"Carved Into Stone" and The Enchanting Artistry of Isaac Symonds (Crystal Math)

Isaac Symonds and Loryn Taggart. Photo courtesy of Samuel Woywitka

For multi-instrumentalist Isaac Symonds, the past year has brought ample opportunities to redefine his creative vision and create his very own orchestral paradise. “Since my departure from Half Moon Run in early 2020,” he says, “I’ve spent most of my time honing in on songwriting, producing and recording.”

Symonds is not lying; on October 14th, the psychedelic, cinematic music video of “Carved Into Stone” (in collaboration with Loryn Taggart) was released on YouTube. The video features musicians from acts such as Barr Brothers, the Franklin Electric and Teke Teke––among others––doing what they know and love best during a recording session at Montreal’s Mixart Studios. Viewers are immersed in Loryn Taggart’s heartfelt voice as it coats the 50s-inspired instrumentation like warm honey, and Symonds diligently orchestrates a variety of instruments.

I was delighted to catch up with Symonds over Zoom, where he guided me through the world of "Carved Into Stone" and left some breadcrumbs of the magic he’s preparing.

Cover image for “Carved Into Stone” by Isaac Symonds & Loryn Taggart. Photo courtesy of Samuel Woywitka

Symonds explains that after he and Taggart wrote “Carved Into Stone,” they decided that it only felt right to fully fund the orchestral arrangement themselves. “It costs some money hiring all the musicians, but we just felt that we needed to do justice to this song.” 

He elaborates by saying that upon finishing the lyric writing, he and Taggart tried executing a multitude of versions of the song. “It’s kinda like covering yourself,” Symonds explains. “You have this song, and you want to stay true to the lyrics and the song form. In my eyes, it’s the hardest part… and the most important.”

After finally landing on the orchestral version and seeing their project take form, Symonds reflects on the experience, saying that it has renewed his belief in studio magic. “Once I realized that kind of sound was possible, it really opened up my mind for other possibilities in the future… It makes me think to myself, ‘holy shit, I’m capable of doing that!’ It’s crazy.” The fact that this was Symonds’ first musical creation with barely any effects involved, aside from a bit of reverb on a select few instruments, makes the experience all-the-more remarkable to him. “It’s unbelievable how everything glued together so easily,” he says.

When asked about the meaning behind the lyrics in “Carved Into Stone,” Symonds notes how Taggart brought up the word “sondering” in a brainstorming session. “I really liked the sound and the vibe of that word, but I didn’t know what it meant at the time.” After finding out that ‘sondering’ is a term used to describe feeling one has when they realize that the lives of those around them are equally as vivid as their own, Symonds and Taggart agreed that this should serve as the basis of their song. “We wanted to combine a classic love song with this idea of sondering,” Symonds explains. “When we were songwriting we were imagining the idea of being on a metro, or a bus, and catching eyes with a beautiful person and having a slip[ping] moment of connection. It’s about really wanting to say hello, when all of the sudden the doors close, and you’re left wondering about all the things that could have happened.”

As he looks towards the future, the conversation veers in the direction of Symonds’ upcoming project, which he is very excited to talk about. “I’m not sure whether it’s going to be an album or an EP, but I’ve booked all the same musicians [that appear in ‘Carved Into Stone’] and I’ve basically written all the songs and lyrics.” 

The multi-instrumentalist has now booked a chalet Airbnb just an hour north of Montreal, and is looking forward to having no distractions. “I live on Saint-Denis in Montreal, and the ongoing sound of traffic is very unforgiving.” In terms of the process, Symonds aims to bring his musical ensemble to his Airbnb retreat, flesh out the skeleton of his music, and then conjure some more studio magic back in Montreal’s Mixart Studios. This, according to Symonds, will be a process which revolves around trimming and perfecting more than anything else. “I probably have twenty songs right now, but only seven of them will push through… or maybe more, or maybe less. I’ve been writing this for two years, so I need to think to myself, ‘is this gonna live on my hard drive, or is this gonna live on Spotify?’ I’m giving it my best to one day let it live out in the open, but music is like a fruit, and I wouldn’t want to release anything that isn’t ripe.”

Reflecting on his career up until this point, Symonds has two useful pieces of advice to give to musicians who want to take their personal practices further: to experiment with many instruments, and to hold back from publishing music until you’ve perfected it. “Being a multi-instrumentalist is always an asset,” Symonds emphasizes. “If your band can ‘switch roles,’ it’s always interesting, both for the listener and for your own experience as well.”

Speaking to his second point, Symonds urges musicians to “...just focus on the song. Maybe people will say I’m wrong, but I don’t think you should promote stuff on social media unless it’s your best material… Write tunes that you’re proud of and know are good, and then move onto promoting it.” Too often, Symonds says, musical artists try to ‘luck out’ and generate a huge buzz by marketing their personalities online rather than their actual content. But people enjoy listening to good music, Symonds says, and talented artists can always rely on letting the music speak for itself. “If you let the music do the work, everything else will become easier.”

