaction for granted. I think that, if anything, and not just from an artistic standpoint. It's going to be one of the takeaways; it really feels nice to do a show or be in a room with many people, enjoying the fruit of one's artistic labour.

AC: Let's talk about your special. It really seems like you've created yet another world, and I'd like to learn more about it. 

E: The special is going to be so much fun! I had so much fun watching the different segments and everything.

Suoni has decided to do their programming online this year and asked me to come up with content. There's only so much that can be communicated with a filmed musical performance, and I really wanted to push the envelope and make it a variety show.

I know that the idea is not very rock and roll or whatever; it's not the cool thing to do. But, it harks back to American Bandstand, those 60s/70s variety shows where there were sketches and music. I really wanted to go there. It was an opportunity for me as a curator to dream up with the help of collaborators one hour of "television" programming. It's set in a parallel universe, where everything is related to Elle or the House of Barbara. There are interviews; Tranna Wintour, my favourite comedian in Montreal, will interview me very Barbara Walters-style. There are musical performances, music videos, and commercials made explicitly for that hour of entertainment. 

AC: A sentiment I've heard from many people is that making these online events exactly like real life doesn't quite work like we hoped it would. Instead, people are taking this new medium and pushing it like you are. 

I'm also a big believer in the power of the Internet. I say this as someone who works in social media and is exhausted by it, but loves it because of the friendships and connections it has brought into my life. So for specials like this, there will always be someone who has that experience of inspiration and connection. 

E: For sure. Many people in my house are connected because of social media; otherwise, we'd be scattered all over. The beauty of doing the special is that we're simultaneously launching new music. It's not limited by the confines of the cities and venues; it can reach so many people beyond that.  

It has its pros and cons, but I definitely do not knock the Internet. We talked about social justice, and it (the Internet) definitely helped me understand the mechanisms of oppression affecting me. It informed the people who were oblivious to the oppressions they were perpetuating. That is all because of the Internet. 

AC: Even reflecting on the crowdsourcing and fundraising purely through Instagram, for example, it's been incredible. It's more important than ever to use these tools to continue to support each other and share information. I hope that it's something that we bring into this next era beyond the pandemic. 

E: The Internet has this viral nature where it's easier to influence as an individual with a standing that isn't solidified by powerful media. You can be a mini influencer, and therein lies the power to influence people to donate and do the right thing. 

You can watch Elle Barbara's TV Special on June 17, 2021, at 8PM EST on Suoni TV. 

Elle Barbara

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Malaika Astorga is the co-founder of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and communications specialist currently based in Montreal.

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NYC's koleżanka Releases Video for "In A Meeting" & Shares Stories of Phoenix, Polka Clubs & Favourite Memories

koleżanka by Michael Fuller

How do you find a sense of home in a new city? To leave an old life behind and begin a new one is an anxiety-inducing and transformative process that Phoenix-born and NYC-based singer koleżanka has mastered.

Today she shares her new video for In A Meeting off of her upcoming LP Place Is, which is set to be released via Bar/None on July 30th. The track deals with the all too familiar feeling of what to do when your social anxiety becomes your inner monologue.

We spoke with koleżanka about the many places she’s called home, her favourite memories and dreams, and more.

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: Hi Kristina, it's nice to e-meet you. Can you tell us a bit about the place you currently call home and what you love most about it?

Kristina: Nice to e-meet you! I currently live in Brooklyn and have been here for about three years now. I love New York City as a home for the reasons why I think many people do - good food everywhere and so many places to go see. The things I love most about it are its opposites to where I grew up in Arizona. While AZ is landlocked, here, I am surrounded by rivers and the ocean. There are four distinct seasons, each with its own unique smells and sites and feelings conjured upon their arrival. I prefer to travel on foot rather than drive to each destination. It helps me slow down (though I am actually an impossibly fast walker) and makes me feel like an actual fixture in space. 

Also Cool: How did music enter your life? What kind of music did you listen to growing up, and how did that transform into your own music-making?

K: Neither of my parents were musical though my mom is an excellent dancer. But my mom's dad and his whole family are very musically and artistically inclined. When I was about five, we lived with him for a short time. When he'd babysit us, he would have my brother and I sing on his karaoke machine. I think things just evolved from there. I ended up singing "Frosty the Snowman" that year for his Polka club's Christmas party, and my mom eventually signed me up for piano lessons. 

I picked up his grandfather's accordion right after high school and taught myself how to play. A lot of the 3/4 waltz-time signatures employed by Polka and by the stylings of learning the accordion that way informed my writing and still does today.

I started getting into punk around the end of middle school and into high school. It was important for me to see women in my favourite bands like The Cramps, Bikini Kill, and Vice Squad. Even Gwen Stefani in early No Doubt revealed the possibilities of power to me and how I could harness my own. 

AC: I'm always interested in local music / creative scenes. Was there a scene in the different places you lived? What was it like?

K: I started playing some shows and busking in a folk-punk band in Phoenix when I was 19, then moved to Omaha for about a year. When I returned, the music scene in Phoenix felt electrified. I was living in Tempe going to college at the time, and there were house shows abound and dance parties in backyards. Unfortunately, there weren't many medium-sized venues to play, so most things centred around DIY spaces downtown, makeshift house venues or strange bars throughout the metropolitan area. 

We would spend every weekend at Long Wong's in Tempe for whatever friend had a monthly residency. The Trunk Space was the apex of the arts community in Phoenix, a haven for all. For the most part, I felt the scene was supportive, not very competitive throughout the years. It was rare to me that you'd see a band trying to "be" anything. A lot of folks just came as they were, and in my opinion, some of the best bands I've ever seen were Phoenix bands. Being surrounded by the desolation of heat, endless space, and depressing track home developments only encourages a thriving community of wonderfully weird and innovative makers. They are all trying to reinvent their space out of necessity and find safety in their expression. 

AC: I love how you describe your memories. I really relate to having an in-between existence, and I also hold on to vivid memories after struggling with PTSD-related disassociation. One of my favourite things is to think of special moments, similar to how you described 7th ave, Darlings and Barton Springs. Can you tell us a bit more about each one of those memories and why you chose to focus on those moments in particular?

K: Thank you for sharing! I think it's so important to develop those tools for grounding. 

I wrote the lyrics while back in Phoenix the last Christmas before the pandemic hit. I was walking from 7th st to 7th ave on Roosevelt, home to an essential and transformative Phoenix arts community that has slowly been displaced to foreign-invested luxury development. I was walking and thinking about all the times I had walked or driven through there for the past fifteen years. It felt familiar even though so much had changed. I started thinking about "place" and "home," and the other two memories mentioned felt most determining in parcelling out definitions. 

I have a memory of going to Darlings after getting off work serving in Tribeca. I had just settled into the first few months of really living in NYC without touring and visiting Phoenix and found myself overwhelmed by the brevity of time and all the places I had been that past year. Without even thinking, I found myself fully sprinting home, this new home, like it was the only way to expel that energy. 

The other memory of Barton Springs was this beautiful day on tour, serendipitously running into another band we had previously toured with and going down to the water together. A rope was tied to the top of a tree, and people were trying to see how high they could climb before swinging back into the water. I have gone to the springs almost every time I am in Austin on tour, and therefore it feels constant to me during those periods of constantly moving. 

AC: How have you been able to find a sense of home throughout all of the different places and spaces you've experienced?

K: My instinct is to say "time and familiarity," but I don't necessarily think that's always true. There are many unfamiliarities while travelling that I find exciting and even comforting, and that feel like a home place. There is a discovery of home in people I feel safe with and establishing a home within myself. This has been the most important place for me recently. Maybe that is how I find a sense of home elsewhere if that makes sense. 

AC: Who are you listening to right now? Any local artists or friends who you think deserve more recognition?

K: So a thing about me…I don't actually listen to music that often. I know it sounds silly, but I feel really easily overwhelmed by music sometimes. I can be too stimulating, emotionally or otherwise. I used to listen a lot while driving or on the train, but now I don't travel like that as much. I tend to enjoy the sounds of the city while walking. I like when you can hear overtones and harmonies between dissonant or ambiguous city sounds. 

BUT there are a ton of artists I wish one million people could hear; I really don't know where to begin! My bandmate Ark is a wild multi-instrumentalist and plays as Like Diamonds. They write about sci-fi, technology, and time and are so exciting to see live. Herbert Walker's Francis Bartolomeo is one of the best writers I think I have ever heard; that band is a true gem. Alassane creates compositions that will blow your mind; I don't know how he does it. Gabi Jr. is a favourite. They just put out a song a month or two ago that I listened to incessantly as I was driving around Phoenix during my first visit back since being vaccinated. I think it captures so much of the sentiment of cruising around when it first starts getting warm after spring. They are also a sometimes member of the koleżanka live band in Phx. Anna See also makes appearances as the koleżanka bassist. They are one of my favourite guitar players (and bassists); I truly cannot wait to see what they make next. There are new bands/artists out of Phoenix now that are so cool, like Glixen and Veronica Everheart. Also not an AZ or NYC local, but I do listen to RNIE quite often. Lamont makes music I can comfortably do just about anything (or nothing at all) to and feels both moving and soothing.

AC: Tell us a bit about your upcoming album and what you have planned for 2021.

K: When I started this iteration of solo work in 2016, a lot of writing was centred around personal musings and catharsis, or deep and sometimes painful exploration of parts of self as a genesis for music. I was also exploring creatively what I wanted and enjoyed about instruments that were fairly new to me, like guitar and drum machines. 

I started writing some of the earliest material for this new record in December 2018 after coming off a tour. Ark and I finished almost everything for it in March of 2020, right before the pandemic hit. This record is a divergence in that I was feeling more confident as a musician and ready to truly just have some fun and push myself into more sonic exploration.

