Out Today: Dorothea Paas Curbs Expectation with Debut LP "Anything Can’t Happen"

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Dorothea Paas, shot by Miriam Paas

To some, pursuing creativity is at best, money-making, and at worst, awkward and a best-kept secret. In either case, some kind of sacrifice is needed to “make it make sense” — you either sell out (gasp!), or give up on your dreams entirely to please others; maybe even yourself. We’ve all seen some iteration of this scenario:

“You’re going to be an artist? Have fun with that,” or; “You’re going to be an artist? How dare you try make a name for yourself!” (assuming your endeavors “work out” in some capacity)

The latter is especially rife within DIY circles, where settling for second-best has become the norm when push comes to shove, seeing as comfort is far too often associated with complacency in the art world, sigh.

Amidst all of this artistic turmoil, there is the “in-between” (which, by the way, isn’t any more or less secure). More often than not, this in-between looks like side-gigging your passions to make ends meet, because at the end of the day, bills have to be paid. That being said, there are some artists who navigate and wade in this liminality with grace and use it as a means of figuring out life’s many curveballs with a certain finesse; often times to their creative advantage.

Toronto singer-songwriter Dorothea Paas molds the perfect example of what achievements can come with taking things slow, especially in an industry that can wring you dry. On her new LP Anything Can’t Happen — out today via Telephone Explosion Records — Paas illuminates how she came to define success as encountering and reconciling self-discovery through her work, all while establishing growth on her own terms. The result is a folk-rock chrysalis composed of nine introspections on the self that have bloomed with Paas over the years.

Charmingly, Paas labels herself as an emerging artist, even though she really is anything-but. Over the last decade, she has lent her talents as a vocalist and guitarist to notable acts like Jennifer Castle and U.S. Girls, amid refining her solo skills in songwriting, recording and performing. In my conversation with Paas, she explains that her humility towards her work has been informed by the necessary embrace of the aforementioned “in-between”:

“I’ve never placed severe creative expectations on myself. I’ve always worked other jobs, and I feel like I will continue to work other jobs,” shares Paas in our Zoom call.  “Even though my work now feels a bit more polished, allowing things to grow organically has taken some of the pressure off my writing and performances. Maybe it’s avoidant of me, but imagining music as my main source of income doesn’t feel sustainable. Maybe I need to think more about where I want this to go, or how to become a star? But for now, I like not being pulled by the concept of fame or being known for the sake of being known.”

Paas’ modest approach to musicianship has allowed her songs to take on many forms, from lo-fi cassette-deck hums to electrified folk whirlpools; filling both grapevine-invited house shows and downtown hotspots. This makes Anything Can’t Happen more mature than a classic debut, and has allowed Paas to develop a unique and intimate relationship with her craft.

“Not being a prolific songwriter lets me revisit old songs and slowly accumulate my repertoire. I like that I get to reevaluate their meanings as I grow; while listening to new music and getting new inspirations and thinking about how I want to channel my songwriting instincts.”

Being in this ongoing state of reflection and transformation has allowed Paas’ music to equally inform her personal life while processing and healing from “years of ruminating on loneliness, anxiety, sadness, love and relationships.”

“I don't think writing lyrics is my strong suit, but sometimes I channel literal pages of my journal to write a song. I’ve always been very intellectually in-touch with my feelings, and I feel like it isn't until I take a journal entry and turn it into a song that I realize how deeply affected I am by a situation I’m going through. Over time, I’ve gotten a better insight on my past, and I understand more how an audience or a listener might be hit by a sentiment.”

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Dorothea Paas, shot by Miriam Paas

Knowing that having my journal read to an audience would be my own personal hell, I ask Paas how she incorporates this level of vulnerability into her songwriting.

“In a generic sense, I feel like there has been a weird double-bind when it comes to diaristic writing for women songwriters. I feel like there is both a stereotype that women are expected to ‘write this way,’ but also for us to not write about diaristic things and challenge expectations? I don't know how to explain it, really, but I’ve just felt this weird external pressure to change the way I write to be more abstract. That being said, I think there is something very powerful about writing your own experiences really plainly. I do think that it is a strength of my work in many ways.”

Coupled with her intention to balance improvisation and construction in her songwriting, Paas’ candid lyricism extends a level of intimacy to the listener that she says conjures “a very specific feeling.”

“I don't think [my lyrics] are vulnerable in the sense that I'm like, sharing my most embarrassing thoughts. That's what Twitter is for. Actually, I feel deeply humiliated by my Twitter and I'm actively trying to stop writing embarrassing things on there,” Paas laughs. “My lyrics are more like diamonds that have been forged through years of therapy and introspection and conversations with my friends… the final by-products of condensing thought. If they’re communicated clearly, they can heighten the sonic elements of what music can do, which is create a shared sense of euphoria and connection.”

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Dorothea Paas, shot by Miriam Paas

Towards the end of our conversation, Paas notes that she feels honoured to write songs that can connect to audiences and actualize the viscerality of the difficult emotions we all experience. “There’s something about being the writer and the vessel for [these feelings] that inspires me. I click into another mode and it’s very uplifting.”

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Anything Can’t Happen is out on Telephone Explosion Records today, May 7th, 2021.  Paas will be performing at this year’s Megaphono festival and showcase, taking place virtually from May 25-26th, 2021. For more information, visit Megaphono’s website here.

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ANYTHING CAN’T HAPPEN

Out May 7, 2021 via Telephone Explosion Records

1. One
2. Anything Can't Happen
3. Container
4. Closer to Mine
5. Interlude
6. Waves Rising
7. Perfect Love
8. Frozen Window
9. Running Under My Life

Mixed by Maximilian “Twig” Turnbull, Steve Chahley
Mastered by Heather Kirby, Dreamlands Mastering
All art and lettering by Vida Beyer
Design and layout by Steve Sidoli, Dorothea Paas

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Dorothea Paas

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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Halifax Escape Artists Century Egg Talk Embracing Change on New EP "Little Piece of Hair"

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Halifax four-piece Century Egg are putting Atlantic Canada on the map with their beaming fusion of garage rock and mandopop. The band recently announced signing to hometown label Forward Music Group in anticipation of their EP Little Piece of Hair , out this coming Friday, May 7th, 2021. Just like their namesake, Little Piece of Hair is long-awaited, with the promise to delight and leave a lasting impression. Opening with blitzing pop-punk shaker “Do You Want To Dance?”, Little Piece of Hair reminisces shoulder-to-shoulder bopping at your favourite venue on a Saturday night.

Coming hot on the heels of their recent collaboration with Debaser's Mood Ring ("The world’s tiniest and most introspective music recommendation engine") and the We Can Play EP, Little Piece of Hair is the band’s loudest, clearest mission statement to date, marking another exciting addition to Forward Music's recent run of releases alongside Wolf Castle and Paper Beat Scissors. Boasting a new rhythm section of bassist, Matty Grace (she/they) and Meg Yoshida (she/her) on drums, Century Egg is a band reborn whilst still incorporating the dance-punk bliss of previous Egg outings, only bolder, brighter, and harder-hitting.

We got the chance to connect with Century Egg on the importance of creative outlets, managing band dynamics while writing songs over email, and their plans following the release of Little Piece of Hair. Read our full interview below!

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hey Century Egg! Thank you so much for chatting with Also Cool. To start, you've been described as escape artists: How do you achieve this way of being through your creative outlook and how did this come into play when producing Little Piece of Hair? 

Century Egg: We’re four individuals with full-time obligations, and the band is just one of our creative outlets. Our band gives us a chance to temporarily take a break from reality, but also reflect on it and bring something back to it. We are all artists in our own right, and the band is a way to collaborate and express our appreciation for each others’ art. 

Also Cool: In that vein, escaping isn't always about running away, right? It can also describe setting oneself free, or embracing change. On Little Piece of Hair, you've commented that the songs are about "finding yourself." What inspired that concept for this album, and how did it come together? 

Century Egg: When the songs arrived, they just spilled out. They can be coping mechanisms, they can be power fantasies, or else just about processing what’s going on right now.

AC: On that note of embracing change, you’ve introduced a new rhythm section in your latest lineup — during a pandemic no less! How have these additions impacted the project?  

CE: Different people bring different experiences to the band, and it is a much more collaborative process now. Each person brings something to the table that may not have previously been introduced due to our varied influences. Specifically our song “无路可退” (“Cornered”) was created over email. Matty (she/they) wrote the bassline first, before Megumi (she/her) added her drum parts, before Robert (he/him) and Shane (she/her) finalized the arrangement. This was done totally over email during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and brought about a newer darker sound that may not have come forth if the circumstances were different.

Century Egg, photo courtesy of the band

AC: Something I’m always curious to ask about is how artists are influenced by their physical environment and surrounding community. Has Halifax and it's music scene had any particular impressions on this album specifically? 

CE: Maybe not necessarily Halifax, but the global landscape and the state of the world have definitely had an impact on Century Egg as a band, and it has come through in our writing. Ultimately the Halifax music scene has been predominantly white, cis and straight. We are not that. We embrace our diversities and look to encourage this growth within our scene.

AC: To end off, how are you planning to celebrate this release, and what can we expect from Century Egg in the coming months? 

CE: For starters, we have two upcoming music videos that will be released in the coming months for “Do You Want to Dance?” and “Little Piece of Hair.” Sadly, we had planned a bit of a record release show — as we were invited to play Flourish Festival in Fredericton, New Brunswick — but now will be attending remotely via a pre-recorded live set, as our corner of the world has collapsed on itself a little bit. We are looking forward to playing shows the moment we can, but for the time being, we have to embrace and navigate our restrictions and look to plan for the future. This includes trying to reach new audiences via the internet and working on a full length LP that will hopefully see the light of day in 2022. Change was going to come one way or another anyway.

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LITTLE PIECE OF HAIR

Out via Forward Music Group May 7, 2021

1. Do You Want To Dance?
2. I Will Make Up A Method
3. Ring A Bell
4. Little Piece of Hair
5. Riddle To Place
6. Cornered

Written by Century Egg:
Shane Keyu Song (she/her), Robert Drisdelle (he/him), Matty Grace (she/they) and Meg Yoshida (she/her)

Recorded by Franc Lopes at Ocean Floor
Mixed by Robert Drisdelle
Mastered by Dave Williams at Eight Floors Above

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Century Egg

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Preorder Little Piece of Hair here

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 Debuts Shimmery Post-Punk Single "La Peur"

Photo of Hélène Barbier by Antoine Wibaut

Today one of my favourite Montreal musicians, Hélène Barbier, releases her video for La Peur, the first single off of her sophomore album Regulus. I encountered Hélène's unique sound shortly after moving to Montreal in 2015. After seeing her play a show in the basement of the Durocher lofts with Moss Lime, I was captivated by her upbeat vocals and shimmering, angular guitar. To me, Hélène Barbier's music is emblematic of the Montreal sound I've come to know and love, and so I was thrilled to be able to dive into her world once again with La Peur.

The track is beautifully off-kilter and is just a taste of what's to come with Regulus. The album explores Hélène's world filled with prickly cacti, dimly-lit tunnels and barren country roads. She delivers a bilingual heartening space pop, equal parts unnerving and comforting. 

Barbier enlists talented musicians for the album: Joe Chamandy, Thomas Molander (who we covered earlier this year), Samuel Gougoux, Diana Gerasimov, Ben Lalonde, et Olivier Demeaux. Regulus gets to the heart of the matter: a taunt to the predator of the given ecosystem.