I left my conversation with Symonds feeling inspired and revitalized; even through our respective computer screens, his sense of excitement and creativity was palpable. After creating the beautiful arrangement of “Carved Into Stone,” he seems to think that anything is possible, and quite frankly, I believe him. I’m really looking forward to the new music he and Taggart put out, both together and as solo artists. Regardless of whether their future projects manifest as albums or EPs, these musicians are destined to continue the spark behind this latest magical release.

Stream “Carved Into Stone”, the enchanting instrumental version, and the psychedelic remix “Searching in Sonder” below!

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Isaac Symonds

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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.

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Dayton Swim Club’s Debut "Hangman" Invites You to Rage With Them (Perpetual Doom)

Nick Flessa and Dominique Matelson of Dayton Swim Club. Photo courtesy of Mario Luna

A rager takes place in some unspecified, sprawling Southwestern desert. Visualize Wim Wender’s Paris, Texas’ opening scene, except noir. Dayton Swim Club are playing for the party-goers when a mob of zombies overwhelm the space. These zombies look familiar; they are not corporeal revenants, but instead a tyrannized social cult. 

Fresh from American indie label Perpetual Doom, Dayton Swim Club’s debut Hangman offers a soundscape for pensive days. Its seven hypnotic tracks will rouse thoughts about sinister social norms as the sequel of a tormented history. Nick Flessa’s droned lead vocals are reminiscent of a late-70s shoegaze mood; together with Dominique Matelson’s ethereal voice and Mario Luna’s fuzzy, reverb-soaked guitar riffs, Dayton Swim Club’s concoction of space and distorted atmosphere(s) are magnified.

Melodic, lo-fi guitar riffs hint towards 60s psychedelia, setting the stage in “Pillow Talk.” As these riffs darken into an ambient sparseness, a collection of Me Too realities and other familiar authoritative perversions are confronted. Flessa and Matelson spiral between direct address, first, second and third person POV, alluding to the twisted yet very real nature of the track’s themes. “Night Breed” is a “Pillow Talk” season 2 of sorts: here, the sun sets and the mood dampens. Backing vocals evocative of female screams haunt an arid town where street lamps flicker. A rhythmically dark guitar persists, reminding us that here, days are as sunless as the nights.  

An eerie mélange of strings pierces the hovering gloomy clouds in "Landers”. The remote, Californian desert community that the track was named after renders a multifarious conceit for issues related to individualism and destruction. The track’s motif “Be your own man / Be your own hang / Be your own hang, man”  is chanted by Flessa and, paralleled with Matelson’s operatic vocals, induces an artful abstraction of social terrors. Dayton Swim Club have wrapped resentments of the ruinous Manifest Destiny and other deteriorating effects of political ideologies in shoegazed, Western-noir packaging.   

We caught up with Flessa just after the release of “Landers” to chat about the (pandemic-induced) means of recording and mixing the album, tonal and lyrical inspirations, and the bar featured in the “Landers” video.

Dayton Swim Club. Photo courtesy of the band

CJ Sommerfeld for Also Cool Mag: Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with Also Cool today, and cheers on the new album!  What forces were responsible for Nick Flessa Band’s conceptual and sonic transition into Dayton Swim Club? 

Nick Flessa for Dayton Swim Club: Thank you! I guess the main force behind the transition is my collaboration with guitarist Mario Luna, who took over composition and production duties. Mario has a strong and focused vision for the project. He’s also responsible for a lot of our visual presentation – flyers, band photos, etc. So far in Dayton Swim Club I’ve mostly been a lyricist and frontman, as well as the de facto manager.  

Nick Flessa Band hit a stride in 2019 with a lineup including Dominique Matelson, Jessica Perelman and Kirsten Bladh. At the beginning we were playing songs from my previous solo releases. Once this band became a regular unit, and we started writing new material together, it began evolving into its current form. Without having released anything, we played three shows as Dayton Swim Club in late 2019/early 2020 shortly before the shutdown. 

Also Cool: Dayton Swim Club is a collaborative ensemble between numerous L.A.-based musicians. Were you acquainted with these artists prior to creating music together, or did you get together for this project? 

Nick Flessa: We mostly knew each other in some capacity. It’s funny because Mario and I went to CalArts at the exact same time but didn’t cross paths until later, through music. Then we kept running into each other at Kaldi Coffee in Atwater Village and became friends. A few years later I also met Dominique at Kaldi, where she was working at the time. Greg Marino, who plays sax on the record, works there too. Mario, Jessica and I have all played in another project called Fragile Gang. Kirsten is an old friend from Cincinnati, where I’m from originally. J.D. Carrera (pedal steel on “Predatory Drift”) and I have collaborated a bunch and were roommates for a long time, and Pauline Lay (strings on DSC) is another art/music friend. 