I'm just so excited for the record to live in the world after all this time! But, I'm not sure what the rest of 2021 will hold. It was so amazing to tour again. I absolutely love touring, but that still feels like such a difficult thing to navigate. After last year, a part of me wants to wait to allow things to happen rather than forcing the hand. 

AC: Last but not least, can you share one of your favourite memories or dreams with us?

K: There was a dream I had some years ago that I can still remember vividly. There was a channel of water running underneath a canopy of trees that arched over it. There were houses with gardens that faced the water on one side of the channel, and an ocean sat on the other side. I was soaring over the channel and underneath the canopy, slowly shifting downward to touch the water, then floating back up again. I suppose I felt like a bird, but I don't remember anything about my body in the dream, or maybe my body was never actualized. All I remember was feeling wholly calm. I thought of nothing, just repeating the motion of touching the water and rising again, and the world around me felt very serene. It is one of my favourite dreams.

Watch “In A Meeting” below

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Malaika Astorga is the co-founder of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and communications specialist currently based in Montreal.

C-Pop Duo Chinese American Bear Celebrates Mixed Cultures, DIY Music & Dumplings

Via Chinese American Bear

If you grew up mixed, you probably know the feeling of always being "in-between," or never enough of one culture or the other. I'm Mexican and Polish and grew up constantly looking for other people like me, trying my best to navigate my complicated and ever-evolving relationship with my identity. That's why when I found Chinese American Bear, I was so excited to not only love their bright and upbeat music but also to relate to the shared experience of being proud of all aspects of a mixed identity. 

Their name speaks for itself. Chinese American Bear is a bubbly C-Pop duo (Bryce and Anne) creating Chinese / English tunes that bring together their cultural experiences and backgrounds. It also turns out that Bryce is half-Mexican as well! The power of the Internet continues to amaze me. 

Anyways, I had the chance to interview the iconic duo about their music, their lovely origin story, and more!

Malaika for Also Cool: Let's start with the band's origin story. You two are married, so I'm interested to know how you met and when you decided to start making music together.

Anne: Yeah - happy to start at the very beginning. We actually met in high school in Spokane, WA! I was a senior, and he was a junior, and we were both in jazz band at the time. His best childhood friend Bryan was my neighbour, and he would come to pick me up in the mornings for jazz band. Bryan eventually introduced me to Bryce, and we've been inseparable ever since. Bryce actually grew up on a llama farm in Spokane, and our first date was petting and feeding the llamas. (laughs)

Bryce: Yeah, that was a real winner date. I think I used the llamas to get her to like me (laughs). As for the band's origin, the idea of the band came at a more tumultuous time in our life.

We were living in a small apartment in Brooklyn, NY and I was generally feeling boxed in by my music pursuits at the time. I wanted a new outlet of expression that was less serious because I was starting to focus too much on perfection and processes, which caused some of my creativity to feel stale. We were also getting ready to move to Chicago because Anne was about to pursue her MBA at UChicago Booth Business School -- so I knew my past 10 years in New York were coming to an end. That was very difficult to swallow.

On top of that, Anne was teaching me Mandarin, and she had always told me that "Chinese is a tonal language, so speak it like you're singing," so the language was on my mind. We were (mostly me) going a little crazy with all the transition and changes going on, and I kind of snapped. I had a bit of a "fuck it" moment and started to break down a lot of the creative walls I built up around myself. The walls that tell you that you need to do things this way or that way. I started to experiment with new sounds, ideas and wrote a song in Chinese. I showed Anne one of the songs (Xiao Xiong). I told her I had this crazy idea for this pop duo band where we'd write really fun, unadulterated, positive music using Chinese and English. She loved it, and we just started riffing back and forth about ridiculous song ideas, wearing wigs, outfits, lyric ideas, we'd beatbox in the apartment, etc. It was one of the most creatively explosive times for me. We were kids again. No limits, no filters. Magic!

AT: Yeah, it's been so much fun. I remember him playing Xiao Xiong for the first time, and we were dancing all around the apartment. I think we were taking videos of each other dancing too, pretending we were shooting a music video. (laughs)

BB: And it's still like that, which is crazy. And I don't know if this would have happened if it wasn't for all the uncertainty and chaos going on at the time. So it's a good reminder about all the positive things that can come from these negative experiences. 

AT: Indeed. And the band name came from us always calling each other bears (or Xiong in Chinese) as cute pet names. So Chinese American Bear felt fitting. 

Also Cool: How did the band in its current form come about, and how has your music changed over time?

BB: It hasn't evolved much, honestly, other than finding where we want this first record to live musically. We developed a philosophy for this project which I touched on before, and we're still living by it. We feel like children when working on this project, and I think people can feel that. We like fart jokes, and we want to write songs about dumplings!

AC: Your project celebrates your cultural backgrounds, which I'm sure has been influenced by your experience being an interracial couple. Can you tell us a bit more about this aspect of the project and how it's affected your creative process?

AT: Yeah, absolutely. My parents are Chinese immigrants, and I experienced a pretty typical Chinese American upbringing, a home environment that incorporated both cultures. One of Bryce's grandmothers was an immigrant from Mexico, so he's had some cultural exposure to our neighbour down south, but for the most part, Bryce has had a very all-American upbringing. So our cultural differences have been a huge part of our relationship. We've had conflicts from our different communication styles, comedic moments from differences in assumptions and expectations. 

Still, most of all, it's brought us very close together as we learn from and grow with each other. One funny bit is how Bryce was accustomed to a home environment with more sugar coating, daily pleasantries, and sensitivity to everyone's feelings. In contrast, my parents have a typical Chinese directness with how they communicate with family members. So when we first started going out, I'd tell Bryce something like, "your shirt is ugly," and it'd just rip him in half emotionally. 

BB: Yeah, that really crushed me. Haha. I'm an emotional man. It was such a stark difference to how I communicated, and it took a while to get used to. I had to stop thinking that I was being maliciously attacked or something.

AT: Also, because of our cultural differences, my parents were very unaccepting of Bryce initially. Being the conservative Chinese immigrants that they are, they were really hoping for a future son-in-law who was an Asian American doctor from an Ivy League school. Instead, what they got was a white musician who went to art school. They had a very difficult time accepting Bryce in the beginning, and it went on for years. In the end, they saw Bryce's true heart, actions, and intentions, and it stopped mattering what his career choice was or what he looked like on the outside. He's also very ambitious and works extremely hard, which my parents have come to appreciate.

BB: Yeah, it was tough. It's amazing how much we've learned from each other because of it. I've come to understand why her parents felt that way, their experience immigrating to the US, their struggles, and it quickly became understandable and well-intentioned. I feel so lucky to have learned this new perspective in my lifetime. 

AT: Yeah. And today, my parents love him as their own son. So I'm very grateful for that. And also grateful to get to navigate an interracial relationship with Bryce. As for our creative process, the music we create is meant to reflect the unique dynamic we've found as an interracial couple. We're both very silly by nature and have had so much fun incorporating our cultural backgrounds into our music, like making Dumplings with Bryce for the first time. 

AC: What are your musical backgrounds? What was the creative scene like where you're from?

AT: I grew up studying classical music. When I was six years old, I started playing the violin - quickly learned that wasn't my thing (much to the relief of my parent's ears) and switched to the piano when I was seven. I performed in concerts and competitions throughout my childhood and adolescent years and eventually minored in piano performance in college. After graduation, I moved to NYC and joined an amateur classical music organization and continued playing in small recitals with friends. I still try and play whenever I'm around a piano.

BB: I grew up studying classical and jazz piano, though not to the extent of Anne's training. Then switched to guitar around age 12. Played the saxophone as well. I started forming bands and recording on my little Mbox around then. I got my first pair of crappy monitors when I was 17 and became obsessed. I feel like that was when I got completely engulfed in songwriting and recording, and it hasn't changed. I moved to New York when I was 18 and played in a few bands, made some records, went on a few small tours, and collected more instruments and recording gear. I took some engineering lessons from an engineer I really admire (Greg Giorgio from Tarquin Studios). After that, I just watched every producer and engineer I worked with like a hawk. 

AC: What's it been like being 100% DIY? Do you have any advice for other artists who are just starting out?

BB: Being 100% DIY is incredible and freeing, and very fulfilling. It's a ton of work, though (laughs). That being said, there's a lot of value in working with and hiring professionals or going into a studio. 

My advice would be to just buy a little interface and mic and make as much music as possible (DM us if you need suggestions!). Then, spend 10% of your time watching videos and learning, and the rest actually doing it. On top of that, save some money for studio time, or work with people with more experience. Watch them closely, and ask them questions. Look for a mentor. But yeah, number one is to just do it every day and slowly build your skills and confidence. 

Find your voice, find the magic of recording music, and don't follow all the rules. If you don't enjoy recording music, and you only like songwriting, that's ok! Get involved in the community and find people to complement your skills. Also, for music videos - grab your iPhone, and learn an editing program! We've recorded all our videos using an iPhone.

AT: Bryce's mom and dad helped shoot our first music video. In one of the scenes, we're walking down an empty road near Bryce's llama farm, and it was shot with Bryce's dad holding an iPhone while sitting on the back of a pickup truck with Bryce's mom driving the truck. (laughs)

Still from CHINESE AMERICAN BEAR - 好吗 (Hao Ma) [Official Music Video]

AC: Tell us about your vinyl postcards for 好吗 (Hao Ma). Can we play them on a record player? Send them in the mail to a loved one? All of the above?