La Peur — with a bleating groove and soliloquy chorus — innocently points out the freeness of letting go while unsolvable math problems work their way into the sediment of the bass and drum groove in the backbone of the song. The video, directed by Olivia Faye Lathuillière, explores the idea found at the heart of the lyrics of ​​living by your principles at the risk of not being understood.

Hélène Barbier seeds melodies that ferment in her head, pairing hummable lines with alien tunes conjured in someone else's psyche across time and space. She embraces imbalance through juxtaposition with La Peur and creates simmering anticipation for Regulus. The album will be released on June 18 via Michel records (digital and CD) and Celluloid Lunch (vinyl).

Watch La Peur below

Hélène Barbier

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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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Indie-folk Singer l i l a Unveils Dreamy New EP "recollection"

via l i l a

Today, Quebec singer-songwriter l i l a unveils her EP recollection, ushering in the sweet feeling of springtime in the city. The EP is a breezy and melodic collection of indie-folk songs detailing the singer's personal experiences and introspection. 

l i l a by Kerry Samuels

According to the singer, "Each song is associated with a moment, a feeling, a specific memory that still seems so vivid. Recollection is nostalgia, sadness, friendship, winter, love, fear, life, death; it is the feeling that nothing comes and yet everything happens."

recollection is a follow-up to her album 2018 Quiet as Fire and is reminiscent of acts like Big Thief, Aldous Harding and Helena Deland. l i l a's gentle vocals and poetic lyrics feel like a much needed sigh of relief.

Listen to recollection below

l i l a

Spotify I Bandcamp I Facebook I Instagram

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

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Tonight: Janette King and DijahSB Present "Cool Me Down" At The Diving Bell Social Club

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We’re thrilled to co-present Janette King and DijahSB’s “Cool Me Down” release show, recorded at the beloved Diving Bell Social Club, tonight Monday, April 19th 2021, at 8:30 PM EST. The set will feature both artists performing and coming together to share their new single “Cool Me Down,” set to release on April 21st. Tonight’s performance is presented in collaboration with our friends at Hot Tramp Records, POP Montréal, Exclaim! and The Diving Bell Social Club. Admission for this release show is free with the option to donate, and all proceeds will go directly to the artists and presenters. Folks who donate will receive a download code for “Cool Me Down,” and get an exclusive pre-release listen!

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Janette King shot by kittyshootsfilm, styled by Dress Up Collective

Janette King (she/her) is a producer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and DJ based in Montreal. [Her] unique sound blends together soulful vocals, an upbeat production style, and honest lyrics to create a truly captivating listening experience. Her debut LP What We Lost is set to release June 2021.

Bio via artist Spotify

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DijahSB shot by Jarius Madion

DijahSB (they/them) is a Toronto-based rapper who makes navigating synth loops, booming bass claps, and smoothed out production look easy. [They] effortlessly glides across these soundscapes with lyrics that are as earnest and personal as they are agile and quick witted. Inspirational without being preachy, their music is a raw look into the mind of a Black, non-binary artist rapping their way through hope, heartbreak, and breakthroughs. Their sound [is] a small light pushing through dark cracks as the self-aware inner workings of an artist in a constant state of growth.

Bio via artist Spotify

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Visit the event page for more information and tune-in tonight via the event link

Tickets available here

Pre-save “Cool Me Down”

Janette King

Instagram | Website | Spotify

DijahSB

Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

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Mitch Davis Writes Breakup Songs That Sound Happy On New EP "Bear The Cold"

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There is something to be said for the way an artist’s debut is sometimes less about finding their voice, and more about setting it free. Such is the case for Montreal-bound songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and DIY-enthusiast Mitch Davis, who shared the two first singles from his to-be-released full-length on Arbutus Records earlier this spring.

Davis has bounced from coast to coast across Canada throughout his musical career and has been involved with reputable acts like Faith Healer and Elle Barbara’s Black Space. While his interest in music was fostered at a young age, it has grown into way of finding community and exercising his passion for a unique craft that can be simply described as gear tinkering — but surely anyone involved in the world of sound production would tell you it is more than that. For Davis, it has been a means of bolstering his self-confidence as an artist to go solo with songs he’s kept in his back pocket since he relocated to Montreal from Edmonton a few years ago. 

With analog recording and production being something completely outside my comfort-zone, one of the first questions I asked Davis was about how he first picked up (what some consider to be) such a niche pastime in the age of digital mixing and mastering.

“I first got into learning about analog equipment when my own gear would break and I didn’t have the money to fix it,” Davis shares with a smile over our video call. “Getting to know my gear inside and out has been a great way of saving money, and the knowledge I have has been so important in terms of accessibility. For example, you can buy kits to make replicas of really expensive gear. I made a clone of a TR-808 for seven-hundred bucks, when it normally retails for five to six thousand.”

At the same time, Davis’ knowledge came in handy when moving to Montreal as a source of income, as someone who doesn’t speak much French.

When the pandemic hit, Davis found himself spending more time in his at-home recording studio — located in one of the many warehouses in Montreal’s abandoned textile district off of highway 40. Like many of us, Davis was confronted by self-reflection in isolation, which lit a creative spark in a new vein. 

“At one point, I had written this bassline, and I knew I wanted to make into something eventually, but it wasn’t until last March that I finally decided to figure it out and appropriate it into a song.”

After some one-on-one time with said bassline, Davis produced Bear the Cold, a bright EP that acts as a teaser for his debut record of exclusively “breakup songs that sound happy,” set to release later this year.

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Mitch Davis shot by Kensey Crane

Seeing as Bear the Cold marks Davis’ first musical endeavour in a number of years, I wanted to hear his feelings on starting a new project based on something coming to an end (i.e. a relationship).

“It feels pretty strange. I guess I just hit a moment where I was ready to make music again, and that happened to be what I was feeling at the time. I think I was subconsciously cheering myself up with the music itself, as opposed to the lyrics. I felt rewarded, to a small extent, by being vulnerable. [Vulnerability] is something I appreciate in people, and I wanted to try and represent that for myself. As far as I can tell, a wide variety of people are responding well to it — which kind of surprised me!” Davis grins. “Something I personally struggle with is reading something I wrote in a very vulnerable state and then wondering if it’s too vulnerable. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell the difference between lyrics that are just like, pure, raw and emotional and lyrics that are just way too… overly simple and personal? Even though this can be a challenge, I’ve really learned to trust the past version of myself and following my instincts with this record, both in lyrics and sound.”

Before moving to Montreal, Davis was in Edmonton for quite some time and involved in completely different musical projects, whose influences can be picked up on Bear the Cold. As a former rapper and producer who also played “in indie rock bands forever,” Davis EP harnesses sunny rhythms and grooves with a funky punch. Reminiscing the jack of all trades’ legacy of some of his favourite artists, such as Stevie Wonder, Todd Rundgren, Sly Stone, and Paul McCartney, Davis gives us a glimpse into the magic of being involved in every step of your record’s conception from start to finish — especially without a band to bounce ideas off-of IRL.

In closing our conversation, Davis branches off of this notion of solitude and remarks, “It has been so weird [being separated] from the music community. I miss the feeling of going to a show and seeing someone come off-stage completely energized, and the feeling of playing shows and being able to try-out a half-written song live. That’s why I’ve been posting clips and things online; to gauge reactions. But I do miss trying out songs live where they exist for that night, and that night only,” he laughs.

Though Davis remarks that he imagined himself “becoming a hermit in a loft with a studio or something” upon moving to Montreal, he’s excited to reintroduce himself to the music scene with Bear the Cold. Check out Davis’ 7”, along with a recently released music video for the title track, directed by Jordan "Dr. Cool" Minkoff.

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Mitch Davis

Instagram | Twitter | Bandcamp

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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Magi Merlin Reveals Surrealist New Video for "Mock Meat"

If you could visualize personal growth, what would it look like? For Magi Merlin, i's a shimmering gold and blue haze of past versions of yourself, swirling to culminate into something new and more beautiful than ever before.

Today Montreal's rising indie sweetheart Magi Merlin releases her official music video for “Mock Meat” in collaboration with director Laurent Malo. According to Magi, "I wrote ‘Mock Meat’ after removing myself from a toxic and unhealthy friendship. I wanted to protect myself while at the same time making sure to be introspective and self-critical. I found it easiest to do this through songwriting. ‘Mock Meat’ and my entire EP Drug Music is essentially my attempt at developing into a more badass person. My music documents my personal growth, my journey to bad-assery."

On the video, Malo comments: "The concept for the video emerged from Magi's original cover idea for the EP. I was inspired by the eeriness and sensuality that emanated from the track. We wanted to show Magi's badass, powerful side while juxtaposing it with vulnerability. We kept the blue tritone of the EP's cover for the video's colour theme as well as mixing it with a yellow sepia tritone to continue to play with opposing sides (light and dark, weak and strong, cold and warm). The effects used for the video are a mix of slit scanning, bulging, time displacement and turbulent displace."

We got a taste of the surreal with her last video for “Walking To The Dep,” but this release is on a whole new level. Shimmering illusions of former identities, lava-red high heels that elevate her to the stars and more are waiting for you in her new video.

Watch “Mock Meat” now.

Magi Merlin

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

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Hold Tighter for Days Brighter: Skinnybones releases "SKB04"

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Photo: Vincent Castonguay for Éditions 8888

Make-up: Ashley Diabo for TEAMM Agency
©Vincent Castonguay
©Éditions 8888

Emerging from what seems like one of the most universally difficult winters, the feeling of warm sun beaming on your cheeks as you walk down snowless pavements, seeing people making cheery smalltalk on the corner, the sparkling sound of birds chirping in the branches above, it’s hard not to have a little spring in your step. A bit of jazz in your strut. Heck, maybe you even divert from your designated path when you go on today’s silly little walk. The swinging electro percussion of SKB04, the latest album from Montreal producer and DJ, Skinnybones, is the soundscape for that glitter in your eye, that pep in your walk, in hopes of brighter days ahead.

Working under the alias of Skinnybones, Léon Lo (he/him) has been involved in the city’s underground music scene since the early 2000’s, releasing numerous electronic projects on his label, Skitracks, and many others, including Well Rounded Records, the Dimseniya compilation by Friends for Friends, and on La Rama Dubs with YlangYlang. Skinnybones also hosts monthly radio shows on La Face B and n10.as and notably boasts two MUTEK performances (in 2011 & 2018), among many other local events.

SKB04 is a delightfully bubbling selection of hardware jams compiled over the past four years, referencing classic techno and electro sounds, tinged with a sunny swing. We talked Bell Biv DeVoe snares, the Rave as a living organism, and how to keep the dance music community alive through Pandemic Part II in the interview below.

In the words of the artist himself: World-wide raving folx, hold tighter for days brighter.

Maya Hassa for Also Cool: The smooth brightness of the opening track of SKB04 feels like emerging for that first sunny walk in March, when spring is in the air and in your step, and you have the sudden urge to buy flowers and smile at everyone you see. You mention optimism, hope, and rebirth amid round two of “pandemonium” spring - what was your mood going into writing these jams?

Skinnybones: The tracks on SKB04 are quite old already, and predate the pandemic. I’ve tracked a lot over the years and accumulated a large backlog of recordings, from which I sequenced this release. I was meaning to put out a follow-up to my last cassette for some time, but things kept getting in the way. Then the pandemic sent all the rigid structures around me into free-fall, which opened me up to reevaluating my priorities, making time for things that were important to me, and spending time inhabiting my inner-world.