Most of the players we’ve worked with are people I've been familiar with already – knowing so many excellent musicians is a huge perk of living in Los Angeles. The current iteration of the band includes our friends Daniel and Scarlett (on bass and synth, respectively), whom I met for the first time at a practice a few months ago. Mario brought them in and they’ve been doing great work – our live show feels stronger and more cohesive than ever.  

AC: Hangman was written during the pandemic – what was it about that time that encouraged the creation of this project? 

NF: Like many, I needed a project to hold me together during that time. At first it was a challenge to try to coordinate everything remotely, but Mario and I developed a workflow where he would send me song ideas and I would write lyrics in response, then record vocals and send them to him for mixing – Postal Service style. We found ways for our other collaborators to contribute parts remotely, and developed some pre-pandemic demos into full-fledged songs. 

Working on the record helped create structure to combat the general isolation of that period. The stakes of life itself felt raised, and since I had the freedom to focus solely on writing lyrics, I tried to take the day-to-day as a prompt to explore my thoughts and feelings about the past few years as we collectively bore the bizarre brunt of American history – a nightmare from which I'm still trying to awaken. I took a break from drinking, sharpened the focus of my reading and writing, and went on long walks. Making this record was part of surviving and processing that time and the years that led up to it, fueled by some distant hope that we’d eventually be able to finish, share and perform the project.  

AC: The locations where [the video for your track] “Landers” was filmed —Landers and Palm Springs—reflect the death cult that the United States has become. Can you tell me a little more regarding what it is about these communities that represents both a history and present state of self-destruction? Can you elaborate on the track’s lyrical motif “Be your own man, be your own hang-man"? 

NF: I spent much of 2020 in Palm Springs at my partner Chloe’s dad’s house, right next to a public golf course. It was a huge luxury to be in a relaxed environment with a swimming pool and plenty of space to walk around. It felt like I was hiding out on a permanent vacation during the apocalypse. I walked around the golf course frequently, and thought a lot about how many resources went into maintaining it. 

Those thoughts led to more thoughts about Western expansion, “Manifest destiny”, and the US as a colonial superpower; how the pandemic laid bare so many structural failures, but how control is always prioritized here. American individualism came full circle in 2020, a sort of ouroboros where the self-made head eats the tail of its own self-destruction — the anti-mask movement and nationally sanctioned super-spreader events being examples. “Be your own man, be your own hang-man” refers to this, and also to the isolation of having to be one’s own “hang” during the pandemic.  

Landers is a remote community in the high desert near Joshua Tree. It’s beautiful, isolated, and the site of a lot of extraterrestrial and UFO sightings. We performed there one night in 2019 a few days after the death of the late, great David Berman. It was a heavy and heady trip. Jessica’s drum kit got run over by a drunk driver in the parking lot of the venue. There had just been a rainstorm, which caused our ill-equipped cars to get stuck in the sandy dirt roads on the way in and out. The night had an enchanted and cursed quality to it. This experience was also a tonal and lyrical inspiration for the song. The venue we played at was called Landers Brew, it’s also featured in the video. Just a few weeks after we filmed there, it was bought by a developer and shut down. I learned this via Instagram when I announced the video premiere.

AC: The remainder of the album carries strong socio-political concerns. Much has changed between when you wrote this album to now. In what ways do you think your next album will reflect this social change? 

NF: One concrete change is that we’ve all been able to gather together and perform live shows, now that there’s a vaccine. That’s been very new and exciting, but also a big moment of adaptation.  As a group we are hoping to have the opportunity to record in a studio together. We are gunning to make a very deliberate record that is conceptually thought through with an arc from start to finish. There's a sense in which Hangman is a cut-up record in terms of its structure, and I think that’s a strength, but I also think a more focused follow-up is in order.  

As much as the 2020 election was a pivotal moment, things aren’t great here. There’s a point, politically, where you can never go home again. As much as the attempt at a sanitized return to the Obama era has been a reprieve for some, I think there is much worse to come unless the Left can consolidate in a meaningful way.  

Our music speaks to a popular resentment. It’s valid to feel resentment at the way things work in the US, and that feeling is potent; ideally this is a power that can be harnessed to fight injustice rather than enforce it. While there are plenty of things to be optimistic about, even the most seemingly progressive of our elected politicians are doing more to appease Republicans than represent their own constituents. Corrupt city councilmen abuse the unhoused with impunity. Military budgets continue to inflate. The charade can’t be kept up forever, though. People are savvy. We can all see it happening in real time. Climate change, too, promises big catastrophes soon. This will continue to change the world we live in, and by necessity my writing will reflect that change.  