AT: Yup - our vinyl postcards are meant to be a fun memento to collect. They're literally in the shape of a rectangular postcard, but you can play it on your record player, and it has our single Hao Ma on it. You can order it online and send it to yourself or to someone else as a gift. We also include a personalized note that's written by one of us! Shout out to Josh from Vinyl Post. 

AC: Are you involved in any other creative projects? If so, can you tell us a bit about them?

BB: I have my debut solo record coming out early next year under the moniker Milk Jennings. One of my favourite artists Sam Cohen, produced it, and I'm super excited about it! I have some crazy music videos in the works for it. I'm also an animator and have animated some stuff for Ashe recently. Big fan of hers!

Still from CHINESE AMERICAN BEAR - 好吗 (Hao Ma) [Official Music Video]

AC: Who are some musicians/artists in your scene who you think deserve more recognition?

BB: There are a lot of amazing artists from Taiwan/China that we've discovered. Some already have a pretty big following around Asia, but not as much appreciation in thie states. Bands like The Fur., Huan Huan, deca joins, Wayne's so Sad, and The Chairs. All so incredible. Also, Tommy Pixel is a good friend who is really pushing new ground both musically and visually. He's one of the best. 

AC: Finally, what's the best way to support Chinese American Bear right now?

AT: The best way to support us is to listen to our music on YouTube or Spotify! We'd also appreciate you subscribing to any of our channels and/or following us on Instagram to keep updated on new music. Our vinyl is available on Bandcamp. Links below!

BB: Tell your friends and family. We have a full-length record we're almost finished with as well, so stay tuned. Oh, and we have free stickers that we ship worldwide. DM us!

Chinese American Bear

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Malaika Astorga is the co-founder of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and communications specialist currently based in Montreal.

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Dresser Shares Favourite Venues, Montreal Experiences, and Art Rock Album "Seventeen Blocks And Then Some"

Dresser by Lulu Lebowitz

There's this feeling I would get when I first moved to Montreal, where it felt like there were whole worlds of creativity around every corner, at every event, at the end of every summertime bike ride... It's a feeling of the world opening up for you and inviting you in, now that you're in the place where you're supposed to be. 

This is the feeling I get when I listen to Dresser's new album "Seventeen Blocks and Then Some." I've known the band via many DIY shows and restaurant gigs where we pushed through long shifts together. Their music is of the laid-back art rock genre, with elements of folk-punk, and has that unmistakable East Coast Canadian sound. 

I caught up with Finn to chat about the new album and our shared Montreal experiences.

Malaika for Also Cool: Hi Dresser! Let's start with the band's origin story. You mentioned that Dresser started in a now-defunct after-hours spot. Which one was it, and how have afte-rhours/DIY spaces played a part in your lives/creative endeavours?

Finn: When we first started playing together, we would rehearse and hang out in a space on Parc and Beaubien that our friends were living in. The space was in a bit of a purgatory, between having been Drones Club and before later becoming Cyberia. There were a few parties there during that time, but it was definitely more low-key on that front than in other iterations.  

We recorded our first EP there on a reel-to-reel machine that sat on the floor in the main room. I remember doing guitar takes with the sketchy electricity surging into the machine and blowing out the VU meters. Eventually, the place became too much of a hassle and too expensive, so our friends moved out.  

But that spot and others in the area like Poisson Noir were really important for me when I arrived in Montreal. I'd done my research when I was still in New Zealand, so I roughly knew that stuff I liked was happening around those there before even landing here. I wasn't able to find any of it on social media initially, so I'd just go walking around those blocks at night. Sometimes I'd come across a show or party, and other times not. The people I met were generally super nice and welcoming, which was pretty remarkable considering I was just some kid approaching strangers and intruding on conversations. It's a shame that DIY spaces like those aren't around so much at the moment. They bring a heightened community experience to live music and partying that's a bit harder to come by in bar settings. It'll be interesting to see how we could go about doing things like that again post-pandemic.

Also Cool: Was music always a part of your lives? How did you first get into the music scene here in Montreal, and how does it compare to where you're from?

Finn: I've played guitar since I was 8 and was always in bands at school, but I got increasingly invested in it in my last few years of high school. I'm from Auckland, and there was a great all-ages DIY scene for a while, so that was formative for sure. 

When I was still in high school, I would listen to Montreal bands, and I found the documentary “A City Is an Island” by Timothy George Kelly. There was a map graphic in it that they'd make a cross on every time an interviewee mentioned a venue or neighbourhood or something. So I basically obsessed over that and ended up having maps of Little Italy and the Mile End pinned to the walls of my Auckland bedroom. That gave me quite a bit to work with, so I'd just go out to shows and meet people, which led to someone passing their dishwashing job on to me. At that job, I met Chris and Kevin (bass + drums) and the other original band members, Ryan and Fawn.

In terms of getting started in the scene here, once Dresser had a set of songs, I'd just ask all the bands I'd seen and met at shows if they'd play with us. So the first show we played, I booked and promoted myself. From there, everything continued to happen pretty organically.   

I'd say I felt comfortable reaching out like that because it wasn't too dissimilar to how things would happen in Auckland when I was a teenager. I have so many good memories of great shows in various halls-for-hire around those times. But that scene seemed to fizzle out a little as all those bands got older.  

Auckland is a pretty hard place to be an artist. It's wildly expensive to live there, and from what I can still tell, there's a major lack of practice spaces and venues. But, despite that, there's still so much good music that comes out of there!  

When I arrived in Montreal, my first impressions were just that a lot was going on all the time. It was never hard to find a show to go to on any given night, and I was pretty swept up by the nightlife. The economic conditions here have just historically been more favourable to practicing art, so many people are drawn here for those reasons. It's noticeable in the scenes that I participate in at least that often a substantial portion of people aren't originally from Montreal.

Dresser by Lulu Lebowitz

AC: Speaking of the local scene, who are some bands here who you think deserve more recognition?

Finn: There are so many! Some friends of mine who are (and will be) putting out great stuff are Fraud Perry, Visibly Choked, why try, Night Lunch, Pillea, Luke Pound, Molly Drag. Other bands/acts that could always use more love are Lovelet, Kìzis, Lockimara, Sunforger, The Painters, TDA, LAPS, and Chris Hauer. Kevin is also in another band called Sick, who are crazy good. That names a few; there are probably many more that I'm forgetting.

AC: Which local venue are you looking forward to playing once shows start up again? (I'm a big Casa fan, personally.)

Finn: My favourite spot has always been La Plante, they had quite a successful fundraising campaign a little while back, so I really hope they hang in there. I think spaces like theirs are so important, and they're one of the last remaining of their kind as far as I know. Otherwise, I'm also a big fan of Casa as well as Brasserie Beaubien, who I really hope miraculously return after the pandemic, despite whisperings I've heard.

Dresser by Lulu Lebowitz

AC: Let's talk about your album, "Seventeen Blocks And Then Some." I'm interested to hear the story behind the name and the musical inspiration that went into this album.

Finn: Most lyrical content on the album deals with feelings and experiences during my first couple of years in Montreal. The title is a rough estimate of the area within which I experienced all the significant “stuff” during that time. I would wonder, "So how many blocks is it from Sherbrooke to Jarry," and thought it might be seventeen. This was probably a gross underestimation, hence the "And Then Some." I like thinking about directions, and there are a few references to things like street corners and blocks across the album, so it felt fitting.

I find it difficult to pinpoint how it manifests in the final product when it comes to musical inspiration. I tend to be into something a little different each time I decide to write a song, so I'm always drawing from different places. It all gets amalgamated once the band starts working on it. We don't tend to directly reference others very much in those stages. 

Some things I could pinpoint are that when I wrote Slowly, I was getting into Bill Callahan. The bridge in Grin probably came to be around the time when Ryan (who plays lead guitar on the album) and I would spend evenings playing Never Meant by American Football on guitar. When I wrote the verse riff for Bystand, I loved Mono No Aware by local band Sunforger.

Conceptually, this album really served to capture how Dresser sounded live at the time of recording. We played shows quite a lot and were feeling really happy with where we were performance-wise, so we wanted to translate that energy pretty directly into the recording, which is a significant factor in how it turned out.

AC: Looking forward, what does Dresser have planned for 2021?

Finn: We're planning on recording a new song very shortly that we'll put out for the summer. Then we'll be looking towards starting a new album later in the year, for which we already have much of the material.

We're desperate to start playing shows again just like everyone else, so we will be doing that ASAP. Also, with summer starting and the uncertainty around when venues will reopen, we're planning an outdoor performance very soon. So keep an eye out for that! There's a lot to look forward to.

Dresser

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Malaika Astorga is the co-founder of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and communications specialist currently based in Montreal.

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Hildegard (Helena Deland & Ouri) Talk Friendship, section1 & Remembering How to Fly

Hildegard by Jules Moskovtchenko

To understand the world of Hildegard is to immerse yourself in the deep waters of Helena Deland and Ouri's soul connection and friendship. Their debut record has been described as the result of merging their identities, coupled with a complete loss of ego. The result is a beautiful and experimental eight-track experience, documenting the creative bond they share.

The duo are both accomplished musicians in their own right, both having toured the world with their individual projects. They've also been longtime Montreal friends, and over the years, the three of us have gotten to know each other through many shows, nights out, and mutual friends. 

I caught up with Ouri and Helena earlier last week to talk about the album, their friendship, dreams, and their label section1. I explained right off the bat that I wanted to skip the typical PR questions and get into the more esoteric, conceptual energy and of the record. They happily agreed and took me by the hand into the world of Hildegard. 

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: I first heard the album three years ago, and it's so exciting to have watched it come to fruition so beautifully, but I guess we should start at the beginning. How did you two become friends?