While I feel like that was a really valuable gift, I’m burnt-out like everyone else in town - and the thought of us having to sacrifice another summer is gut-wrenching. I wanted to assemble an album that wouldn’t play into despair, but wouldn’t be completely delusional in its optimism, either. I hope it can lift people’s spirits, while still acknowledging the challenges of the times.

Pre-order of SKB04. You get 1 track now (streaming via the free Bandcamp app and also available as a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more), plus the complete album the moment it's released. Purchasable with gift card Pre-order Digital Album $5 CAD or more Send as Gift High-bias 44 minute cassette tape with Riso-printed 4-panel j-card.

MH: It's noticeable throughout the album, but especially in the second half, that the electro patterns groove with a unique swing. Even when an acid bass-line comes in on “Cold Snap,” the track has a jazzy quality to it. You called it “skewed jack swing.” How would you describe your musical inspiration for this album?

SKB: Skewed jack swing happened when I hurried to the studio to tap out a Bell Biv DeVoe snare roll, playfully recorded it, got over the novelty, and started world-building around it in earnest. I’m a very big fan of free jazz music, and though the similarities between it and dance music may seem few, the way musical motifs are combined outside the constraints of rhythm and harmony in free jazz informs a lot of my music. In a way, this is also reflective of skewed jack swing, taking a familiar setup that could easily fall into pastiche and bending it so that it becomes something unintended, unexpected, and true to itself.

MH: What is your creative process when making a track — do you tend to improvise?

SKB: I almost always have one starting point in mind, be it a drum pattern, a melody or a sample I’d like to use. I’ll lay that down first, then start building up elements around it until I have enough blocks to play with. That will usually be within the first hour. Then I’ll spend a considerably longer time just vibing the hell out. I have a hardware setup, so it’s me improvising, twiddling knobs and pushing buttons, probably making pamplemousse faces and breathing really hard the whole time. When I’ve gotten that out of my system, I have a good idea of the elements that work and the ones that are clutter, so I cut the fat and streamline it. I then work out an outline of the song structure, which usually leaves ample room for noodling, then record one take of a controlled jam, which I later trim down.

MH: “Namur” makes me miss emerging from a dark tunnel at 7am with amen breaks still ringing in my ears. In what ways have you been staying hopeful for the return of the dance music scene (if at all) throughout the past year's lockdowns?

SKB: I actually wrote a Medium piece a little while ago about how I miss going out dancing. I think if we allow ourselves to accept that raving may not come back as the romanticized image that we have of it in our minds, there is more room for hope. To me, raving isn’t only about dancing in a club, rubbing sweaty shoulders with strangers to loud music—though that sounds about as close to paradise as anything right now—it’s about being part of a larger living organism.

What can constitute a living organism is actually quite varied and we don’t necessarily have to stick to a venue + sound system + DJ + dancers formula. There might be countless other ways for the rave to exist which may or may not include physical proximity. I’m keeping fingers crossed for “may include,” and hope it’s soon, but if that’s not the case, I’m still totally down to put my body, my mind, and my time to contribute to keeping the rave going in a larger sense.

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Photo: Vincent Castonguay for Éditions 8888

Make-up: Ashley Diabo for TEAMM Agency

MH: Could you elaborate on what being part of a “living organism” means to you? Is it the experience of a unified community, the sense of solidarity brought upon by a shared emotional experience, maybe even the physical sense of interconnection or anonymity brought upon by dancing together? A combination of it all?

SKB: Apart from music, people, venues, and lighting, a rave is also made up of less readily-identifiable things like frequencies, bodies, pressure systems, secretions, intelligence, chemicals, trajectories, impulses, breath, blood, emotions, energy. All of these things are variable, and every one of them acts on and influences every thing else. If a tune I love comes on and I start dancing my heart out, that will definitely affect how the person next to me, who's never heard it before, receives it. All that goes back to the DJ and acts on what they do next, and how they do it.

At the same time, if I had a terrible meal before going out and that same tune comes on when I get to the rave, but this time I feel miserable and just want to crawl into a corner and be left alone, I will act on the rave in a completely different manner, and the experience might end up going in another direction entirely. So, because every little thing is tied together, I consider the rave to truly be a living organism.

MH: That response makes me want to capitalize the word “Rave,” so I’ll do it here. Do you have anything specific in mind when you mention alternative ways for the Rave to live on?

SKB: If we see how easily things from what we consider outside the rave can have an impact on what happens inside it, like the bad meal example I gave, we can also start to see how things from what we consider within the rave can impact things outside of it. An easy image is the low thumping pulse you can hear when crossing the street to get to the venue, and the rush of excitement it can provoke in you while you're technically not even there yet — or how that same sound is perceived by the people living down the block. Bearing all that in mind, inside and outside start to not be such important distinctions anymore, and what we think of as the rave's boundaries start to get blurry. So maybe I don't need to physically see the DJ in order to be part of the rave. Maybe I don't need to have my head in the bassbin of a speaker. Maybe it's my speaker at home, or a set of headphones in the forest, or VR goggles, or butterflies in my stomach when thinking of a song, a place, or someone.

MH: You have a vast discography, going back to your first self-release in 2017, spanning a longtime involvement in Montreal's music scene, which includes two live MUTEK performances and multiple festivals and party series. What has your experience been like as an independent artist — do you prefer to self-release versus working with a label?

SKB: To be honest, my self-promotion game has nothing on my artistic output. I’m not a very outgoing person, so I haven’t always secured the good connections. Because of that, and because I’m not very real-world goal-oriented when it comes to my music, I’m much more comfortable in self-initiated frameworks, be they releases or parties. I should also acknowledge that I’ve been surrounded by talented and gifted people throughout my music-making years, and that I’ve ridden on a lot of coattails, and benefitted from a lot of energy outside of my own. Nothing I’ve done has been self-initiated in the strictest sense.

I have also had the good fortune to have people from the world at large show an interest in my endeavors, and they’ve only been good experiences up to now. I’m always up for more! However, I have a day job and a small family, so I really prefer going at my own pace.

MH: Where can our readers find you (if you're hosting any streams, live shows, online performances, etc)?

SKB: I don’t have any shows lined up right now, but I host a monthly radio show, Sober Ravers Union, which airs every fourth Wednesday on La Face B . I mix records for an hour or two, and usually have mixes from guests of the non cis-white-het-dude-DJ persuasion. I also co-host another monthly radio show with my partner YlangYlang, Heavy Metal Parking Lot, which airs every fourth Saturday on n10.as. That show focuses on experimental music, found sounds and field recordings. Also, I used to put out a free download bootleg every month on my Bandcamp page. I may get around to doing that again, so that might be a good place to look!

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Simone Provencher's "Mesures" EP is a Captivating Exercise in Musical Trust

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Mesures cover art, credit to Camille Bertini

Looking for something to spice up that spring cleaning playlist? We’ve got just the trick – Hull-based composer Simone Provencher has just released their debut EP Mesures, and its playful exploration of free jazz and electro-acoustic stands out.

Provencher, the guitarist of Quebec City’s post-punk outfit VICTIME, crafted the EP after their relocation to Gatineau. Their feelings of estrangement unleashed a passion within them to lay the foundations for this project. To enhance what the artist referred to as a “creative conversation”,  Provencher enlisted the percussive stylings of Olivier Fairfield (Fet Nat, Timber Timbre) and the woodwind improvisation of Elyze Venne-Deshaies.

Simone Provencher. Photo credit: Charlotte Savoie

Mesures exists as the outcome of musical trust between the trio, and challenges the listener to embrace new sensations. “Choix multiples” is fittingly named, a landscape of hypnotic patterns and colours. “Et quart,” the latest single from the EP, marries Venne-Deshaies’ curious clarinet with Provencher’s grating feedback, and leads to emotions previously uncharted. 

Mesures awakens the senses from winter’s frost and embraces impulse with open arms. Its confusion serves an intriguing purpose. This avant-garde EP moves the listener through daring acts of dissonance, and proves that Provencher is one to watch in Quebec’s experimental scene.

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MESURES

Released via Michel Records on March 26, 2021

1. Choix multiples

2. Mesures

3. Pesée

4. Toutes ces réponses

5. Et quart

6. Repus

Produced by Simone Provencher

Recorded by Simone Provencher, François Mackin and Olivier Fairfield

Mastered by Simon Labelle at DAÏMÔN, Hull

Side A

Clarinet and FX by Elyze Venne-Deshaies

Drums, percussions, and acoustic guitar by Olivier Fairfield

Electric guitar and synths by Simone Provencher

Side B

Clarinet and FX by Elyze Venne-Deshaies

Feedback by Simone Provencher

Album visuals by Camille Bertini

Mesures is now available to stream and purchase – take a listen here!

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Simone Provencher

Bandcamp | Soundcloud

Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Spaceface and KWKA Bring Escapist Psych-Rock to the Masses

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“Experiments In Escapist Infinities” cover

Jake Ingalls is a creative soul who makes psychedelic masterpieces with his bands Spaceface and The Flaming Lips. Both groups are known for creating unique, unparalleled stage sets,  light shows and performances. If you’re lucky enough to attend one of their concerts, it will be  an experience you’ll likely never forget. If The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour, CAN and the  grooviest bass lines ever had a lovechild, it would be Spaceface.  

Spaceface is a retro-futurist dream-rock band that was formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 2011. Currently, Ingalls is based in Los Angeles. They have released some phenomenal feel-good psychedelic albums and singles such as “Sun Kids” and “Panoramic View.” The band just dropped  a new single on April 1st titled, "Experiments In Escapist Infinities” with Mike Fridmann AKA KWKA. Their forthcoming album is on its way as well. Expect amazing influences on this record, like Nina Simone and Superorganism. Spaceface’s latest offering will be paired with kaleidoscopic visuals and new music videos to create a sublime musical experience.   

We got the chance to connect with Ingalls and Fridmann to discuss their thoughts on collaboration, creative processes, and the theatrics of their live performances.

Sierra Kaylen for Also Cool: Jake and Mike, thank you for taking the time to talk to us today. Can you tell us a bit about who you are and what you love? 

Jake Ingalls: My name is Jake Ingalls, I'm the frontman/bandleader of Spaceface. I also play guitar and keyboard in The Flaming Lips. That's usually  where people know me from but lately, we've been getting more and more folks just finding  Spaceface on their own, which is exciting. I always feel a little grotesque dropping the Lips' name when we're talking about this project, but they were my favorite band from 6th grade to college… and now I get to play with them, which is still kind of mind blowing to me.  

I've also recently embraced being a nonbinary person. I'm from Memphis and I've lived in L.A. for about five years now? I love cooking, rollerblading, and collaborating with new artists. I love a fresh new notebook to scribble ideas/drawings/ tasks and lists in. The list of things I love could go on forever. It'd be easier to list things I don't like… for instance, when you can hear someone eating on the other end of the phone.

Mike Fridmann: I’m Mike, I make music under the name KWKA, run a tiny record label called Nonexistant Records and work as an assistant engineer at Tarbox Road Studios. I’ll name-drop the Flaming Lips too, because Dave Fridmann is my dad… So, I’ve known the Lips my entire life and that’s where I know Jake from! Unsurprisingly, I love to work on music and that’s kind of what I do all the time. In the last year I’ve played a lot of  video games and taken a lot of walks too. And I got a cat, I love cats. 