AC: Thank you again for your time, I’m loving this album and am looking forward to your future projects. What can we expect to see next from Dayton Swim Club? 

NF: Thank you so much! We have a few new things coming up, including a video by our brilliant friend Will Wiesenfeld (Baths) for our track “Predatory Drift”. We’re also doing a TV theme song cover for Perpetual Doom’s Stay Tuned compilation.  

Several DSC members have solo projects with upcoming shows and releases. Mario, Scarlett and Daniel are all playing in Daniel’s project Dearly Departure at Substance Festival in November. Dominique has a solo record she’s been working on concurrently with this one, coming soon. I'm working on a cover of a song by our friend and labelmate Austin Leonard Jones, also coming soon.  

We’re DJing labelmate Grady Strange’s residency at the Echo on November 1st, ahead of a short hiatus before one final 2021 show in December. Once we wrap these, then it’s back to the drawing board. 

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HANGMAN

Released September 17th, 2021 via Perpetual Doom

1. Darker Moves

2. Pillow Talk

3. Night Breed

4. Landers

5. Predatory Drift

6. Rage All Night

7. DSC

Produced and mixed by Mario Luna

Contributors include Jessica Perelman, Kirsten Bladh, Pauline Lay, Greg Marino, and J.D. Carrera

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Dayton Swim Club

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CJ Sommerfeld (she/her) is a Vancouver-based freelance writer with a particular interest in the convergence of language, art and society. When she is not writing, you can find her experimenting with harmonic minor progressions on her keyboard.

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Never Better Releases Mellow Tracks Downtown (Feat. Mitch Davis) and Silver Lining

Album art by Jem Woolidge

There's this feeling I get when I enter a new era of my life when I realize that the last chapter is slowly slipping away but not quite gone yet. I feel the change around me but can't see it yet other than the faintest signs that things won't be how they are for much longer. 

This moment usually comes during mundane moments, walking home from the grocery store, waiting for the light to change at Parc and Fairmount. Never Better's (AKA Rhys Climenhage) latest tracks Downtown (feat. Mitch Davis) and Silver Lining encapsulate this feeling. 

Lowkey vocals and gentle guitar take you by the hand, guiding you through an existential crisis that you're pushing out of your mind, walking you home through the rain. Light drums and the occasional instrumental interlude break up the vocals just long enough to gather your thoughts before you get home. You're left feeling comforted yet aware that you'll have to process these emotions sometime soon.

Rhys Climenhage is a multi-instrumentalist originally from Peterborough, Ontario, currently living in Montreal, Quebec, where he performs as Never Better. Prior to his solo endeavours, Rhys was active playing in bands Stacey Green Jumps, Texas Wayne, Frank Mothman, and Sasha Cay.

He draws inspiration from his father, a painter and career musician who taught him his first few chords on guitar. After a few years of fiddling on all of the instruments available around the house, Rhys picked up more technical training in his high school jazz band. Today, he plays every instrument on his recordings in his apartment studio built over the years while working in kitchens around the city.

Never Better

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Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.

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Toronto R&B Duo TRP.P To Share New Track at M for Montreal

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TRP.P (pronounced "trippy") is an R&B/hip-hop duo hailing from Toronto, comprised of Truss (producer, singer-songwriter) and Phoenix (singer-songwriter). The pair met in 2015 and have been “collaborating in music and life” ever since, all while enchanting audiences with their soulful, old-school sound. Truss and Phoenix made waves with their 2019 debut 2TRP.P, where they tackled injustice and oppression in their lyrics, while also celebrating queer love and empowering their communities. This effort remains intact with TRP.P’s latest offering “Never Leavin,’” out tomorrow (November 19th, 2021) and to-be-performed at the Hot Tramp Showcase at M for Montreal.

Leading up to their set at L’Esco with Janette King, Maryze and Witch Prophet, we had the chance to connect with the duo on what inspired “Never Leavin’” and how it fosters grounds for growing as collaborators.

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: To start, can you tell me about the origin story of your new single “Never Leavin’”?  

TRP.P: We originally wrote this song while composing music for a TV show. Although it didn't work out for the show, it worked out perfectly for our album and complimented the new direction we want to take with our music. Once we started to record and perform the song, the message resonated with us more and more. It really is an anthem for communities that have faced displacement, especially during this pandemic. Through that same sense of community, we have met so many amazing people, including the roller-skating community right here in Toronto. You might even see them in the upcoming music video for the song!

Also Cool: Has "Never Leavin'" brought about any realizations for TRP.P? Whether it be learning something new about how you work together, your individual artistry or something you'd like to foster as a group in the future? 

Truss: That's actually a really good question. For me, it made me realize just how broad our spectrum of sound truly is. Although we both grew up influenced by R&B, gospel and hip-hop, there's an underlying influence of pop and house-inspired music in the song.