Ouri: We had been gravitating around each other for a while. We initially met through a friend group when we were around 20 years old. We properly became friends when our manager suggested that we do a few studio sessions together. It was so immediately effortless, and there were no expectations. We just completely connected.

Helena Deland: The friend group where we met unintentionally revolved around a couple guys. The whole group gravitated towards certain people, and everyone acted in response to those individuals instead of each other. This became obvious when we hung out one-on-one and became friends. It was crazy that we didn't sense that before.

O: If we had never experienced that, it would've been such a loss. It was such a fundamental part of my life experience. 

Hildegard by Jules Moskovtchenko

Also Cool: It is very Montreal to exist around people until you finally connect individually one way or another after seeing each other around for so long. 

What have you learned about friendship and your creative connection with each other throughout this process?

I've seen you both out in the world together so much, and it seems like you have a really happy friendship. I specifically remember you two drawing outside of Pumpui together, and it seems so beautiful to have a friend with whom you can be your inner child.

H: It's interesting because I do feel like the way that I exist with Ouri is so unique. [She] brings out things in me that my other friends don't, which is also true about the music. 

This collaboration is more than the sum of its parts; it depends on its alchemy. We've also spent so much time one-on-one for this project that people always tell us we act like siblings. 

O: I never feel like I have to be a highly individual part of this group, I just want to blend, and I want this energy to circulate all the time. I think that this is an essential part of our friendship. I feel like since we experienced this together, we've been researching flexibility and ego, and we're trying to get back to that every time. When we're on video shoots, and we're not crossing paths all day, it feels very wrong. We need the excitement and comfort that we share together.

AC: It sounds like a really nice soulmate connection.

Both: Yeaaaaaa (blush)

AC: Your record sounds like when Durocher (an after-hours in Montreal) was at its peak: Where you could walk through all the walkways, to all the different parties alone; knowing you would find your friends or make new ones along the way. At the same time, the album also feels very vulnerable and without ego. 

Going into it making the album, did you intend to make it a dance record, or did you want to just try and see what happened?

H: It was very unintentional. We usually resume it by describing the first day in the studio, where we were super excited and eased into the atmosphere. We had a drink in the evening, and it was kind of a party atmosphere. So the tone kind of has to do with how we broke the ice.

AC: If the record is a late night out with a friend, what would your morning routine look like? Would you make breakfast? Would you not talk? Would you lie down in the park to try and get over the hangover?

O: I think we would do a yoga session in the morning and then let each other choose what we wanted to eat, and then we would stare at a fire.

H: Haha yeah, we would make a fire and take our time with that. We also love discussing and unpacking the night before. 

We would definitely have a time without each other too, maybe on separate walks, and then we would come back to each other. We know this by experience, really. (laughs)

O: We were together for two weeks the last time. We would party and then try to come back to life.

Hildegard by Jetro Emilcar

AC: The tone for Jour 1 has been described as "Processing by partying." Both of you have travelled all over the place. You have experienced all kinds of different things, so I'm wondering what your most transformative party experience has been. 

H: There are so many, but there's this feeling that I sometimes get that's interesting. It feels like a "life drive," but at the same time, it comes when you're out, not sleeping, drinking and so on, so there's also this death drive to it, too. 

It's the feeling of time passing, and I just want it to stop, and every time I look at the clock, it's scandalizing that it's gotten so late. I just love those nights where it feels like if you could stop time or if you could exchange a little of the future for more of this, you'd do it. It's a very present moment feeling.

O: The beginning of summer in Montreal, maybe Durocher, maybe Moonshine. It's 5am, the sun is starting to maybe come out a bit. I would stop time to always live in this. We've also experienced this feeling together after doing the album. This was just a crazy night.

H: The one where we ended up on the soccer pitch?

O: No, the one with the mic at Durocher. (laughs)

H: There was also the one where we played Piknic.

O: Oh yes! We had lost Helena in the crowd, and she reappeared at the most epic moment of the set. There were hundreds of people everywhere. But also that experience of losing your friend at a party and then finding them again is very special.

AC: Well, I was going to ask, what would a perfect Montreal summer night be for you? 

H: I think the unexpectedness of nights in Montreal is one of its best qualities. It's small geographically, and you don't know where you'll run into someone. Everyone lives a 30-minute walk away from each other, and so you can end up on anybody's roof. Like that night, you played Piknic, and we walked home.

O: We played games and explored all the different metro stations and all the parks.

H: It's nice to think that this is almost possible again for the first time in a year now.

AC: Hildegard seems very much like a world. Can you describe this world as if it were a dream?

O: It's a castle.

H: An H-shaped castle.

O: We can run between towers and different rooms.

H: There's beautiful nature, but there's also something a little eerie. We wrote a really cool story to go with a playlist, and every step was following Hildegard's day. It was very community-oriented, but there were lonesome moments, but also sensuality and self-care.

O: That's also a mystical experience, to share with a community. 

H: But the dream, it would be a pretty lucid dream. 

AC: Do you have a favourite dream?

O: Since I was a kid, whenever I feel trapped, I think about flying before going to sleep. In my dream, I just run and fly, and I go everywhere. I feel free. This is something that I love to do.

H: Wow, so you're a good lucid dreamer! 

AC: I do the same! I always knew I could fly in my dreams, and I knew that I just had to remember how to do it. It's amazing

H: It's the closest we'll come to flying in this life. 

Hildegard by Jetro Emilcar

AC: Helena, your most recent album profiles the emotional fallout of when two people put their lives in each others' hands. Hildegard feels like the healed, higher-self from this experience. How does it feel different to put your life in Ouri's hands?

H: Aww, it's amazing, honestly. It is a big part of what's so joyful on the record; there's this intense fusional energy and abandonment of others and gradual attunement to how to make the other feel good. The reward is the music we make together, and the company, and the moments we share. 

It feels so liberating and like we understand each other in ways that are not always given in heterosexual relationships, even though we're just friends. I personally haven't really experienced this kind of closeness with a collaborator and friend. Having those things meshed together, it's eye-opening to all of what's possible in terms of proximity. But it's also this whole learning process; we're constantly adjusting and growing together. 

AC: You've worked with a lot of different people for the visuals of the project. Can you tell me more about your collaborators and that process?

O: We started working with Melissa Matos, who built the conceptual visual world of Hildegard. She had a whole team of people doing graphic design, 3d work, photos, etc.

AC: Yeah, your website feels like a portal into that world you're describing. 

H: Every element of the website is from our texts, our conversations, our emails, our sounds… But it's also designed to really include the interaction, and whoever wants to use it can explore with it, which is true of the music. 

It acts more as a space to project things onto and into. Melissa has been so helpful in designing an intentional world.

Hildegard album art

AC: How's it been working with section1? You're their first release and their introduction to the world of what section1 is. You've also been involved in the music industry for quite a while, and I'm wondering what this experience has been like?

H: It's been super exciting. I sent our songs to Brontë because I wanted her to help place it in this industry. I trust her and her taste, and I thought she would be a good person to understand what we were trying to do. So when she responded by telling us that she wanted to release it, we were elated. 

It's been so nice to develop the world of Hildegard as they develop the world of section1 and be proud of one another's projects.

O: Being introduced to their network has been really amazing. It feels like it's alive and not a stiff uni-dimensional thing. It's one of the first times I feel like the team received our work, and we're so excited about it. 

H: I remember when Brontë told me she was going to start a label. She told me she had a secret, and I thought it was about who she was dating. Instead, she told me she was going to launch a record label, and I started crying.

I think part of the label works into the mythology of Hildegard at this point because it was so organic and unsought after, which is also the case with section1.

AC: What does the future of the project hold?

O: We have dreams, we want to travel together to places we've never been before

H: This is working so well for me so far, where Hildegard is this project that I can put in all my attention for very focused amounts of time. I want to keep doing that; it nourishes everything else in a really lovely way. We have the backbone of the next record ready as well, which is exciting.

We want to make music elsewhere and keep exploring how environments influence the creative flow. The last two times we were together for a long time were in March, and that seems to have a specific vibe.

It's kind of like the third character, the place that we make music in. The studio we made this record in was so important to us, and it no longer exists, so it's a very nostalgic mind space.

Listen to Hildegard below

Hildegard

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Malaika Astorga is the co-founder of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and communications specialist currently based in Montreal.

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Berlin Duo Das Beat Fuses New-Wave Grit and Italo Disco Fervor on Debut "Identität"

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Identität album art by Andie Riekstina

Berlin duo Das Beat are the most recent addition to Montreal’s Arbutus Records with the release of their debut EP Identität. Comprised of theatre actress and vocalist Eddie Rabenberger and musician Agor of local act Blue Hawaii, the German-Canadian pair are emerging from lockdown seemingly unscathed. In four flawless tracks outfitted with celestial atmospheres and pulsating undercurrents, Identität offers a dioramic perspective of the couple’s intimate creative dynamics, backdropped with the essence of Berlin’s esoteric nightlife. Between their take on New-Wave meets Italo Disco are moments of tongue-in-cheek commentary, brought to life by Rabenberger’s playful (and sometimes lamenting) character-driven lyrics.

With a conceptual allure as captivating as their sound, Das Beat is a group you’ll want to keep on your radar. We got the chance to connect with Das Beat and learn more about how their pandemic boredom-buster turned ode to community-collaboration in our conversation below.

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Agor (left) and Eddie Rabenberger (right) by Andie Riekstina

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hey Eddie and Agor, thank you so much for chatting with me! To start, can you tell me about the origins of Das Beat?