Also Cool: Your band Spaceface, meshes retro psych and modern pop together creating  unique and magic sounds. Could you tell us a bit about the creative process that went  into the new single?  

Jake Ingalls: Well that's a great compliment! There are usually four of us that write what I'd call “the core” of most of the tunes; so there's almost always a big push and pull or tug-of-war vibe when it comes to where the song should "go.” A lot of times, we'll sit and discuss what scene a new song would be setting in a movie, and try to approach the arrangement cinematically; talking about camera angles that shift focus with the entrance of new parts and what feeling we want to evoke.

I then take the new full-band demo into the studio and tear it apart and re-record almost everything. It started simply out of necessity that I'm the guy who goes into the studio with an engineer/producer to fix it all up and get a good mix going, but now it's just an understood part of the process. Jake, when are you gonna take this one into the studio? I'd love to hear what it's gonna become and wanna make sure you don't ditch my favorite part here. 

I'm lucky that my band trusts me to take what we've worked so hard to create and mess with it to great lengths. There's truly a freeing feeling having the full song done so you can reference anything you particularly loved about the original. But, going into the actual recording process completely unattached to what the song can become, adding new rhythms, instruments, and samples that can completely change the feel of the entire tune.

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Jake Ingalls of Spaceface by Blake Studdard

AC: I’ve noticed that your band often pairs music with trippy visuals. Your stage production features light shows that match your song’s themes and overall vibe. What kind of  experience are you trying to give your audience when performing live?  

JI: Firstly, we're aware that most folks that are coming to a Spaceface show likely don't know our music. With that in mind, we've always felt like the "show" element is a nice added treat for fans, and a little reward for people who took the risk, who got out of their warm apartments, and paid $5 to come to check us out. So when we started the band, I immediately went out and bought a fog machine, cheap lasers, and Christmas lights.

I was about 16 when I realized that not everyone sees vivid colors or visuals when they hear music, and always craved adding some sort of obvious queue for people. At first, you can only afford or find easy things like glow-in-the-dark bubbles, fog machines, or work lights with different colored bulbs in them... But it's gotten easier to find ways to incorporate better and more impressive elements into the show that set the mood we're trying to provide. 

Growing up, we'd drive miles and miles to see bands like Of Montreal, Man or Astro Man, and Octopus Project because they made cool music and their shows were fresh and different. I remember we fell in love with this group from Nashville called The Protomen. They wrote and performed rock operas based on the stories within the Megaman video game series. I was just enamored with the idea that you could sneak into a dive bar and have this grimy place be transformed: just because folks took the time to make costumes, coordinate visuals, and get their goofy friends to hop on stage and play along. We want people to leave feeling as happy and joyous as we get to feel playing for them.

AC: What was the process like collaborating together for this single? Do you think collaboration furthers the artistic process or stunts it?  

JI: I'm a firm believer in collaborating as a form of growth. I like to look at myself as the opposite  of Shel Silverstein's story, The Missing Piece. Each new idea is a giant ball of malleable clay  that's rolling down a hill and every person you work with on it gets to chip and chisel away until  it's a fully formed marble statue. Plus, everyone works differently and sometimes your circumstances dictate the process, forcing you to discover new ways of creating. Working on this project with Mikey was a particularly new, delightful and fun experience.

MF: We started working on this sitting in the room together then finished it over the internet. I think at the time I wasn’t too experienced working long-distance on music, so it was a good experience to have. I think we both just wanted to have some fun and try to make something that sounded fun!

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Mike Fridmann AKA KWKA by Jonathon Graves

AC: Was it difficult for you both to find your sound, did it come naturally to you? Or, do  you think your sound is always evolving with time?  

JI: At first, we wanted to be a surfy psych-punk band. Each tune was noisy, fast and we relished being out of control. I think we still like getting loud and raucous, but our tastes are constantly changing and evolving. I find my only regrets are when I make choices that are avoiding what comes naturally for each tune. It might be slow, but you gotta let it grow. For this song in particular, we set very few limitations and really tried not to question what was coming out, just to go with it.

MF: I don’t really focus on cultivating any sound in particular, I just usually make what I want to  hear in the moment. If I’m working on one project there’ll be common threads because I was in a particular headspace at the time. 

AC: What are some of your favourite albums? Have any of them influenced the current music you’re making?  

JI: Talk about always changing! I'll go with my current vinyl rotations: Petit Prince's Les plus beaux matins, Superorganism's self-titled album, The Avalanches We Will Always Love You, Charli XCX's how I'm feeling now, Elbow's Little Fictions and Nina Simone's To Love Somebody. I can't say anything but Nina, Elbow, and Superorganism influenced the upcoming record since the album is done and those are the only ones we all had before we finished it.

MF: Honestly, most of my listening for the last few years has just been whatever I’m working on or whatever we’re doing at Tarbox. As far as just listening for fun, Gazing Globe by Outer Spaces is one of my favourites. Before that, my obsession was Sweatbox Dynasty by Tobacco. Those are some extremely different sounding records, but I think they’re both really emotionally transporting, which is something I aspire to. 

AC: Speaking of albums, what was a project you worked on that had the biggest impact  on your life?  

JI: I mean, I'd say getting to work on any of the Lips’ stuff early on had a big impact on how I  looked at the arrangement of a song. The Lips' ability to be unprecious about stuff is… sometimes frustrating but ultimately creatively inspiring. 

MF: I’d say pretty much the same thing, ha! 

AC: Tell us about your plans for 2021! Are you excited?  

JI: Plans for 2021 include: putting out a new single and video once a month leading up to our record release February 2022! I actually really enjoyed some of the down time in 2020, it gave me the space and time to grow, learn and figure out the best ways to make videos and art for the new record.

AC: How can we (and your fans) best support you in your future endeavors?  

JI: Keep your eyes on our page, sign up for our text community, and be prepared! Like I said, new Spaceface every month all year! New record coming soon! Thank you so much.

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Jake Ingalls of Spaceface by Blake Studdard

Spaceface

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

KWKA

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Sierra Kaylen

Instagram

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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Finding Freedom Within Limitation: Chicago's Pansy Shares Self-Titled Debut

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Vivian McCall, photo courtesy of the artist

Spring has sprung, and this week we’ve got the brightest bloom in the bunch on repeat. Meet Pansy, the solo project of Chicago-based musician Vivian McCall. Today, McCall releases her self-titled debut album on Earth Libraries: a nine-track collection of impressions inspired by her experiences as a trans woman. Through Pansy, McCall shares how she reconnected with herself throughout her transition, and parses the highs and lows of embracing her vulnerability. Before creating under the name Pansy, McCall established herself in the Chicago indie scene with her band Jungle Green. As an analog admirer, McCall realized Pansy using the same lo-fi equipment that captured Jungle Green’s recordings over the years. The result is a candid, sunny debut that reminisces 90s college-rock as a backdrop for McCall’s frank lyrics. We connected with McCall leading up to her release to chat about her musical beginnings, rejecting confessional songwriting and leveraging musical imperfections and limitations to make an honest record.

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hey Vivian! Thank you so much for chatting with Also Cool. First thing's first - congratulations on your debut record! To get things started, how does it feel to have realized such a work and to have had so much buzz and excitement surrounding its release so far?

Vivian McCall: Well, to be honest, it really caught me off guard. I always wanted people to like and connect with my music, but never expected all this interest. This is such a cliche... but I made this record for me and hoped it would resonate with other trans people, too. I thought it was so specific to my experience that people wouldn't care about it, or worse they'd tokenize it. I'm relieved that people aren't doing that or projecting weird trans stereotypes onto me. I think the specificity is exactly what people enjoy. They've been able to connect their own troubles to it — troubles that have nothing to do with being trans. That's been beautiful to hear about. I'm happy that something so me is finding an audience.

Also Cool: Knowing that you’ve been playing in your band Jungle Green over the years, when did you find yourself wanting to explore a solo musical endeavor, and where did this project find its beginnings?

VM: I've been writing songs since I was 14, but this is the first time I've wanted to put anything out. You can't really write songs you care about when you're out of touch with yourself. The point of Pansy — before it was anything or even had a name — was to write songs quickly from a really honest place. I didn't want to play a character and I didn't want to embellish any parts of myself, because that was literally my entire life up to that point.

It's hard to explain to people who aren't trans, but before I went on hormones, I could intellectualize what I felt, but I couldn't express it, couldn't talk about it. Everything felt grey, and I don't I mean nuanced, I mean indistinguishable. I used to think there was something really wrong with me, like I was missing some essential part of my soul. So, yeah, I could write songs, but they were totally meaningless! They didn't even feel like a part of me.

These songs did. That's the difference; what I'd always been waiting for. I could write honest songs because I was recognizing my needs and the actual pain I'd been experiencing. It's just trauma and learning how to process it and dig yourself out. So when you listen to the album, know that some songs came before this big tectonic shift in my life… and everything else came during the midst of it.

The whole process was like that scene in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy walks from the interior of her grey house to the colorful magical land of Oz, only to be ambushed by the Wicked Witch of the West. In my case, the Witch was me and everything I'd ever buried.

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Vivian McCall, photo courtesy of the artist

AC: Thank you so much for sharing your experience and opening up about the evolution of your music. Staying in this vein of thought: You've spoken about realizing that you matter on your own terms, rather than from the approval of others — which I think is really powerful. How did you maintain that mindset while creating such an intimate and vulnerable work?

VM: I had to if I wanted to feel okay about what I was making; I had some concerns. For one, this record is not a diary and that's purposeful. I didn't want my songs to be read as confessionals or emotional pornography for liberals. I was really not okay for a long time and these songs were my way of finding meaning. Every song encapsulates some big emotion I'd wrestle with for months. The conclusions are ... ambiguous, because that's how I felt, and still feel, about womanhood.

I didn't stop and ask myself if the music was "good" as often as I normally do. I was really focused on asking, Okay this line... is this totally, one hundred percent, true to how I feel. Seriously, I did that like I was interrogating myself, which is so, so ridiculous.

I truly hope this doesn't sound self-serious because really, some of these songs came out fully formed and I didn't want to think that critically about them because I was afraid of altering the meaning along the way. I was so deathly afraid of using my music to manipulate my own emotions because it's such a powerful thing when you're vulnerable. At that time, that could have been really dangerous!

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Vivian McCall, photo courtesy of the artist

AC: To touch on the sound of this record: You’ve spoken about your affinity for analog recording. What about analog production first moved you as a musician, and how has your relationship with it impacted your creative process?

VM: Recording music uses such a different part of my brain than writing it,and that's why I love it. Classic head and heart, right brain/left brain sort of thing. If I've laid my emotions out in a song, I can start asking how to make those feelings come across clear in a musical sense, or how to make the song catchier if that's what I'm going for.

Analog recording is so limiting, and yet those limitations are freeing. I have to get the right takes. I have to commit to the sounds I'm making. I have to live mix the stereo mixes, making the recordings you hear a kind of performance, too. It can be really frustrating, but I'm not tempted to endlessly tinker with my recordings. They are what they are and I love that.

That's a huge part of the process for me, really pushing whatever I'm doing to new places that I didn't expect. I don't like going into a song knowing what I'm going to do, because that kills the fun and keeps me from exploring. I'm not a master technician or anything, but I'm creative — partially because I don't totally know what I'm doing — but I know what I like. Sometimes that means precision (take after take), sometimes that means making it sound really fucked or sloppy; embracing whatever imperfections and limitations I have as a musician.