Phoenix: For me, it made me realize just how impermanent everything is and how fleeting time and existence is. The song is called "Never Leavin,'" but yet by the time the song is released, three new business will close down, one condo will be built, and a million dispensaries will pop up. It’s almost like the most defiant title we could choose in a time like this. In terms of working together, there isn’t a better team than us! We love and dislike everything we do at the same time. Our goals are always two halves of a whole when we are creating. 

Phoenix (left) and Truss (right) of TRP.P, photo courtesy of the artists

 AC: What does the next chapter hold for TRP.P? 

TRP.P: Album number two! It’s a summertime release and we are really looking forward to this one. We didn’t get to tour our first album due to the pandemic. We want to actually go on tour, see the world and play stages in places we could only dream of. Every show we play, we gain new fans and listeners. We are really excited to keep doing that, as safely and as soon as possible.

AC: What can we expect from your performance at the Hot Tramp showcase at M for Montreal? 

TRP.P: We just want to have a good time! We are honoured to be playing with Janette King, Witch Prophet and Maryze. Being only our second show since the easing of live music regulations, it may be a little awkward… But the awkwardness will pass and will be followed by some smooth R&B vibes, with a hint of bars! Everyone will leave saying it was a good show. And we can't wait to prove it to you!

Photo courtesy of the artists

Catch TRP.P at the Hot Tramp Showcase at M for Montreal on November 19th, 2021.

TRP.P

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Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Hannah Lew Shares Inspiration for Cold Beat's Album "War Garden" (via Like LTD)

Driving late at night, blasting your obscurely named Spotify playlist to fit the mood, Cold Beat's new album "War Garden" makes the perfect soundtrack. Hannah Lew's poignant lyrics float about airy synths as she contemplates grief, the afterlife, and rebirth.

The album (released via Like LTD) was made over the pandemic via Zoom calls. "Exploiting the technology for how it could connect us" is how Lew describes Cold Beat's collective embrace of technologies that could potentially alienate otherwise.

We spoke to Hannah about the album, finding closure in dreams, and gardening.

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: Can you tell us a bit about who you are and where you're from?

Hannah for Cold Beat: Half of us live in the Bay Area, half in LA. The project started back in 2013 with Kyle & I, but when Sean and Luciano joined a few years back, the band really became what it is today, a more collaborative practice with more varying songwriting and less a glorified solo project.

Also Cool: What was it like growing up there? Was there a creative/DIY scene, or is music something that you were drawn to independently?

Hannah: I grew up in a very different SF than the one that stands today. The cost of living was a lot lower, and it was just more accessible. Because of that, there were a lot of people making art and music. 

We all more or less met through the DIY scene in the Bay Area. We had all played shows together before Cold Beat formed. Sean actually played on the Cold Beat demos back in 2012 before it was even called Cold Beat. We've always been music buds, even though he didn't officially join the band until later. Kyle and I had played a few shows together with our respective bands before I asked him to play with me. Luciano worked at Amoeba SF with my husband, Andrew. I kind of eyeballed him for years before approaching him to play synths in the band. 

Though we definitely all came from a scene here, I don't really feel like the band has ever necessarily been part of a community here. We've always been doing our own thing kind of. 

AC: Now that the regular PR questions are out of the way, we can get a bit weirder. 

One of your lyrics, "In a dream, I don't like you," made me think a lot about how dreams are spaces for closure when it's not possible IRL, especially after this year or so in isolation. What's your experience with processing emotions while dreaming? Can you tell us about a favourite dream you've had?

Hannah: I think that dreams definitely offer a place to work out things that might be unattainable within the confines of the conscious mind. I think songs can serve that same purpose. 

For example, that song Weeds you're referencing was a song that Sean had sent as a demo, and I basically wrote the lyrics immediately upon hearing it. I think I sent vocals back 45 minutes after he sent the music. 

Sometimes you tap into this automatic writing where you're channelling directly from your subconscious. Melodies and sounds have a way of describing emotion in a post-lingual way that is often way more expressive and accurate than anything literal explanations can offer. Language just falls short, whereas a song can completely take you over and make you feel less alone. 

My favourite dream is one where I knew I was dreaming, so I decided to fly. It's only happened for me once or twice, but it felt really amazing.

AC: Throughout your music, there's a theme of both accepting and initiating change. What has your experience been like in this cycle of change and rebirth, and how does it tie into processing grief?

Hannah: Songs have always been a format where I like to work out narratives to help me cope with the inexplicable. We've all gone through many changes and dealt with deaths, births, breakups, all the stuff. Music-making has definitely saved my lifetime and time again by giving me a tool to process these things. 

AC: One thing I've learned from the pandemic is the ability to be highly intentional with who I give my energy to, especially in times of deep loneliness. I'm curious to know how you were able to maintain and nurture your friendships (and this album) over the pandemic and what you've learned from it. 