Das Beat: Hey, thank you for inviting us! We have been seeing each other over three years now, and are apart of an amazing scene here in Berlin. At the beginning, Eddie was very busy with her studies and Agor was travelling and touring a lot. It actually took the lockdown for things to come together musically; being forced to spend lots and lots of time together. It was challenging in the beginning, but then we found a way to channel our creativity and have an outlet for all the energy. In a sense, it was also a way to communicate.  

AC: How did you muster up the energy and creativity to conceive your EP in the tense atmosphere of the lockdown? 

DB: To be fair, we had a hard time at the beginning of the lockdown. It was a relief when we  found this way to be creative together and bring a new energy to our dynamic. We  started out by jamming together over beers, but then pulled things together when Arbutus said they wanted to release [our EP]!

Also Cool: I know you’re both artists in your own right, and I’d love to learn more about how your respective practices come into play with this project. For Eddie, how has your background in acting informed your role as a vocalist? And for Agor, how does your approach to music production in Das Beat differ from your other musical endeavours like Blue Hawaii?  

Eddie: I was actually super surprised when we jammed the first time. I was like, “Wow, okay, so that doesn’t sound too bad!” At first I was more shy and did more speaking rather than singing. This helped me to feel comfortable and to express myself. Also, I like to write lyrics from the perspective of someone else, which is what inspired our songs “Ariadne” and “Jackie.” 

Agor: I suppose I’m more free to do things and go places I wouldn’t with Blue Hawaii.  For example, picking up the guitar again or doing a really 80s gated reverb snare. It’s fun to go back and make music as a reflection of a feeling, a lifestyle… Like how one would when they first discover their own tastes, rather than being too analytical about things.

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Das Beat by Andie Riekstina

AC: Along with your sound, your project also has a very strong and distinctive visual  presence through your music videos. Do your videos' subjects bring any of the songs'  subject matter to life? What made you drawn to the aesthetic elements that make-up the  visual identity of Das Beat?  

E: The visual elements kinda all just came together after time. We wanted to represent us and the creative scene we’re apart of in a light hearted way. We had friends help us with the music video for “Bubble,” where the subject of the song comes to life. I wrote the song about sex and how it can be important to kick your partner out of a comfortable bubble and tell them what you need in order to be happy... So, having Agor as my call boy is a little hint in the video. 

 A: For “Identität,” we managed to do the whole thing ourselves. We had an earlier version  of the video that was all black and white. It felt a bit pretentious, so we reshot the whole thing the weekend before it was supposed to come out. We were doing a flat-swap with our friends in another neighbourhood, in east Berlin. So it was cool to walk around those big buildings, dance a bit and make the magic all happen with some clever editing and some help from an old 00s flip camera Eddie bought second hand.  

AC: What is the music community that you're a part of like in Berlin, and did your scene's environment have an influence on the conceptualization of Das Beat and your EP?

 DB: Our environment definitely helped shape the concept of Das Beat, and we have so many amazing friends who helped us do the photos, logo and videos. Without them, it would have definitely been harder and a lot less fun. Their influences are diverse as we have friends doing everything from hard-style dancefloor Gabber to soft crooning ballads, and designers creating really cool graphics, clothes, tattoos… Basically art of all kinds.  

AC: In the same vein, do you have any aspirations for how your project might exist in a live context once nightlife is revived?  

DB: We are very excited for live shows again and are already preparing. It looks like we are going to have our first show at the end of July for an outdoor festival here in Germany. We’re hoping to get more opportunities in the summer! 

AC: Finally, how do you plan to celebrate your release, and how can we best support you going forward? 

DB: We’re already celebrating every song a little bit in Eddies flat-share, haha! Now that the whole EP is out, we are also hoping to celebrate with shows and performances for people. Of course, we’ll have to see what’s possible. Later this month we are planning to DJ a friend’s live fitness class from Toronto… Should be pretty neat… Really, listening to our songs is the best support you can give us!

Das Beat · Identität EP

Das Beat

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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.

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Premiere: Splash into the Sunny Season with Emissive's New EP "Wave Science"

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Image credit: Sanjeet Takhar

‘Tis the season for cosmic boogie. You might’ve caught our interview with Toronto’s Active Surplus (Evan Vincent and Ian Syrett) for their debut release on Vancouver label Pacific Rhythm last year - this time Evan is flying solo with this wavey four-track release as Emissive. The warm analog grooves are fit for any vaxxed girl summer activity.

Whether it’s a hazed-out park picnic, cute splash in the pool, or a moonlit rooftop hang, the free-flowing melodies and flavourful bass will have you yearning for a dance. Paying tribute to the Black American pioneers of electronic dance music, “Wave Science” is hot - an undeniable summer playlist must-have.

As the artist says himself, it’s time to summon the spirits of dance, love, and seasonal warmth. “Less thinking, more feeling.” Support Emissive and Pacific Rhythm on Bandcamp and listen to “Wave Science” below.

Emissive

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Good Grim's "Roommates" is the Perfect Dreamy Shoegaze Track for Your Summer

Good Grim by alcauter.photo styled by Ty Davis

There's something about hazy summer weather that makes me want to listen to slow-burning dream pop. Maybe it's the feeling on the evenings stretching on forever (goodbye Quebec curfew) or the way that the sunset seems to last for hours... But either way, I've found myself wanting more and more synthy shoegaze-y dream pop, and Good Grim's “Roommates” is the perfect antidote.

Good Grim is the art-rock solo project led by Utah-based musician Trevor Free. Known for his previous project, Sister Adolescent, Free has crafted a style rooted in hazy synths combined with post-rock crescendos. While still rooted in reverberated and lush instrumentals, Good Grim finds a darker atmosphere drawing influences from art-rock acts while still maintaining that dreamlike quality to his sound.

"My influences are mostly ambient and jazz," says Free. "I listen to a lot of the modal John Coltrane and find a lot of enjoyment in just about everything Harold Budd (particularly, The Serpent [In Quicksilver]) has done. I also find some inspiration in post-rock artists like Godspeed! You Black Emperor and hip-hop and jazz artists like Freddie Gibbs and BADBADNOTGOOD."

"Roommates" is Good Grim's second single release in preparation for their first upcoming LP 'Enchantment,' with the slow-burning ballad, "Fear of God," being the first to release in March.

Listen to "Roommates" below

Good Grim

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Malaika Astorga is the co-founder of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and communications specialist currently based in Montreal.

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Montreal's SpiceKiks Releases Glittery Lofi Single "All I see is visuals"

Press photo via SpiceKiks

Have you ever wondered what Clairo would sound like as a lofi hyper pop artist? Introducing SpiceKiks, the Montreal artist intertwining her glittery digital sound with her love for acoustic melodies and melancholy.

Today SpiceKiks releases her single “All I see is visuals” today off of her upcoming EP The Moon's Own Daughter this summer. The project is a collaboration with Nimbus2k, and came out of their friendship during quarantine. The album ranges from a sparkly electronic sound to a more laid-back singer-songwriter vibe, all while expressing the artist's emotional vulnerability.

Keep an eye out for all of Spicekiks' beautiful new tunes, and in the meantime, listen to “All I see is visuals” below.

SpiceKiks

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Hot Girl Summer Begins with Magi Merlin's "To The Beach"

Magi Merlin by Lawrence Fafard

At this point, you probably already know how much we love Magi Merlin and her incredible artistry. She's quickly become Montreal's up-and-coming musical sweetheart and is set to take on the rest of the music industry very soon. We covered her EP Drug Music earlier this year, as well as her surrealist music video for Mock Meat.

So why am I gushing about Magi again? Well, she's just released “To The Beach,” the first song off of her upcoming EP, which is part of a larger series of releases entitled Weather Music. But don't let the summery title deceive you; this honey-smooth track is yet another peek into the singer's healing process, focusing on the relationship that she has with her father, someone she chose to remove from her life due to a difficult past.

Described as "neo-soul" and "alternative R&B," Magi is paving her way with yet another evolution to her sound. I caught up with her to chat about the track and Hot Magi Summer 2021.

To The Beach artwork via Magi Merlin

Malaika for Also Cool: It seems like with each season, you continue to transform yourself as an artist. Can you tell us about the meaning behind the visuals for the song? 

Magi Merlin: Yes! It honestly comes as a surprise to me. I want to depict metamorphosis and change with each release. It's all active, genuine change. I feel like with every release I become more confident in my work and myself. 

When it comes to the visuals, the concept is to depict power through vulnerability. Removing layers of clothing is a metaphor for taking down protective walls and finding strength in that vulnerability. It was interesting to strip down to nearly nothing in front of an entire crew, a testament to me actively practicing what I am preaching (hehe). 

Also Cool: There's a reoccurring theme throughout your music of growing out of relationships that no longer serve you. Has this been a conscious choice, or is it a natural part of your healing process to turn complicated feelings into your art?

Magi: Turning difficult situations in my life into music has definitely become a part of my healing process. It's funny; when I'm in the middle of dealing with a tough situation, I usually find I'm too emotional to write about it. I've noticed that once I've cleared the initial brunt of my emotions and can look at the situation clearly, I can turn it into something tangible. I know that I am nearing a stage of healing when I am clear-headed enough to write about painful or difficult situations. 

AC: Tell us about your collaborators on the song and the video. Who are they, and how did you start working together?

Magi: Funkywhat produced the song (along with pretty much every other song I have out right now)! I met him through Instagram three years ago (of course) and have been working with him regularly ever since. 

Mailis Roy-Lessard directed the music video. It was my first time working with her and the rest of the team, and it was fantastic! I loved being on set and being guided by Mailis. It was such a cool experience that I'm still hyped about.

AC: I'm personally really interested to know what kind of music you're listening to right now.

Magi: I've been listening to a lot of Wizkid and Burnaboy lately. They've been on repeat for the past few weeks! I think it's the change in weather; warm weather calls for Afrobeat.