AC: To end thing's off, what most excites you about the future of your music career? Where do you hope to find yourself once live music is possible once again?

VM: Well, I'm excited that every song I've written since finishing this record isn’t explicitly about the transition. [My] new songs aren't about transness, but are written from that perspective I guess, just because it's me. I'm excited to be back on a stage again and start figuring out what I want to do next, musically.

Just being a trans woman puts you in some unique emotional situations — some good, some bad — and for the first time in my life, I'm present enough to actually experience my feelings. That's still really crazy to me. I feel like such an alien sometimes, being like, Wow isn't it crazy to be a person? It's so corny. But that's more or less the truth of how I feel. Out in the world, I don't feel as aggressive about my identity anymore.

I wrote a lot of aggressive rock stuff during this huge power-pop phase right before the pandemic hit. I liked the idea of writing lesbian love songs in the language of this super beta-male, cartoonishly sexist genre that I do… love. Then I got my heart really banged up and wrote a bunch of sweet acoustic music. There's a lot, a lot more than I'm used to sitting on at once.

AC: Before we let you go, how is the best way that we can support you as an artist and what are you future plans?

VM: Well, I really need a band! So I guess if you like the record, just write me on Instagram. Maybe we'll get along!

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PANSY

Out via Earth Libraries on April 2, 2021

1. Who Will Love Me Enough?

2. Anybody Help Me

3. Tomorrow, When I’m Even Better

4. Trash

5. Shoes

6. Turn Ur Back

7. Woman of Ur Dreams

8. Mommi Housi

9. Me In Mine

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Pansy

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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Tommy Newport Combines the Quirks of Saturday Morning Cartoons with Broadway Glamour in New EP "Ultra Mango"

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Ultra Mango album artwork by Ruby Snell

Midway through February, Kansas singer, songwriter and producer Tommy Newport dropped his psychedelic new EP, Ultra Mango. Throughout his latest offering, Newport guides his listeners into a  hazy funk on songs like “Sweetener,” but also allows himself to become contagiously excitable in more upbeat moments, including the dance track “Ultra Mango” and the catchy synth-pop anthem “Marigold.” The result is an auditory journey that transitions from  sweet and syrupy to rotten within instants; Ultra Mango encapsulates the brightest moments from a young adult life, as well as the darkest ones.

We had a chance to chat with Tommy Newport about the ideas, emotions, and nostalgic experiences which ultimately led to the creation of Ultra Mango. Throughout both its restless moments and its languid ones, Tommy Newport reminds us with Ultra Mango of all the growing up we’ve done, and all the growing up that’s still left to do.

Spencer Nafekh for Also Cool: Ultra Mango is a very different kind of EP because it never sticks to one vibe, and like all your projects, you like to keep your listeners guessing. What kind of music did you listen to growing up? Also, would you describe your listening habits as consistently eclectic, or do you go through phases with what you like to hear?

Tommy Newport: Growing up, I listened to indie rock from the 2000’s and the 2010’s, with a healthy dose of 70’s and 80’s legends: The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, The Beatles, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Killers, Dan Auerbach, The Black Keys, Alex Turner, and Morrissey, to name a few. Those are just the core, though… There's so much more than the mainstream sort of iconic names that I consistently listened to. I loved early 2000’s & 90’s rap, R&B, and pop music, too. I have go-to artists that will never change, but I’m always finding new things. 

AC: Your eclectic taste is definitely reflected in your own music, and it seems to me that from beginning to end, Ultra Mango is an exploration of that shaky transition we all have to go through from our teenage lives to our adult ones. Are there any life-shaping experiences from your childhood that really set the tone and inspired the making of this EP? Is Ultra Mango based off of one single experience from youth, or multiple?

TN: I was lucky to have amazing parents that let me live my childhood and teenage life with no hassle and not many rules. This had its ups and downs: I started my career at sixteen, and I was a naive kid. I still am to a degree, but being naive is bliss until you become self-aware. Lots of lessons, and lots to write about. Even if the lyrics to some of my songs are telling the story of a relationship, the underlying story usually uses love songs as a parallel to a real story. Ultra Mango is the story of yin and yang in youth. There’s so much around to influence you at that age—you are just on autopilot. It takes getting older to really assess your youth. 

AC: I’m not sure why, but when I listen to Ultra Mango I feel as though I am transported into the world of an early 2000’s cartoon TV show. What’s your favourite animated series? If your new EP was a cartoon, which one would it be?

TN: I mean, Ultra Mango is definitely Invader Zim. The parallels are perfect. My favourite series was probably Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends or Dexter though.

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Tommy Newport, image courtesy of the artist

AC: The artwork for Ultra Mango is equal parts surreal and touching, in its own bizarre way. Same with the title: I never thought I’d see the word “ultra” placed beside the word “mango,” and yet the combination feels strangely fitting for your work. Could you elaborate a little more on the meaning behind Ultra Mango’s title, as well as the weird and wonderful artwork that accompanies it?

TN: The EP artwork was inspired by thought processes resembling fruit, in that they can be very colorful, or they can be rotten. Those kinds of contrasting ideas and the rate of time in which thoughts can quickly go from vibrant and colorful to spoiled was a great metaphor for the human mind, youth and growing up.

AC: How do you harness your musical creativity on days where you’re feeling productive? Whether you’re singing, songwriting, or producing your music, are there any specific rituals that you like to partake in before you hit the studio?

TN: I don't have any rituals. I was a very superstitious kid with terrible OCD, so I am surprised now that you ask whether I have any rituals. Then again, making music was the only relief from that, it's like when you fall asleep on a road trip and wake up and you're there. Time spent making music flies by.

AC: Based on the online videos of your passionate live sessions—including your appearance in the internationally renowned YouTube series COLORS—it seems as though performing might be just as important to you as your music; would you say this is true?

TN: Performing is a huge part of it. I think that if you're not an artist and just the average listener, all you see of your favorite artists is them performing. So my idea of being a popular musician as a kid was being on stage or at a festival and performing like it’s Broadway. I'm thinking of Live Aid 1985, those types of things my parents used to show me.

Since we’re on the subject of performance, I just wanted to mention how much I enjoyed seeing you play a bone-chilling Dr. Frankenstein (and his monster) in the recently-released music video for “Shooting Star.” Can you see yourself acting in quirky roles like this for future music videos? I really hope so! 

TN: Yeah definitely, I love videos like that; just so ridiculous. I want to get deeply in touch with my love for films and make some really cool videos in the future. 

AC: It seems as though we’ll have lots to look forward to from you in that case, music and otherwise. Ultra Mango might be the first bit of work you’ve released in the new year, but will it be the last? What else do you have in the works for 2021, music and otherwise?

TN: 2021 will be great…  Grammy nom coming next season.

Tommy Newport

Instagram | Facebook | Spotify

Spencer Nafekh is a tireless reader, writer, editor, and advocate for the written word. With an undergraduate degree in Concordia's English and Creative Writing program imminent, he plans to pursue a Master's specialization in journalism so that he can fully realize his career path. When Spencer is not working away, he is probably listening to experimental music while lost in the world of a science fiction novel.

Instagram

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Enter La Femme's Neo-Maximalist Nightclub "Paradigmes"

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Paradigmes album artwork by Polygon

Paris-based psyche rockers La Femme are keeping listeners on their toes in anticipation of their forthcoming record Paradigmes, out next week on April 2nd via Disque Pointu and IDOL. The LP marks a milestone for the band, being their first release after five years of touring extensively, adding several musical accolades to their trophy shelf (including the coveted Victoires de la Musique award and Gold certifications in France for their first two releases), as well as playing major international music festivals, from Austin Psych Fest to Glastonbury. Formed in 2010 by Sacha Got and Marlon Magnée, La Femme has seen a rise in success comparable to the greats, but remain humbled by the everlasting centrality of their DIY roots. 

The band has already given us a glimpse into the sultry and psychedelic smoking-lounge that is Paradigmes, through teaser tracks “Paradigme,” “Cool Colorado,” “Disconnexion,” “Foutre le bordel,” “Le Jardin,” and most recently “Le sang de mon prochain.” From what we’ve heard so far, we’re intrigued by their clever use of horn sections, DEVO-esque wind-up rhythms, and a sprinkle of cool, laissez-faire nostalgia à la Serge Gainsbourg to present a sound best described as Neo-Maximalist. 

As the title of the album implies, Paradigmes’ narrative is as complex as its grandiose musical arrangements. While the lyrics throughout unpack the many anxieties and frustrations with cultural norms and expectations within Western culture at large, it equally tackles personal afflictions within the human experience — like love and heartbreak, sexual and gendered exasperations and general feelings of depression and nihilism. The band explains that they managed to touch on both existential and intimate themes by tapping into their intuitions, noting: “Maybe it’s easier to write when you are sad or plagued with negativity? The record took on a life of its own when reflecting on our own experiences.” 

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La Femme by Oriane Robaldo

Speaking on how the record fell into place, La Femme says that the development and production of Paradigmes was a culmination of experiments, rather than a deliberate realization of a heady think-piece from start to finish. “After we toured Mystère in 2017, the band took break from music. We reunited in 2019 with the hopes of finishing a record, and brought together a bunch of material collected in our hard-drives and chose 15 songs to build Paradigmes. It’s taken a lot of time for us to finish because we are picky on the details.” 

Knowing the band gained popularity by exclusively touring North America before they were picked up by European audiences, I was curious to know if their experiences of the United States informed the cultural critiques within Paradigmes. “Really, we just toured and traveled throughout the US a lot — so yes, the influences and experiences from those memories are definitely present throughout Paradigmes. We specifically commemorate places we’ve visited like Colorado, New Orleans and Los Angeles. But the album also features influences from other countries like Spain and Turkey, as well as three different languages (French, English and Spanish) — so, it’s a world music record in that way. We like the folklore of places and what comes out of them.” 

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La Femme by Oriane Robaldo

The ambition of the Paradigmes project is topped with a particular aesthetic crafted by the band. Of the six singles they’ve put out so far, three are accompanied by a music video that takes place in the futuristic “Paradigmes” nightclub. Frequented by a collection of eclectic regulars, such as go-go dancers, cyborg songstresses and intellectuals with an uncanny resemblance to Michel Foucault, you get the sense that Paradigmes is a hang-out where all are welcome. The band expresses that the album’s title track and their song “Disconnexion” were the inspiration behind their fictitious venue. “The song ‘Paradigme’ sounds like a generic, 70s TV show and ‘Disconnexion’ like an intellectual radio show. Combined, these concepts created the set of a fake TV show where all the video clips are connected. At the end, when you watch them all together, it’s going to be a full-length film.” 

At the end of our interview, La Femme lets me in on how they plan to celebrate their release in the most fittingly over-the-top way possible. “We’re going to have the biggest digital party and eat popcorn in front of our computers! The best way our fans can support us is by dropping out, tuning into our record and movie and starting an orgy.” Ça marche, La Femme! 