In other words, what have you learned about friendship over the past year and a half or so?

Hannah: Yeah, I hear that. I think many people have had a reckoning with their work and interpersonal worlds, hopefully reaching higher ground going forward. 

Sometimes, when I'm going through periods of heavier depression, I tend to retreat. Sadly, I think I did a lot of that during the pandemic and lost touch with many people. Thankfully we as a band maintained a songwriting practice that had us Zooming once a week and sending song files pretty constantly. That connection has been so vital for me. It kept me synthesizing my feelings and maintaining a close bond with people I love, regardless of how deep in despair I might have been any given day. 

One of the hardest parts of my isolation was losing access to my people, and thus a part of myself nurtured by those friendships. I was in a bubble with my family and only getting to experience myself within my family dynamic. At the same time, the part of my identity I've been fostering for the past 20 years or so since I started playing music was a bit starved. 

I think I really took stock of how important a collaborative process is to who I am as a person. It's been such a relief to be together again, practicing for our upcoming shows. Lots of PCR tests, but so worth it.

AC: What have you learned from gardening? What have the plants taught you that you practice in other areas of your life?

Hannah: Gardening has been such a humbling experience during this time. Watering dirt day after day and not seeing immediate results, yet still pushing on. It's also a somewhat private endeavour, not tied to any social validation. I'm not a naturally patient person, so it's humbled me quite a bit. 

It took almost a whole year to grow this one cauliflower, and I just harvested it and shared it with the band after practice last week. It was very satisfying.

It's optimistic to focus on plants. They lean toward the light and definitely forced me outside a lot, and kept me grounded.

AC: You've spoken a bit about rituals and the practice of being immediately present. Do you have any rituals or practices that you could share with us? 

Hannah: I think the only time I'm truly happy is when I'm in a flow state. Not thinking about the future or past, not looking at my phone while in company, not fractured in my attention span. 

Music-making, gardening, cooking are all things that keep my hands busy and in that flow state. I've been working with ceramics lately, too. It's similar to gardening in that there's a lot of room for error, humility. It requires your body to be in the moment, totally present. I like doing things I'm 'bad' at for that reason. I like to try new things and maintain a beginner's mind.

Cold Beat

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Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.

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M For Montreal Partners with Also Cool for Hot Tramp Record Showcase

Looking to start your week off right? Good news: the 16th edition of M for Montreal is on! This year's hybrid festival features panels, showcases and a brand new festival offering under the M for Marathon banner, presented by SiriusXM. With this latest unveiling, music fans will be treated to a jam-packed pop, rock and hip-hop program. M for Montreal will be held online from November 15th to 26th and IRL from November 17th to 19th.

We’re excited to be co-presenting the Hot Tramp Night showcase on November 19th at 9PM EST at l’Esco, featuring an absolutely stacked lineup, including: Janette King, Maryze, TRP.P, Witch Prophet and Shades Lawrence.

Check out the event page and get your tickets — you won’t want to miss this return to live music hosted by one of our favourite independent labels, Hot Tramp!

More info about the artists below!

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Janette King

Janette King is a producer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and DJ based in Montreal. Janette’s unique sound blends together soulful vocals, upbeat production style, and honest lyrics to create a truly captivating listening experience.

Website | Instagram | Spotify

Maryze

Maryze is a bilingual singer-songwriter based in Montreal, originally from Vancouver. Her haunting alt-pop conjures an intimate universe, blending contagious beats with introspective lyrics on mental health, feminism and sexuality. Balancing angst and euphoria in electronic ballads, she offers a refreshing voice with fiery honesty.

Website | Instagram | Spotify

TRP.P

TRP.P (pronounced "trippy") is an R&B duo hailing from Toronto, Canada. Comprised of Truss (producer, singer/songwriter) and Phoenix Pagliacci (singer-songwriter), the dynamic duo met in 2015 and have been collaborating in music and life ever since. Their 80s/90s R&B inspiration takes a modern twist with powerful lyrics into uncharted topics, celebrating queer love and empowering their communities by brightening a spotlight on injustices and oppression.

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Witch Prophet

Witch Prophet is a queer, Ethiopian/Eritrean, singer-songwriter, and the Co-CEO of Heart Lake Records. She provides her fans with a soundscape of vocal layers, loops, raps, and harmonies on a bed of hip-hop, jazz, and soul-inspired beats. Think Erykah Badu meets Lauryn Hill meets Portishead. She finds depth and connection in creating music as a portal for self-growth and discovery, as she navigates and better understands her cultural and queer identity.

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Shades Lawrence

Shades Lawrence is a Montreal born and based hip hop artist of mixed British, Jamaican, Irish and Scottish descent. A pure lyricist, Shades Lawrence’s style can be described as alternative hip hop.  Her words uplift, while keeping environmental justice at the forefront. To date, her style has been compared to Lauryn Hill, Shad, and Jean Grae.