AC: Will Summer 2021 be a hot Magi summer? Are you playing any shows? Will we be blessed with more music? 

Magi: Omg, hahaha, HOT MAGI SUMMERRRRR! I hope so! I've got an EP coming out this summer that I am insanely excited about. It's some of my favourite work so far, and I can't wait to share it with you. 

I'm also set to play la Grosse Lamterne in August. After playing Santa Teresa fest, I'm SOOOOO excited to play more live shows! Hot girl summer has commenced.

Watch To The Beach below

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Magi Merlin

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Malaika Astorga is the co-founder of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and communications specialist currently based in Montreal.

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YNDI (FKA Dream Koala) Will Leave Audiences Transfixed with Debut "Noir Brésil"

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YNDI, shot by François Quillacq

What’s in a stage-name? For Paris-based singer, songwriter, composer and producer Yndi Ferreira Da Silva, retiring her former moniker Dream Koala allowed her to reconnect with her ancestry and creative intuition through realizing a new musical venture.

Beginning her career in 2012 as Dream Koala, the multidisciplinary artist released three electronic-pop EPs, Odyssey (2013), Earth. Home. Destroyed. (2014), and Exodus (2015), which received praise from the likes of NPR Music and Vogue. You may know Yndi from her performances on the popular music platform and Youtube channel COLORS, or her internationally renowned single “We Can’t Be Friends,” which gained over 30 million streams on Spotify alone.  

Since remerging proudly as YNDI, the singer has been co-producing her debut record Noir Brésil, which is set to release May 28th, 2021 via Paris’ Grand Musique Management.

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YNDI, shot by François Quillacq

Opening my interview with Yndi, I ask her about the decision to use her first name rather than Dream Koala, to which she responds: “Everything about the process of making this album was so intimate; singing in French and Portuguese, playing Afro-Brazilian percussion, imagining the visuals… I didn’t want to hide behind an alias. I wanted to share this project under my real name, the one my family and friends call me!”

Through marrying the poetry of her two maternal languages (French and Portuguese) with Afro-Brazilian percussion, Noir Brésil houses a range of exquisite soundscapes celebrating Yndi’s heritage. Yndi says the album’s overall eclecticism developed from a desire for each track to be “its own little world.”

Emotionally, Yndi harnessed memories linked to her spirituality to guide her songwriting, as well as “childhood bliss, depression and pure escapism” in the conceptualization and production of Noir Brésil. The result is Yndi’s honeyed voice elegantly draped over thirteen dynamic tracks. Adorned with ambitious instrumentation, featuring electrifying percussion performed by the Brazilian band Zalindê, Noir Brésil drifts, waltzes and somersaults through a paradisal universe unique to Yndi’s remarkable artistry. Though her work’s foundation and sustenance is incredibly personal, she tells me that she wants her music to be “a place where listeners can explore their own emotions, and not necessarily feel [hers]”.

Yndi notes Timbaland and Clara Nunes as significant musical influences and remarks that Carlinhos Brown’s “Afagamabetizado” has shaped the way she perceives music to this day. She mentions that her craft is equally impacted by video games, anime and cinema, which is evident in her vibrant and captivating music videos. On the music video for her song “Nuit,” the singer comments:

“It is a love letter to the video games that affected me during my life. It was an opportunity to imagine a Zelda or Shadow of Colossus set-up in Brazilian folklore. I wanted to use these games’ aesthetics to tell a story inspired by Brazilian ‘Congado,’  a religious celebration that symbolizes the coronation of African kings and queens.”

Yndi shares that working on Noir Brésil brought along some welcomed challenges and lessons. “I learned to trust myself, to believe in my creativity and defend my ideas,” she details. “I have also learned that if you are true to yourself, you will always create something new because we’re all unique and ever-changing.”

Though working independently comes naturally for Yndi, she indicates that staying grounded and connected to her creative vision was facilitated by collaborating with others. “When you work alone, you overthink so much! It’s difficult to get the drive you need without collaborating with other artists. My friend Superpoze co-produced the album, and Noir Brésil wouldn’t be the same without the amazing work of Zalindê! Nothing matches the feeling of creating something new with someone else. Everyone around me has been so committed to the album — I am so lucky!”

Going forward, Yndi is eager to continue producing music videos for Noir Brésil, as she wants her album to be both a visual and musical experience. She plans to tour with her band, promising to present an unparalleled performance when live music becomes possible once again.

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YNDI, shot by François Quillacq

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NOIR BRÉSIL

Out May 28, 2021 via Grand Musique Management

1. Noir Brésil

2. Amazona

3. Novo Mundo

4. Nuit

5. Illusão

6. Exil

7. O Cantos Das Ondas

8. Reliques

9. Eternel

10. Saudade

11. Dia De Carnaval

12. Eden

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YNDI

Instagram | Facebook | Spotify

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.

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L'Impératrice Explore the Cause and Cure For Heartbreak On Dazzling Return "Tako Tsubo"

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L’Impératrice, by Gabrielle Riouah

Paris’ grooviest export L’Impératrice are back in full-force with the release of their latest record, Tako Tsubo. The band has kept us (patiently!) on the edge of our seats for a full-length project since their 2019 debut Matahari; building anticipation touring around the world with their bubbling basslines, hypnotic melodies and irresistible danceability.

After three years of internal growth, the band’s return has proven to be worth the wait. Indeed, L’Impératrice’s latest venture is a shimmering think-piece on life’s ever-perplexing phenomenon of broken-heart syndrome, which derived the name Tako Tsubo (meaning “octopus trap” in Japanese).

In thirteen impeccably mastered tracks (graced with the touch of the legendary Neal Pogue, who has worked with the likes of Outkast, Stevie Wonder and Tyler the Creator), L’Impératrice tackles this affliction and it’s many symptoms, from euphoria to emotional burnout and ennui. Impressively, this album offers both a diagnosis and a cure, with full-bodied funk, twinkling vintage accents and a playfulness that dissolves the bitterness of heartbreak’s ache. Read our conversation with L’Impératrice below to get a glimpse into the world of Tako Tsubo, which the band has announced they will take on tour in 2022!

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Tako Tsubo (2021) album cover by Ugo Bienvenu

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hello L'Impératrice! Thank you so much taking the time to chat with me. Congratulations on the release of Tako Tsubo! To start, let's talk about your evolution as a group since your last release, Matahari. What elements of your creative process have solidified or changed over the last three years, and how have these developments in your dynamic influenced this record? 

L’Impératrice: We’ve spent most of our time touring in France and abroad over the last three years, which has really impacted our dynamic as a band. First of all, we’ve grown closer to each other; we really grew up as a family. We also got to connect with new cultures and audiences; new waves of receiving our music, and it was very enriching. This time touring made us want to produce music in a different way, without making any compromises… Something more sincere and more close to what we feel we really are.

Also Cool: When comparing your two albums, you could say that Tako Tsubo comes across as more critical than Matahari, which emotionally taps into the lightness of a new romance. What led to the band deciding to tackle the phenomenon of heartbreak in its many forms, and was that enhanced by creating during the pandemic? 

L’Impératrice: The album was 90% recorded when the COVID-19 hit, so the pandemic didn’t influence it in a huge way. But, we did write “Submarine” from scratch during lockdown; a love breakup song. 

Nothing was really planned while we wrote the album, and we discovered after recording everything that all the songs were about marginality in various forms. The idea of being alienated from society; different from the others, and accepting it, or having a hard time accepting it, in some cases. The album’s title Tako Tsubo, or “broken heart syndrome,” represents this breach in the system, this sudden rupture in the course of things when an emotion is suddenly too intense to be handled. The album really is all about intense emotions. 

AC: At the same time, it seems as though Tako Tsubo looks at defying, and also rejecting, societal expectations. How did you incorporate this concept into the sound and feel of your album?  

L: The concept can be felt in the lyrics of the songs of course, but also in the sound and the production. Most of the songs have a lot of breaks, brutal key changes and sudden rhythm changes. We always wanted to surprise the listeners and even our own ears, but still keep a coherence in the sound. The idea was that one can never know where the song will go. We made no compromise for this record, so it might sound weird and unusual, but it’s really faithful to what we wanted to express.

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L’Impératrice, by Gabrielle Riouah

AC: Speaking of sound, can you tell me more about the production journey of this album and what it was like working with your right hand Renaud Létang along with the legendary Neal Pogue? 

L: Renaud really pushed us to bring the songs somewhere else and to create all these breaks within the songs. He’s always focusing on emotions and groove, which are crucial in this record. 

Neal was the key person in this new sound we wanted to create. Besides being a living legend, he’s got this very Californian vibe that we’re fascinated with. He’s got this knowledge of low-end production down to a science, which French producers just don’t have. He really brought this physical intensity to the album. You can feel the bass-lines in your belly! 

AC: Branching off of that, this album is accompanied by so many amazing visual projects. Satire has played such a big part in illustrating the messages from this album, in the videos for "Peur de filles" and "Fou" especially. How did these hilarious scenes come to life to enhance the lyrical content of their soundtracks? 

L: It’s a new field we really wanted to explore with this album, using lyrics and also imagery. We’re really inspired by Michael Franks and his ironic song lyrics. We’ve never appeared in our own videos before, so we decided that it could be funny in a “self-mocking” way to try it out. We can’t appear seriously in a clip lip-syncing and wind in our hair, in a cabriolet… It’s just not the way we are! And that’s not the image we want to show.

AC: I’m also curious to know more about the album cover! What is the story behind the artwork created by Ugo Bienvenu? 