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PARADIGMES

Out via Disques Pointu and IDOL on April 2, 2021

1. Paradigme
2. Le sang de mon prochain
3. Cool Colorado
4. Foutre le bordel
5. Nouvelle-Orléans
6. Pasadena
7. Lacher de chevaux
8. Disconnexion
9. Foreigner
10. Force & respect
11. Divine creature
12. Mon ami
13. Le jardin
14. Va
15. Tu t’en lasses

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La Femme

Instagram | Facebook | Website

Spotify | Apple Music | Youtube

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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Beat-Making, Animal Crossing & More: Loop Sessions Celebrates One Year in Quarantine

Pitbull has competition for his title as Mr. Worldwide, and it's Loop Sessions. The beat-making project has 19 chapters, including Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Windsor, Edmonton, Londrina, Bauru, Diadema, Paris, Toulouse, Brussels, Brisbane, Detroit, Milan, and Istanbul, to name a few. 

Founded in 2016 by The Loop Pilots and Artbeat Montreal, the project ranges from pre-pandemic in-person events to their recent online expansion with their #StayHome events on Instagram Live and Twitch. IRL activities center around vinyl records, where participants have five minutes to sample their material, which they must use in the evening's production. 

March 24th 2021, marks one year of their online event series, and they're celebrating their #PannyAnni with a month-long Animal Crossing-themed visual collaboration with Mags (aka one of our favourite artists). They're also doing a giveaway with the record store Aux 33 Tours, which features one of our Also Cool tote bags! 

We got to chat with the Loop crew about their event series, community, and worldwide presence below. 

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: How did Loop Sessions get started, and how has it expanded since?

Mags: It all started with a trip to Brazil. Montreal producer and DJ Dr. MaD and his mentor and former high school English teacher, Lou Piensa (of Nomadic Massive), form the duo The Loop Pilots. They were on a sort of tour, where they discovered a weekly event, Beats Brasilis, which would serve as the inspiration for Loop Sessions, powered by Artbeat Montreal.

Magnanimous: They contacted us (Artbeat Montreal) and asked if we would be down to start a recurring beat-making gathering, and the rest is history. It has expanded very organically since, either from people who participated in Montreal and brought it back to their hometowns or people from abroad who reached out to us. We now have almost 20 chapters.

shmings: After the first ten or so editions, Mad was busy with law school, Lou was in the middle of moving to Brazil, and ABMTL co-founder SevDee was getting ready to be a father. I stepped in on the administrative side so Mark wouldn't have to carry the operation on his own.

In the time we've been putting on the event, we've expanded to almost 20 cities. The growth has been exponential, and we have more chapters preparing to join the fold.

Also Cool Mag: The Animal Crossing graphics are emblematic of this past year in quarantine. How has Loop Sessions allowed you to stay connected? Tell us about one of your favourite memories from this past year.

shmings: The concept came about when I was brainstorming with Mags, who I credit with coining the term #PannyAnni. As a way to commemorate the trying year we've all had, to reinterpret our flyer mascots as Animal Crossing characters is peak zeitgeist. Don't be surprised to see them go up as NFTs in the near future.  

That we were able to continue gathering with our fellow creatives twice a month during confinement, albeit online, helped keep many people sane, myself included. I've only recently started submitting my own beats at Loop Sessions. I've been notoriously reluctant to share my amateur musical sketches, so to be able to do so among my extremely talented peers has contributed to pulling me out of my shell.

We have an amazing community, one that's supportive and celebrates people from all walks of life. It's beautiful.

Magnanimous: Our online editions have been an interesting way to get to know our community better. We get to have one-on-one conversations that were not as common in the IRL event format. One of my favourite Loop Sessions memories of the last year was when I decided to host with my hair down and sunglasses, which caused the participants to get really creative with their outfits.

Mags: Loop Sessions was very instrumental for me in staying connected to the beat-making scene, as well as the friends I made through it all those years ago (namely 2013). Because of my arduous immigration journey, I had only been back to Montreal from the US a handful of times, and only one of those times coincided with a Loop Session. I used to attend in person pretty regularly, having missed a few in the beginning. But then my LS contribution skipped from session 16 to session 31 in August 2019. When they announced they'd be going online, there was no way I was missing my chance.

I'd say my favourite memory has ironically been wiped from the web due to an aggy algorithm: it was at LS #48 for Halloween and I was the crate provider. This session saw the birth of a new alias for our then-host Magnanimous, who is now affectionately referred to as Spicy Mark. Now one of many new in-jokes, the spice emoji has become emblematic for the online Montreal sessions!

Spicy Mark

AC: Loop Sessions is seriously coming for Pitbull's place as Mr. Worldwide. How has the project grown to be so global?

Mags: Word of mouth typically. Most of the global chapters were founded before the pandemic, so lots of folks from other places had attended at least one session and asked to bring it back to their hometowns. Loop Sessions DMV is one of, if not the first chapters to be founded during the pandemic and debut online. 

shmings: Loop Sessions was international from the get-go. One participant took it to Brussels; another brought it to Vancouver, and so forth. Before we knew it, we had chapters across four continents. 

To me, the most important move we made internationally was having Beat Brasilis rebrand their event as Loop Sessions São Paulo. It was important for that association to be cemented because we've always credited the original source. By adopting the name, they acknowledged us. 

I'm still holding on to the hopes we'll be able to tour this global circuit we've assembled. Fingers crossed!

AC: Can you tell us about the newest chapter, Loop Sessions DMV. What are the differences between the two?

Mags: The main difference I've observed is that, because Montreal is already so small, many of the participants, even from the beginning, knew each other or had at least heard of each other. The online version allowed for a more one-on-one focus (over the IG sessions) with the chat serving as an amicable peanut gallery. It's allowed us to get to know one another on a more personal level, not just artistic. Whereas with the DMV chapter, it's almost all new to everyone! Many of the participants had not experimented in sample-based production before, which allowed them to step out of their comfort zone.

On top of that, many of the artists don't know each other at all! So this is allowing us to bridge a few gaps in the underground music community of the DMV, which is something of a tri-state metropolitan area, so it's a pretty wide net we've cast. Our host B. who is also new to Loop Sessions does a great job of encouraging folks and really enjoying all the different beats. It's been really wholesome so far, and you're all invited to the next session on April 2nd!

AC: What are some of the ways that Loop Sessions keeps the scene connected?

Magnanimous: Since 2020, we are doing two online events each month, which provides the space for the community to exchange and interact, both musically and personally. We also have a Discord where people can connect between events.

Mags: With the online editions proving to be somewhat more intimate, people have been less shy about striking up collaborative partnerships and even friendships through the web. A few recent examples of this are the new song and video released by MC Kayiri, produced by Sabrina Sabotage. The original beat was created at LS 50 and selected to be part of a cypher at the Hip Hop You Don't Stop festival in late November 2020, of which Kayiri was on the bill. More recently, a beat produced at LS 48 by Rekha made its way to Télé-Quebec just a few weeks ago on the new music competition La Fin des Faibles.

AC: Tell us about some of the artists you've worked with for the project.

shmings: The most crucial addition to the Loop Sessions team has to be Shogo. He's responsible for our wholesome visual style. I can give him a theme, a colourway and a silly reference, and he'll turn in this vibrant, playful artwork that's really a lot of fun. Working with him is a pleasure.

Magnanimous: The list is very long, about 40 to 60 beatmakers from here and abroad that submit beats each edition. Salute to every one of them!

Each second event of the month, we have a guest crate provider, and in the last year, we had the pleasure of having people like DJ Kemo from the Rascalz, Scott C and Urban Science.

Mags: As the founder of Loop Sessions DMV, I enlisted the help of my dear friend S. Sweet, bandleader and bassist of DC-based band Black Folks Don't Swim?, as well as Richmond-based collective Grimalkin Records (of which Backxwash is a former member). Sweet is the one who pointed me in the direction of Bliberation (B. for short), a producer, DJ, and craftsman. I went with my gut feeling: out of three or four names I was given, I chose B. simply because they had Hua Li as a mutual, the only one with a Montreal connection, however small. It was a sign I couldn't ignore, and I'm so glad I didn't because everyone loves him!

AC: How could someone get involved with the project?

Magnanimous: Check our Instagram and Facebook pages for the next event, sign up and get involved! Follow us on Twitch @loopsessions, where our events are now being broadcasted.

Mags: Follow your respective chapters on Instagram (the one platform each chapter is presently on), come participate or sit in on a session, and if you're so inclined, hit us up if you have a cool idea for a crate! If there isn't a chapter near you, everyone is welcome to attend any of the chapters; it's a global community after all, and the pandemic has only emphasized that by virtue of the online events.

shmings: Loop Sessions are open to the public. Whether you make experimental electronic music or '90s boom-bap, all styles are welcome. 

The aim is to have as many people experience the joy of making music and sharing their work in a communal, non-competitive atmosphere. We all have to start somewhere, and for many, Loop Sessions was the first time they manipulated vinyl records or sampled. Some even made their first-ever beats at a Loop Sessions event. The online iteration of the event makes it that much more accessible. No matter your skill level, our community will receive you with open arms. 

AC: What's the best way to support Loop right now?

Magnanimous: The best way to support is to participate and tune in to our broadcasts. Follow us on social media and spread the word!

Mags: Follow us in the DMV on all our socials at linktr.ee/loopsessionsdmv, we're also currently accepting donations to support our SoundCloud at streamlabs.com/loopsessionsdmv 

shmings: Check out our #StayHome playlists on SoundCloud (https://soundcloud.com/loop_sessions), where we've amassed over 1200 productions for the Montreal chapter alone. Share the music you love with the people you love, and when you're ready, come make a beat with us. 

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

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Maryze Debuts Glimmering 80s Banger "Too Late"

via Hot Tramp Records

Usually, I'd write a clever opener, but this song has been stuck in my head for DAYS; that's how much I like it. You may know Maryze as Montreal's TikTok icicle queen or from her last single with Backxwash. Either way, you would know that she's a creative powerhouse, putting out hit after hit, and "Too Late" is no exception.

The track is a glimmering 80s banger, touching on themes of uncertainty and self-doubt. It's comparable to alt-pop tracks such as Sky Ferreira's "Everything Is Embarrassing" or Caroline Polacheck's "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings."

"I wrote this song when I was feeling both frustrated about wasting time and also completely unable to motivate myself in the pandemic," explains Maryze. "I was kicking myself while I was down, which obviously isn't helpful to get back up. For some reason, even if the lyrics are pretty depressing, the song came out upbeat and dancey. I immediately heard it with an 80s beat – the era of sad dancefloor hits."

During a time when routine can become soul-crushing, "Too Late" is a relatable emo anthem for crying on the dancefloor while hoping for a brighter future. Maryze delivers her most confident performance yet, giving listeners another peek at her debut LP, out Fall 2021 via Hot Tramp Records.

Watch "Too Late" below.

Maryze

Instagram I Spotify

TikTok I Twitter I Facebook

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

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Come Along on a Dreamy Adventure with Freck's New Track "222"

via frecks

Wanna get lost in a shoegaze dream? freck's latest track, "222" is the perfect fix. It's a beautiful combination of sparkly guitar strumming, with Mazzy Star-esque vocals, that make us feel like summer is on the way. The track is a follow-up to the Portland-based artist's last single, "Alone Again," which we covered earlier this year.

The music video follows two best friends as they explore a forest, have a picnic, and share predictions of the future for each other. Alternating between shots of melting candles, Tarot cards, and the cloudy sky, freck's honey-smooth vocals bring us along on the adventure in a dreamlike state.

Water rushes around the girls, and sunlight filters through the trees, leaving us with a languid sense of nostalgia. For fans of Mazzy Star, Soccer Mommy, and all those who want to feel something slow and sweet, this one's for you.