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Hot Tramp

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M for Montreal

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The Zephyr Bones Share Radiant Beach Wave Album "Neon Body" (via La Castanya)

Neon Body album art by Bráulio Amado

The beach-wave Barcelona-based band, The Zephyr Bones, have released their second album, "Neon Body," via La Castanya. Their melodies cascade in with waves glimmering synths and shoegaze-inspired vocals, embodying themes of love, self-affirmation, loss, and hope.

The sound gravitates around spangled psych-rock reminiscent of the radiant, sunkissed environments in Barcelona. Basically, if DIIV were to play a disco beach party in the middle of the night, this is what it would sound like.

Press photo by Marc Cusco

The Zephyr Bones formed when Silva, Tkalcic, López and Ramos met in Barcelona after the former two names arrived from their home country of Chile. In 2015 they released their debut EP, Wishes/Fishes via La Castanya. That first release was followed by the seven-inch "Black Lips b/w Surrounded by Sunflowers" released by La Castanya and the New York label Other Music Recording Co.

Listen to "Neon Body" below

The Zephyr Bones

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Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.

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Visibly Choked Cut Their Teeth on 13-Minute Self-Titled Debut (Mothland)

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Visibly Choked album artwork by Cassidy Johnson

Montreal experimental punk outfit Visibly Choked left us on the edge of our seats after their set at FME this fall; inciting head-banging amongst a chair-bound basement crowd amid COVID-19 restrictions. Last week, the band cut all anticipation full-stop with the delivery of their self-titled debut via hometown label Mothland. In all its thrashing, pantyhose-splitting glory, the six-track EP is turning heads for all the right reasons. 

Recorded off-the-floor with Steven Gibb at Lite Downs Studio, Visibly Choked immerses the listener in the five-piece’s fever dream—managing to capture the sweltering erraticism of their sorely-missed live sets, without compromising the integrity of their sound and their commandment of a room. 

Seducing us from the gate with gritty twister “Mother Tongue,” Visibly Choked reminisce punk’s legacy practice of pairing a driving beat with existentialism. Along with a Lynchian music video, “Mother Tongue” ponders estrangement from one’s heritage and the scars of cultural assimilation. 

Next, “Too High” shoots an exasperated eye-roll at a bedframe-less hookup. Between surfy guitars and the haze of the night before, Visibly Choked recount the all-too-familiar frustrations of dodging someone you didn’t expect to see at a show. 

The spiralling “Uneven Keel” follows: epitomizing the band’s self-described "five people having a panic attack" sound. Heavy in sentiment and atmosphere, the barely two-minute melter dissents into a paranoid frenzy, anxiously dissecting themes of identity, existence and trust. 

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Visibly Choked courtesy of Mothland

Coming up for air on “A Snake Called Ean,” lead vocalist Gabby Domingue wraps listeners around her finger with each dragging sibilance. Building from the brooding bassline at its core, “A Snake Called Ean” waxes and wanes with Domingue’s repeated bitter lament: “It’s so much harder to love you than to need you.” 

The album’s final two tracks make sure to grab you by the collar on the way out. With “Third Time’s the Charm” and “Shit Lord,” the group return to gnarly hysterics to tie the bow on their first offering. 

In a scrumptious 13 minutes, Visibly Choked manage to indulge listeners without allowing us to get too comfortable. 

Visibly Choked

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Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Rozi Plain Shares Ephemeral New Track "Silent Fan" (via Adult Swim 2021 Singles Programme)

There's this feeling I get every time I start a new era or chapter of my life. I know it's happening again when I begin to realize that I'm settling into routines. I suddenly have a preferred way to walk home again, and the uncertainty of what comes next begins to mesh with the reality that change has come. It washes over every aspect of life, coming in like a gentle tide.

Rozi Plain's latest track, "Silent Fan" (commissioned by Cartoon Network for Adult Swim's 2021 Singles Programme), embodies this sensation. Gentle and unassuming, preparing us for these upcoming winter months, encouraging us to continue evolving despite the cold. Rozi's airy vocals land between free-floating jazz, guiding us along a cold beach towards a warm fire. "Silent Fan" feels like a dream from a long time ago, yet familiar enough to assure us that we're going in the right direction.

"Silent Fan" features contributions from the Rozi Plain band – Jamie Whitby Coles (drums), Neil Smith (guitar), Gerard Black (keys) and Amaury Ranger (bass) with extra help from Kate Stables (This is the Kit), Danalogue (The Comet Is Coming) and Cole Pulice. Rozi says of "Silent Fan": "I think the song is thinking about encouragement and tension - giving it and receiving and where it is. I was particularly thrilled Cole Pulice was up for contributing to this track - their album Gloam got me through the spookiness of last year".