L: Ugo is a true genius and we were so excited to have him draw the cover. It’s the first time that an artist has made us an album cover from scratch — we’re so proud! We told him everything about the Tako Tsubo concept and he went further; exploring the myth of the moires, these three divinities holding the strings of humans’ lives, and how this pair of scissors can, in one move, change the course of things... 

AC: To end things off, what are your plans for the future and how do you plan to present Tako Tsubo live once it's possible to tour once again? 

L: Now that the album is out, we’re doing everything we can to promote it. We’re doing a lot of live sessions from our studio in Paris, meeting our fans every Wednesday night on an Instagram live to talk about one song a week, where we play it and then we show old demos, talk about the writing process, and have some guests that worked on the song with us. We are of course more than ready for the next tour… One thing is for sure: 2022 will be a huge touring year full of live music and love! 

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L’Impératrice, by Gabrielle Riouah

L’Impératrice

Website | Instagram | Spotify

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.

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Yndling Takes Responsibility For Her Happiness with Dream-Pop Delight "Cotton Candy Skies"

Silje Espevik of Yndling, photo courtesy of Celina Morken

As we emerge from the contemplative fuzz of another spring between four walls, we may find ourselves grappling with repressed emotions and different conclusions. New seasons offer new beginnings, and the chance to tie up loose ends from moments passed. Pairing perfectly with this ordeal is “Cotton Candy Skies,” the second single fresh from the mind of Yndling – also known as Silje Espevik, a Norwegian dream-pop artist and songwriter.

Through intoxicating breathiness and playful synth motifs, “Cotton Candy Skies” gives a pastel-coloured peek into Yndling’s psyche. This track comes from a place of heartbreak, straddling the line between overindulgence in self-pity and motivations for tomorrow. “Cotton Candy Skies” sketches a musically-immersive atmosphere, skating through influences of sultry lounge and shimmering indie-pop. The musings that Yndling expresses shift between coyness and nerve, offering a satisfying demonstration of transformative vulnerability: “Cotton candy skies / My pride is running high / I think my life is leaking / I miss the sound of you breathing…”

This track serves as the follow-up to “Childish Fear,” Yndling’s debut released this past February. “Cotton Candy Skies” reaffirms Yndling’s mission to be honest and true in her craft, offering what the artist calls a “kaleidoscope of imagination and feeling” through her music. She explains that she is guided by “...letting a feeling or experience be all-consuming, just for a little while…”

I had the pleasure of chatting with Yndling, where we dove into the intentions behind this new project and the emotional and physical influences that inspire her dreamy work. Read on, and drift along with “Cotton Candy Skies” – out now.

Cover art for “Cotton Candy Skies”, credit to Aleta Ramirez

Rebecca L. Judd for Also Cool: Hi there Silje! Thank you for chatting with Also Cool today. Congratulations on the release! 

 “Cotton Candy Skies” marks only your second release as Yndling – describe your musical background and how you came to form this project.

Yndling: I’ve been writing music for years, and [have previously] been involved with some projects that didn’t go anywhere for different reasons. With Yndling, I wanted to be in control of my music and have something of my own. I started self-recording and producing at home, and after dabbling with what would be my first single (“Childish Fear”) for a while, I thought I might have something and wanted to take the project a step further by bringing in a producer. 

I contacted Adrian Einestor Sandberg, who is an Oslo-based producer and musician, after attending a concert with his band MARBLES. This was pre-pandemic – it feels like a lifetime ago (laughs). I liked their sound, and figured whoever produced them could be a great fit for me as well. Through working with him, the project really came to life, and we found the sound that now defines Yndling. I am super excited about it, and have a lot of music coming that I can’t wait to share.

Also Cool: You’ve mentioned that your influences include Beach House, Mazzy Star, and Montreal’s very own TOPS. What role have these artists played in the formulation of your own sound, and what do they mean to you as a person?

Yndling: Beach House was my first real introduction to dream-pop, and led me to find Mazzy Star as well as other dream-pop and shoegaze bands. For me, that kind of music has always been perfect for a bit of everyday escapism, and allows me to just be with my own thoughts for a while. I wanted to create that same feeling with my music, and bands like that have been important in figuring out my own sound. 

I take influence through music I love, so music that is important to me as a person will also be a formative factor. As I’ve gotten more into the production part of making music, I often use a specific song or album to kind of get a vibe going and think how they have layered their elements in order to obtain their sound. I try to think of that as I make my own music. For my next single, I’ve used TOPS a lot for that purpose actually, as I really love their sound.

Silje Espevik of Yndling, photo courtesy of Celina Morken

AC: What I love about “Cotton Candy Skies” is its pensive nature. The authenticity of the freefall truly shines through – for a young artist, your work comes across as very introspective and seasoned. How does music play a role in sorting through your own emotions and personal reflections?

Y: Thank you! That is really nice of you to say. I write about my life and personal experiences, and “Cotton Candy Skies” is a song I wrote to myself more than about myself, in a way. I was going through a bit of a shitty time, and had kind of gotten to the point where I wasn’t even trying to do anything to shake out of it and feel better. 

That’s where the song came from, it’s basically me telling myself to take some responsibility for my own happiness. Writing music is a big help for me to sort through my emotions, and writing helps me to sort through things in a way that really works for me. 

AC: With the muted observations of the verses and the vibrance of the chorus, “Cotton Candy Skies” offers a strong sense of duality. Can you elaborate on the intentions with this production?

Y: The production is meant to back the lyrics, really. [As] I mentioned, I was going through a bit of a shitty time and let heartbreak slide into a kind of emotional apathy where I wasn’t even trying to be happy. Staying sad can be comforting in a way, because if you’re really in it, it sometimes feels easier to just stay there because at least it’s familiar and you’re not exposing yourself to something that could make you feel even worse. At least, that is a tendency that I have (laughs).  

Lyrically, I’ve used the verses to sum up how I was feeling at the time. For me it’s important to recognise my feelings in order for them not to be all-consuming. If I don’t do that, I tend to kind of romanticise being sad. In the chorus, I’m telling myself to try to shake out of it and accept that, you know, life can’t be good all the time, but that doesn’t mean that I should isolate myself and expect it to get better without any effort. 

I wanted that sort of duality in the production as well, with a mellow and thoughtful feeling in the verses and a bright “shake out of it” - vibe with the chorus, so that is definitely something we thought about in the production. It’s really cool to hear that it shines through in the way we intended! 

AC: It’s a strange time to be an emerging artist – how has the past year treated you? How have you and your creativity navigated these “unprecedented times”?

Y: It is really weird, and Yndling is actually a project that came to life under the pandemic. I think I started working with Adrian just a month before everything closed down in Norway in March last year. 

Because of that, I’ve never been able to take Yndling to a live setting, and I am really looking forward to being able to do that. That said, we’ve had a year of really being able to find Yndling’s sound, writing a lot of music and preparing for when things start to open again, so all in all I feel super lucky in comparison to so many other people to have had something inspiring to work on in these isolated times. 

AC: Thank you so much for your time, Silje. Really looking forward to following your artistic journey. What can we next expect from Yndling?

Y: Thank you so much for having me! I have a video for “Cotton Candy Skies” coming in a few weeks’ time, and another single in a couple of months or so that I am also super excited about. I have a string of singles coming this fall as well, and as the world is slowly opening up I am excited to play live with Yndling, hopefully in not too long! So stay tuned for that…

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“Cotton Candy Skies”

Out May 14th, 2021 via Kerry on the Cake

Written by Silje Espevik (music, lyrics and arrangement) and Adrian Einestor Sandberg (arrangement)

Produced by Adrian Einestor Sandberg

Artwork by Aleta Ramirez

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Yndling

Soundcloud | Spotify | Apple Music

Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Rebecca L. Judd (she/they) is the features editor of Also Cool Mag. She writes and creates out of her studio apartment in Ottawa, kept company by vivid dreams and a cuddly grey kitty named Dora.

This interview was conducted over email, and has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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Nature Is Healing, Change Is Imminent: YlangYlang Releases New Album "Cycles & Decay"

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Image credit: Thomas Boucher

Imagine laying on a densely-covered forest floor, soft moss cushioning your head, enveloping your hands as you push into it, sinking deeper, becoming one with the foliage. A cool morning dew wets your clothes and you take a satisfying little stretch as you think, “I am but a small frog in an opportunity-filled pond.”

Or maybe you’re just cold, or too distracted by the loons crying on the lake. Either way, this small ritual of participating in the natural cycles of your surroundings strikes a chord - it’s comforting.

Catherine Debard’s new release, “Cycles & Decay,” on Montreal label Everyday Ago, is a reflection on the healing cycles found in nature - growth, decay, erosion, renewal. Debard is a prominent figure in Montréal’s electronic music scene, both in the underground as well as in the academic setting. Her experimental solo project, YlangYlang, spans over a decade of deep-rooted involvement through performances and releases featuring an elegant layering of field recordings over ambient drones, noise, spoken word poetry, and live instrumentals from collaborators.

Releasing on international labels including Crash Symbols (USA), Phinery (DK), Fluere Tapes (SE) and ΠΑΝΘΕΟΝ (RU), YlangYlang has also graced the line-ups at festivals including Suoni Per Il Popolo, Mutek Montréal, Electric Eclectics, Strangewaves, and Tone Deaf. Debard participated in a residency at Red Bull Music Academy at Calgary's National Music Center and in a workshop hosted by Suzanne Ciani.

Lose yourself in the deeply intimate organic soundscapes of “Cycles & Decay” - or in YlangYlang’s words in the, “decomposed sound matter,” “rotten music,” or “compost music” that sets its own parameters, flowing non-linearly towards healing - and check out the equally intimate interview below to be taken on a journey of slowing down, recalibrating, and taking inspiration from nature’s controlled chaos and unyielding cycles of creation and destruction.