Watch the video for 222 below.

frecks

Instagram I Twitter

Spotify I Soundcloud I Bandcamp

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

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"Shell(e) Pt III" is the Cherry On Top – and Marie-Clo is Taking a Bite

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Marie-Clo. Photo credit: Alex Brault

Not to get all existential on a Friday morning, but what are you looking for? Who are you showing to the world? What more is there to see? Ottawa’s creative chameleon Marie-Clo toys with these questions on Shell(e) Pt III - and we’re hooked.

Shell(e) Pt III is the latest notch in Marie-Clo’s belt, standing as the final chapter of her Shell(e) trilogy – out now for all to stream. This EP boasts indie-pop at its best, enhanced by the magic of Polaris-shortlisted producer Olivier Fairfield (Fet Nat, Timber Timbre). As a whole, the project captivates with its playful curiosity and feminist narrative. Retro groove “At Ease” shines with a punchy attitude, while “Lève tes voiles'' wraps the listener in a sensual, seaside metaphor. 

Marie-Clo · Shell(e) Pt III

But the standout track among the three is “Play Nice” – a sunny indie tune guaranteed to make your toes tap. With “Play Nice,” Marie-Clo provokes the listener to explore their soul and leaves no stone unturned. Her vocals strut with authority as she contemplates: “What are you looking for? / Are you looking for praise? / What are you hiding from? / Sentiments ablaze?” Introspection has never sounded so fun!

Shell(e) Pt III embodies the essence of Marie-Clo – an eclectic and colourful performer who does not shy away from a statement. Throughout this collection, Marie-Clo emerges as a phoenix from the ashes, and a performer is reborn.

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Marie-Clo. Photo credit: Alex Brault

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SHELL(E) PT III

Released on February 12, 2021

1. Play Nice

2. At Ease

3. Lève tes voiles

All songs written and performed by Marie-Clo

Produced by Olivier Fairfield
Mixed by Charles Fairfield
Mastered by Sage Kim
Drums, percussion & pads by Olivier Fairfield
Bass, synth & organ by Greggory Clark
Guitars by Julien Dussault

Photography by Alex Brault

The full Shell(e) trilogy is now available as an LP – complete with one additional bonus track, “Tides of Fools”. Stream and purchase the full album here!

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Marie-Clo

Instagram | Facebook | Bandcamp | Soundcloud

Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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In Conversation: Carlyn Bezic Talks Taking Up Space On and Offline with New Project Jane Inc

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Jane Inc by Andrew McGill

What role do you play in today’s social media rat-race? Are you an observer (always monitoring, never posting); a creator (sharing content related to you and your interests); a critic (engaging with and commenting on said content), or; a luddite, in the sense that you’re disenchanted altogether and logged off (and out) forever? Whatever your involvement in whichever form of feed Discourse™, one’s stance on social media translates as a fraction of the self — sometimes, in more ways than one — across online spaces. These curated extensions of the self are of particular interest to Toronto musician Carlyn Bezic, and are given centre-stage in her new solo project, Jane Inc. 

Known for her involvement in acts like Ice Cream, Darlene Shrugg and as a touring member of US Girls, Bezic realizes years worth of side-gigged musical experimentation as Jane Inc. Building off samples, break-beats and Ableton tutorials, Jane Inc’s debut Number One is out on Telephone Explosion Records March 19th, and serves as a reminder that Bezic is no one-trick-pony. 

What started as layering bass, guitar, synth, and vocals on top of drum breaks and samples has now transformed into the dance-machine that is Jane Inc, with Bezic as its ring-leader. With the help of recruited support from Toronto recording engineer and stalwart Steve Chahley (Badge Epoque Ensemble, US Girls, Ben Stevenson) to coproduce, the duo recorded live drums performed by Evan J. Cartwright (US Girls, Tasseomancy), saxophone by Nick Dourado (BUDi Band, Aquakultre, Fiver) and wurlitzer by Scott Harwood (Scott Hardware) to marry Bezic’s hypnotic, cyber reveries and glittering grooves.

Leading up to her release, I got the chance to chat with Bezic on taking the reins with her latest musical venture, and how she dissects the tensions between the self and the ills of today’s digital climate on her anticipated release Number One.

To open our conversation, Bezic tells me about the origin of Jane Inc, which she explains was inspired by stringing together a myriad of concepts. “The name was born out of a few things. My middle name is Jane, so it’s kind of about me in a way. But, I also liked Jane as in, Jane Doe… Someone who is a blank ‘woman’ figure. ‘Inc’ also plays on my approach to the writing and recording process, where I thought of [the project] as my own little company where I’m playing a bunch of different roles, you know?” 

Bezic elaborates on the shapeshifting quality of Jane Inc, asserting that it’s personified more as an artistic mindset, rather than a traditional alter-ego. “[Jane Inc] is like a mental trick. It was helpful for me to view, say, a baseline as something other than a direct reflection of me — Carlyn, as a human being — that supposedly expresses to you exactly who I am. This framework was informed by an explicit exploration of how what you do online creates a new being removed from reality — which can be both liberating and also terrifying.” 

From here, our conversation shifts onto the topic of how artists in particular struggle to exist, both in relation to survival and relevancy, without having some kind of online presence. Noticing Bezic comments on this in her songwriting, I ask her how she navigates the difficult position of wanting to be critical of this phenomenon, while also having to be complicit in it. 

Sighing in a way that feels relatable, despite the lag of our Zoom call, Bezic states: “I mean, I find it to be a real mind-fuck.” 

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Jane Inc by Andrew McGill

“The way I personally engage with the Internet isn’t very healthy, I think. I’m 100% addicted to the Internet, even though I know it’s really insidious. I’ve been experimenting with posting more and showing myself, which feels strange and disingenuous because our engagement habits are so intrinsic to our perceived empowerment. When this is tied to the thing you’re creating… it becomes even more complicated. [My music] isn’t then just an extension of who I am as a person, but also a product, and I become its advertisement — even though I’m just a human being. It’s inescapable because it is so essential for my job, and I’d rather have some control over how I am perceived by handling my social media presence myself.” Continuing on this notion of how she remains purposeful in navigating the maze of social media, Bezic comments: 

“Intentionally taking up online space represents a growth for me. I’m trying to be more comfortable sharing [my music] and being myself, and it feels similar to what it would be like in real life and during a performance. That being said, when I think about it deeply, this comes at the expense of commodifying myself and the art that I’m making. So, like I said, it really is a necessary beast.” 

Through listening to her teaser tracks from Number One, I noticed Bezic’s lyrics air her frustrations with the physical world in parallel with her commentary on social media. Her single “Steel” struck me as an observation on how identity is manufactured by our physical surroundings; through mundane, daily activities. I was curious to know if the sentiment I was picking up on was informed by Bezic’s experiences with the fast-paced rhythm of Toronto.

“Toronto is a city that hates creative people. We are also seeing in a really real and horrifying way how it also hates low-income people, unhoused people and racialized people. [‘Steel’] was born out of a very complicated relationship I have with Toronto, as I grew up here and have lived here the majority of my life. Though Toronto has a very strong [arts] community and is full of creative people, its bureaucratic, big city energy doesn’t allow for any sustainability. It hates itself. Even before the pandemic, I felt like I had no energy. The city was never giving me energy. Everyone is working to live, or living to work, the places [we] love are closing down and rents are skyrocketing. You know, the same old story as everywhere else. The opportunity keeps on getting smaller and smaller,” Bezic laments. 

Bezic’s outlook took an upward turn towards the end of our interview, where she told me about looking ahead and her plans for the future. 

“Though I complain that Toronto sucks, there are a lot of musicians here who really inspire me and push me forward. I am excited, and feel lucky to have collaborated with them [on this record]. I’m looking forward to eventually having a band at some point and figuring out a nice little setup for doing livestreams or something lowkey. Other than that, I’m already writing the next album, which I’m hoping to release in the next year.” 

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Jane Inc by Andrew McGill

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NUMBER ONE

Out via Telephone Explosion Records on March 19, 2021

1. Gem
2. Steel
3. Faceless, Bodiless
4. Dirt and The Earth
5. Bloom Becomes Me
6. My Oldest Friend
7. His, Mine
8. Obliterated

All songs written and performed by Carlyn Bezic

Drums and Vermona by Evan J. Cartwright
Saxophone on "Bloom Becomes Me" by Nick Dourado
Wurlitzer on "Faceless, Bodiless" by Scott Hardware
Mixed by Steve Chahley and Anthony Nemet
Produced by Steve Chahley and Carlyn Bezic
Toronto, 2020

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Jane Inc

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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Premiere: Sisi Superstar Reclaims Emo Culture with "Demon Tales"

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Photo credit: Ariana Molly

Reject modernity, embrace tradition. Sisi Superstar is queering emo music with her poppy, goth, 2000’s alt-rock-infused debut EP, Demon Tales. From co-founding the queer party series, Unikorn Parties, to her popstar debut, dive into Montreal’s glamorous underground drag scene with Miss Spooky 2021, the queen who creates her own reality, building her own spaces when gatekeepers try to stop her.

The scene kids are coming to take their music back. We talk our favourite early 2000’s melodramatic rock bands, the challenges of writing your first album, owning our skinny jean-wearing high school looks, call-out the high school bullies who turned emo for aesthetics, and analyzed the science behind social media’s ever-present based-cringe ratio in the all-revealing interview below.

Maya Hassa for Also Cool: Let's start with the story behind Demon Tales.  How did the album come to be?

Sisi Superstar: I first met my producer at a party I was hosting over a year ago.  At that time, I was trying to start a band with my friend Awwful - we started working on a few songs, but it was sounding very raw to me.  I had never really sung before - and I didn't know much about music production either. I always want to put the right amount of effort into the work I put out – and that project just felt rushed. I was worried it would become "that one drag single" I release - I didn't want that to end up happening.

Right before the pandemic, I met Pierre Crube at Muy Muy, which is a Mexican party series that we also host in Montreal. It’s funny, I didn’t recognize him at first, but he was in a band that I used to listen to as a teenager called Numéro#. They were really popular in the French music scene - I even had photos of them in my locker and went to a lot of their shows in high school. I was obviously wired when I realized who he was. It was 6:00 AM, I was in a look, talking a lot, but not making much sense - there's a certain point during the night when you start making insane plans with people, knowing that in reality it’s totally not going to happen.

We started talking about music, and he was just like, “Yeah, you should pass by my studio, we can record something, test the waters.” At this point I’m thinking, “Okay – we’re not really friends yet, we just met at this party.” It was super intimidating to go there, especially since it was my first experience making music with a stranger. Afterwards, he sent me some beats and I started writing lyrics for a song that ended up on this EP.

“Icy Tears” is the most lyrically complex song I wrote - it was my first single, so I had a lot to say. In my experience, when you start a new medium, you just have so many ideas. I had so many things to recount about my experiences, since I first moved to Montreal at 17, to now - over ten years later. The title, Demon Tales, is just a play on words – the songs are tales of demons past.

AC: This album is giving me Lady Gaga, a little bit of synth pop, a little bit of early 2000’s goth vibes – what sounds were you channeling for this release?

SS: I have two sides of me - I really like experimental and hardcore electronic music, and I also like rock and alternative. Since this is my first EP, I didn’t want to get too distracted by my music taste, and instead, work on finding my voice and deciding what sounds good. A lot of people don't necessarily produce the kind of music they listen to on the daily - expressing whatever is inside of you matters most.