Maya Hassa for Also Cool: What was the landscape you were in when making these recordings (either the field recordings or other parts as well) and what were you feeling while being there?

Catherine Debard: I began working on Cedar St. the day media were reporting about the Amazon forest wildfires, in August of 2019. I remember watching footage in awe, while recording cassette loops through distortion pedals. It felt pretty surreal, and heavy I guess. The song was actually called 'Cendres' (Ashes) until earlier this year. The four songs have an end-of-Summer-early-Fall vibe to them, so I'd say earthy landscapes, grey skies, crisp air, burnt orange, russet, crimson, amber, olive, and disintegrated fragments of nature scattered in lovely ways. I regularly roamed the back alleys from my house to Jarry Park back then - I usually walk when I need to ponder and clear my head. 

I listened to the rough versions of the tracks, trying to find possible structures for them, unlocking the mysteries within. These walks were very contemplative. I felt deeply attuned to nature's slow decay, zooming my attention to dehydrated fruits, shrivelled delicate leaves, scattered strange shrubs, patches of moss, the smell of damp earth.

Also Cool: Maybe it’s because I’m in a forest while I write this, but Cedar St. and Waning Now sound like laying on the forest floor while being consumed by the moss and lichen surrounding you, maybe even decomposing with it. How would you describe the idea of decay in sound - in the composition of a piece, the sound manipulation, or the possibility of decaying music in its physical recorded state? 

CD: While isolated at home last year, I became interested in trying to re-grow leaves from the cores of vegetables. On our kitchen table, I grew little leafy ecosystems, miniature islands in glass bowls. Leaves would grow to a certain point, then they'd wilt, and their entire appearance would start to shift. The greens would either fade or veer into yellows, browns, or peach tints, strange furs would appear as mold and slime began to spread. It was pretty captivating. Around the same time, I was contemplating the idea of 'shadow self', or in a very simplistic way, the subterraneous, dark counterpart of the conscious self that contains the ugly repressed stuff. I've oftentimes tried to bridge this disconnect between my mental activity (mostly rational and mundane), and the raw, unexplored potential underneath, which I can't access. I’ve wondered about the possibility of 'eroding the mind' metaphorically, using these decay processes I was witnessing in nature.

I've decided to apply this idea to music and composition. It led me to develop, within each song, a kind of relational system in which the sounds would interact with each other. I'd imagine various strategies in order for them to affect one another through various causal reactions, either in 'cooperative' or disruptive ways: 

'What if, every time this sound erupts, it generates little patches of sound fur onto that layer of synth? What would happen to the synth?' 

'What if the static quality of this recording was influenced by the dynamics of this bass movement as if it were pushed by the wind?' 

'How can a piano emerge out of this rumble of sounds and evaporate into thin air?' 

'Can the song flicker in a subtle way, like the sunlight seeping through the leaves of a tree?' 

The more abstract, the better. It forced me to seek new mixing & assembling techniques that would concretize these conceptual ideas.

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AC: The second track feels like sitting on a dock in the rain, glass bottles washing up on the shore, reminiscing. What is the meaning of the lyrics on Penumbra? 

CD: That sounds really good, I wish I were there! Penumbra is a love song written just before the dawn of a relationship. Now that I think about it, it's the only love song I've ever written in a profuse catalogue of songs about relationships! It's telling - I've given a lot of thought on the subject, read countless books, and experienced various iterations of disappointment, frustration and doubt throughout the years. Then, in 2019, a new perspective emerged. Nothing new, really, but the difference was that instead of intellectualizing my way through it, I saw a concrete path. 

The first step was to jump out of my head and dive inwards to investigate the darkened, the uncomfortable, the dim, the vague, the penumbral. What is in there?!! Then, I needed to foster a kinder relationship with my inner self, gather together all the pieces hidden in the corners, not just the flattering parts. Right around that time, I met someone I could imagine being this truer version of myself with, someone with whom I could explore and fabricate a new kind of relationship, something truly good. It felt dizzying, like being on the edge of a cliff and taking a leap into the unknown. That's what the song is about; the decision to make oneself vulnerable again, carefully, by removing the protective barriers - and also being intrigued by the unknown. It can even be a love song towards a renewed connection to oneself as well.

AC: There’s a sense of controlled chaos throughout the tracks - sounds cycle between harshness and what seems like the exaggerated or over-amplified sound of rushing water or wind, and lush, bright moments of renewal. The music has a natural, nonlinear behaviour, but also a sense of a journey towards healing, flowing between good and bad moments. Is this state of healing what the album title, “Cycles & Decay”, is also alluding to? 

CD: Yes, totally! Change is imminent, it permeates everything, so I'm trying to make friends with it, to jam with it. I've had a good amount of highs and lows, I've struggled with my mental health, with my physical health, I've experienced losses, some harder to recover from than others, I am aware that I will suffer in the future too. With time, I started noticing the cyclic feel of my own life, the reoccurring waves, ever shifting, yet familiar. I thought that in order to avoid sourness, I should cooperate with the cycles instead of fighting against them. For me, that means being malleable, listening to myself more, trying to stay vulnerable and open (and not turn into ice), and exploring ways to heal and learn out of hardships, while developing tools that help me navigate the inevitable. Things will get rough again, but it's not a reason to reject happiness when it's available - or to cling to the good times. I want to be a positive force, not one that drags down.

As for chaos and non-linearity, I feel that it's what keeps me alert and challenges me in a good way. It would be easy to slip into stubbornness, despair or denial. We wake up every day and live in a society that isn't good for the majority of human beings - it's important to remember that again and again. 

Whitesupremacy-colonialism-capitalism-racism-oppressivesystems-pillageanddestructionoftheEarth

Not only that, we also have to reckon with the toxic stuff we've inherited from them, some nasty things like the notion, for example, that if I don't have a respectable career, I am considered a failure. That's ugly, right? It makes absolutely no sense to me; my value system rejects this idea, and yet I struggle with it often!

There are so many things to deal with, all at the same time, and chaos wakes me up - it makes me pay attention! Noticing times like the other day, when I did something that went against my values, becoming aware of when I contradict myself, listening to other perspectives and genuinely trying to get them, being gracefully present during an afternoon by the railroad tracks, obsessing about the future and then, after a few days, feeling at peace with it. Being proud of a friend's achievement, while acknowledging a tinge of envy, saying ‘fuck off’ to the idea of perfection, being able to articulate a complicated idea out loud for the first time... 

Working on music connects me with myself, eases the anxiety and helps me deal with unpredictability by creating my own unpredictable, chaotic musical landscapes and then, problem-solving / finding new ideas to make them sound good. I separate myself into two parts - a creative force and a destructive one. The destructive side is rambunctious, reckless, angry, sabotaging, it takes pleasure in making a mess, but it does so while trusting that the other side will come and harmonize everything. It's pretty therapeutic!

AC: Is there a story of a naturally occurring cycle or historical experience you would want to share? One that could provide some context to the cycles of sonic decay and rebirth you described? 

CD: The first cycle I became aware of was the cycle of the Moon. As I became more cognizant of the external influences I bathed in, I grew better at handling my mood swings & energy fluctuations. I felt I could better cooperate with the intangible forces. Paying attention to my menstrual cycle gave me some precious insight, too! Instead of forcing things, I try to better respect my body and its rhythms. Seasons form an important cycle too. I realized recently that I often create sound material during the Summer, assemble it into songs during the Fall, and mix and master music during Winter. In the Spring I feel too scattered to do anything. 

There are also larger life cycles, ones where you feel like you are tackling a big 'theme' in your life. I'll end by giving an example of one. A few years ago, I saw three snakes in the span of a month. The day before I caught sight of the first snake, I had a conversation with a friend about the concept of 'Mono No Aware' while sitting in the passenger seat of his car. As he pulled the definition and read it to me, I felt seen, as if something deep inside was acknowledged, followed by the realization I wasn't alone feeling this way. The first snake was a beautiful, golden and white snake in the middle of a dirt road in New Mexico, the second one was a lean black one with a red line on his back, and the third one, a smaller brownish grass-snake on a mountain in Hamilton, ON. I had always been afraid of snakes, as a symbol and in real life, and I had never seen any before. From then on, I associate a snake with the ouroboros symbol, and seeing one signals a new start for me.

AC: I can’t help but ask what your workshop with Suzanne Ciani was about?

CD: Suzanne Ciani is so inspiring. As legendary as she is, she emanates realness - and that's truly refreshing. She mostly talked to us about her relationship with the Buchla synthesizer, showed us her way around it, how to set it up, how to build a sequence. I'd never even dreamed of playing with one myself, so it was great to get to learn about the electrical pathways and how it modulates within the machine. It gave me ideas about composition - that's what financial constraint does, it motivates you to find alternative ways to create results, I'm getting quite good at it! Suzanne also shared stories from her early days in the experimental electronic music scene, and how she built  a pretty inspiring career for herself by staying bold and determined. I hope I soaked up some of her energy! 

Listen to “Cylces & Decay” below

YlangYlang

Bandcamp I Instagram I Soundcloud I Spotify

Composed & Produced by Catherine Debard

Recorded between 'my apartment in Montréal'
& Fort Rose, Hamilton in 2019

Catherine Debard: Piano, Synthesizers, Field Recordings, Noises & Textures, Vocals

Connor Bennett: Saxophone & Effects on Track 2 & 4

Evelyn Charlotte Joe: Acoustic Guitar & Effects on Track 2
Upright Bass & Toy Piano on Track 4

Video for Cedar St. by Charline Daily

Mastered by Amar Lal
Artwork by Catherine Debard

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