Demon Tales is a mix of early 2000’s rock moments like Linkin Park, Avril Lavigne, and melodramatic alt-rock bands like Sum 41 and Billy talent, mixed with electronic music, new wave, and a bit of goth in the style of Crystal Castles. If you mashed all of those up and turned them into a pop song, that’s the sound I’m going for. I would call it emo pop.

My aim was also to reclaim emo music. With this new trend of people jumping on the emo and scene aesthetic bandwagon, it often seems like they aren’t genuinely part of the culture. If you were an emo or scene kid in my generation, you would have had to endure a lot of judgement for looking that way. It’s great to see so many people appreciating it now, but this has consistently been my lifestyle for years. People used to bully me for wearing skinny jeans, acting feminine, and wearing nail polish – now it’s considered “aesthetic.” I'm fucking reclaiming emo music – but I’m making it really poppy and queer at the same time.

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Photo credit: Ariana Molly

 AC: You're a visual artist, a DJ, a drag artist, and a makeup transformation legend. How did the start of your career as an artist look like – and how did you end up getting into the club scene?

 SS: My medium has always been a mix of illustration and painting, but when I started going out a lot, I was consistently throwing looks. I’d wear colorful contact lenses and makeup, but I wasn’t necessarily going for the full drag moment - yet. I was experimenting with fashion - and then I think it just grew on me. One day I was like, “wait, let me try on that wig.”

The first time I did drag was about five or six years ago, when I went to the Dita Von Teese show in Montreal. I tried dressing more feminine and burlesque, took a glamorous cab ride with a friend, and realized I really felt in the moment – I loved being femme-presenting. 

It all came together when I started throwing my own events. I was already so involved in the party scene, I thought maybe I should learn how CDJs work, so I decided to give it a try. I was experimenting with drag around that time too, but not necessarily performing – I didn't feel like I had a place at the bars in the Village to actually perform there.

 That didn’t stop me, though - if I didn’t have a seat at the table, I had to build my own. That's what happened with Unikorn parties. Awwful was already DJing and throwing Glitter Bomb, so they showed me the ropes - and that’s how Unikorn Parties was started.

Coincidentally, Ariana Molly invited me to her studio for a shoot one day, and someone was reading tarot cards there. Without telling them much about what was going on in my life, they told me I was juggling way too many things – and they were right. I was DJing, doing drag, making art, throwing parties - doing everything at once.  

They told me that I was going to find a mentor who would help bring all of that together. At the time I couldn’t really imagine how all the different things I was doing would end up working out, but after meeting Pierre, I realized this was it. I could perform in drag and express my creativity through music and visuals. Sisi Superstar became my pop persona. It took time, but now I realize it’s all aligning.

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Photo credit: Ariana Molly

 AC: You said you wrote “Icy Tears” when you were feeling inspired in Mexico City – what was special about being there?

SS: I was there for a festival called Backdoor - a queer party series that happens in Vancouver, Toronto, LA, and Mexico City. My friend Sam Blake introduced me to the organizers when they came to Montreal, and I ended up flying out to Mexico for their next event. I loved it - being in a new place gives such a boost to your confidence. People in Montreal are used to seeing me around the nightlife scene. It’s a small city, so we're like a big family here – but in Mexico it was really popping. People get excited when they see a fresh face – they’re not jaded. That energy was very inspiring.

AC: The first single you released, “Purest Evil,” was recently remixed by D v D, a DJ/producer in the Montreal party scene. How did you end up collaborating?

SS: I first knew D v D’s music through Soundcloud. He came to a Unikorn party once – and I just knew I had to go talk to this person. I ended up going to a few of the events he was DJing – parties in the basement of La Sala Rossa – and I just thought he was a really good DJ and producer.

Our music tastes are very similar – we both love a hyper pop moment, EDM, hard dance, all that. I wanted him to do a remix because Demon Tales isn’t very dance-y, it’s more introspective headphone music for when you’re taking the metro and you’re “having the feels”. I wanted to make a remix that was closer to what I would actually play in a DJ set next time I do my goth night.

@bubblebadbitch

 AC: You’re also a TikTok star. How is that working for you as a platform to promote your art?

SS: I haven't gone viral or anything, I'm just enjoying TikTok more than other social media platforms at the moment. I actually got put in “TikTok jail” recently - I got flagged for wearing a bikini with my breast plate. It was just too sexy, but it also felt deliberate, because I’m a drag queen and the algorithm is very selective. It's less welcoming to queer bodies and marginalized identities - especially targeting sex workers. When an influencer posts suggestive content, their posts are treated differently. A similar thing happens on Instagram – if you have a blue Verified check, your posts are less likely to get reported. I'm basically reported on all social media, so I’d rather just focus on whatever platform makes me the happiest.

The TikTok community is very cringe sometimes, but it’s also a lot more authentic. It’s not about presenting an image for people; it’s about posting the stupid shit showing who you really are. Rawness is valued over curated content – you won’t spend hours modifying your appearance before posting it on there – it’s meant to be a live moment. More importantly, it's usually meant to be a joke. Social media can get pretty dark sometimes, so it’s nice to have this constant source of comedy. I can spend an hour on Instagram and not laugh, but if I'm on TikTok, I'm going to laugh – like, a lot.

AC: The based-cringe ratio is so real - I’m obsessed with testing how far I can go before crossing the line. Navigating the algorithm is especially difficult for artists, because you have to master a lot of different platforms, including Soundcloud and Spotify, to get the views that you deserve.  

SS: It’s hard – I keep them all. I can’t put all my eggs in one basket.

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Support Sisi Superstar on Bandcamp and listen to Demon Tales on Spotify below:

Produced by @pierrecrube
Mix/Master by @lebeaudet
Photos by @arianamolly
Graphic by @casketnap

Listen to Demon Tales on Spotify. Sisi Superstar · Single · 2021 · 6 songs.

Wanna Be My Daddy? Mystic Peach Talks Sexuality, Creative Process & More

Via Mystic Peach

Heavy-hitting and spellbinding, Mystic Peach's track "Wanna Be My Daddy" is a grunge-rock reminder to not give a fuck about what others think of your sexuality.

It's an anthem for every small-town kid who wants to feel comfortable and confident with their identity, despite the judgements of others. We got the chance to chat with the band about the track below.

via Mystic Peach

Malaika for Also Cool: Hi! Hope you're all holding up the best you can. How would you describe yourselves to those who don't know you?

Curtis for Mystic Peach: I don't think we've ever sat down to think about it, but here's a list we've gathered in the past few years- Melodic Pop, Psych Pop, Psych Rock, Space Rock, Noise Rock, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Grunge and some others. So take your pick, but, at our last show, the sound engineer called us Psych-Punk, which we like.

Also Cool: Let's get into your origin story. How did you all become friends and get into music? 

Mystic Peach: Curtis and Joe went to the same school and had worked on a few projects together throughout the years. We went through many phases that were all enjoyable, but looking back, it was all very confusing. One minute we were recording loud droney stoner music, and then the next week, we'll be recording Mac DeMarco-Esque guitar pop. I don't think either of us knew what we wanted. 

I just felt like we were going nowhere, and I wanted to actually find the strengths in my voice and guitar playing. I vanished for a while, and not many people could get hold of me unless they actually came to my house. 

Shortly after the vanishing trick, Jimi and I met down at the pub through mutual friends and started talking about music and bands. I was astonished that Jimi wasn't in a band. We both knew of each other through previous bands, so it was a chance to woo him with my songs and get things going. After two years of not really speaking, I got in contact with Joe to ask if he wanted to give this project a go. To my surprise and with little reluctance, he said yes. 

Now we're all friends doing some pretty cool stuff and playing music that we like. We're very lucky that we actually like each other.

AC: What's the local music scene like where you're from, and what role did it play in getting you into music-making? Were there any venues or spaces in particular that made you want to be a part of the scene?

MP: I would say it's healthy, there's plenty of interest, and locals are willing to give bands a listen. I wouldn't particularly say there was a specific local scene we wanted to be part of; perhaps we just wanted to shake the whole thing up a bit. I think as long as you get on with fellow bands and those in the music community making things happen in the city, that's all that matters, really. 

We have venues like Joiners, Heartbreakers and The 1865 in Southampton, and Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth. We wanted to play them after seeing some of our favourite bands perform there. The promoters are always looking for new music, which keeps the city's music scene in a good state.

AC: I've noticed during the quarantine that people seem to be more and more comfortable with their sexuality and sense of self. You've mentioned that the track tackles the discomfort that others can feel because of your sexuality. How did you come to terms with your personal identities and find confidence in that part of yourselves?

MP: I never really thought I was doing anything that grown adults would need to comment on. It seems that some people bring that 'school kid mentality' into adulthood. But at the end of the day, who cares? You do you. If someone has a problem with whatever it is about you, let them simmer in their own discontent. We all have a very honest set of friends that like each other because we connect... Not because we have a mutual hobby of being a dick head.

AC: How do you find inspiration for your music? Who and what are you inspired by?

MP: We've all put our two pence in on our sound through individual influences. Anything from shoegaze (My Bloody Valentine, DIIV, Slowdive) to punk (Sex Pistols, Black Flag) and 60's garage to 70's rock. More recent influencers are the likes of Yak, FIDLAR and Peace. 

As for subjects, it seems to be based around mental state and social commentary. Sometimes it comes from personal experiences, what we've read, or sometimes just people-watching. Cult films (The Warriors, Pulp Fiction, Clock Work Orange) are a big part of this band too!

AC: Delving into some pre-pandemic nostalgia real quick, what's your favourite memory from playing live/being on tour?

MP: Our most recent and last pre-pandemic memory was our tour with Temples in France in March. It got cut short after three shows, but we all loved it. It was the most fun we had, and we savoured every moment. Playing in Paris to 1,000 people was a highlight and definitely something that brought us closer together because we're cute like that. 

But all in all, just being able to rehearse when we want. Going to the pub, going away to random places together, and getting drunk in hot tubs or in the middle of a field. We miss each other, and I'm sure that's the case for most bands.

AC: Who are some local artists or creative friends who you think deserve more hype?

MP: Defcon Lawless. Unreal talent, fantastic lyricist and incredible music taste. We could talk to him for hours about music and life. Originally from America, but he's ours now; they can't have him back.

Also, our long-term friend and talented artist, James Digweed. He's done art for our last two singles and for our upcoming EP. A true weirdo, a visionary, and we truly love him. 

AC: What are you looking forward to this year? Any upcoming projects?

MP: We're looking forward to releasing our EP this year and having more than just singles out there. We're unsure of timing due to the pandemic, but we're making plans as we speak. We're crossing our fingers for before summer, but we also know that it might happen later than that. 

If the virus starts settling down here, it looks like autumn could be a pretty busy time with shows and rescheduled releases. Intense but exciting for us. An act at our level relies on live shows so much for engaging with new & existing fans. No better feeling. Can't wait to get on that stage again!

AC: Closing out here, is there anything you want to shout out or promote? 

MP: Be safe, be kind to each other, don't shit on each other's opinions and respect people's views even though they may be different from yours. Marmite is better than Vegemite, and if you disagree, then you are wrong.

Thanks for speaking with us, and we're over at @mysticpeachh on all socials. 

Watch Wanna Be My Daddy? below

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

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