Listen to the track below

Rozi Plain

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Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.

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Alpen Glow's Latest Single "Boring Potion" Serves Up Disco-Pop Candor

“Boring Potion” single art by Amery Sandford

It’s an ongoing joke here at Also Cool HQ that we are all deathly terrified of being perceived. We are, of course, never alone – no matter your creative discipline, it’s a common predicament to be stuck in the fear, annoyance, or outright disinterest that comes with establishing yourself and your artistic outputs as a Brand ™. Enter Alpen Glow with “Boring Potion”, a sparkling disco number that wraps these grievances in a hyper-saturated sheen.

Alpen Glow is the loner pop project of Montreal-based visual artist and musician Amery Sandford (also of BBQT and Born at Midnite). Her work as Alpen Glow is characterized by an interest in the constructed persona and escapism into digital realities, as reflected on releases like debut EP Amertape 2020. Sandford’s music balances refreshing sincerity with an appreciation for the transcendent qualities of a good pop hook. A winning recipe!

Amery Sandford of Alpen Glow. Photo courtesy of Tess Roby

“Boring Potion” unites listeners with its bright keys and light-hearted rumination. The track’s musings implore us all to explore our varyingly-tormented relationships with press cycles and story shares. On the makings of the track, Sandford explains:

“I made this song last winter when we had curfew at 8 pm every night in Montreal. These depressing circumstances manifested in me a very intense figure skating addiction, and everyday I would go to the park by my house and twirl around to F.R. David's Words album. It totally inspired this disco track that I made to let out some frustrations about feeling obligated to constantly self promote online.”

Complementing the release of “Boring Potion” is a charming visualizer video, also concocted by Sandford. Viewers take a trip inside the unofficial Alpen Glow bar, a 80s-tinged fever dream of dancing chalices and wildlife portraiture. Between this space and the Amerbar depicted in “Saturday Nite”, we propose a bar crawl. Drinks on us.

Watch the “Boring Potion” visualiser below!

Alpen Glow

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Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Swedish Electronic-Indie Songwriter sir Was Tackles Mortality on New LP "Let The Morning Come" (Memphis Industries)

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sir Was by Malin Ingrid Johansson

Being confronted with one’s own mortality is, suffice to say, fodder for personal reflection. Let The Morning Come, the third feature album release by Swedish songwriter and instrumentalist Joel Wästberg, or sir Was, deals very closely with themes of mortality and time, but not with a sense of panic or urgency, rather it’s calm and collected. 

Following 2019’s Holding On To a Dream, Wästberg was set to open for Swedish electronica mainstay Little Dragon during the summer of 2020. However, following the pandemic and the cancellation of tours worldwide, he was told tests revealed he inherited a hereditary condition causing multiple strokes.

“At first I got very sad and scared,” Wästberg says of the diagnosis. “But at the same time, it was like all the other worries I carried suddenly didn't matter. I just got this very intense feeling of being alive.”

The entirely self-produced album released October 15th on Memphis Industries. The ten-track project showcases Wästberg’s knack for subtle electronica compositions and charming songwriting. Singles like “Waiting For The Weekend” and “I Need a Minute” touch on themes of time and place, supported by rich instrumentals that refrain from overcrowding the mix, but that bloom and develop in their own ways.

“I Need a Minute is about the strong wish to stick around for a bit longer. A cry for more time. At the same time, it’s a wish for a pause,” said Wästberg.

Let the Morning Come is out now on Memphis Industries - listen below.

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Let The Morning Come album cover by Damien Priest

sir Was

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Gabriel Lunn is a writer, multimedia journalist, and pop music enthusiast based out of Victoria BC. When he isn’t trying to decipher the human condition he can usually be found going for long runs or collecting vinyl records he really doesn’t need.

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Amsterdam Indie Quintet The Klittens Talk Humble Beginnings and Growing Closer with New Single "Canned Air"

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The Klittens by Megan Bruinen

Indie Amsterdammers The Klittens have won us over with their latest single “Canned Air.” Premiering October 15th on So Young Magazine, “Canned Air” and its accompanying music video is the quintet’s first release since their 2020 debut Pigeonhole. “Canned Air” was written by the band’s lead guitarist and backing vocalist Winnie Conradi after a heavy breakup in search of catharsis through the comfort of friends. In her own words on the track, Conradi explains:

“The song builds up around a single note and gets more and more dramatic as the song progresses. The vocals fight for a moment in the spotlight and find togetherness in the choir, only to get distorted by a raw and loud break. In a way it follows some kind of 6-stage plot structure, as it ends in completion; an aftermath.”

Charmed by the outfit’s knack for frankness and writing our new favourite breakup song, we chatted with 3/5 Klittens —Kat, Laurie and Michelle—about growing closer together through the realization of “Canned Air.”

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: To start, can I ask about the origin story of your band?

Kat: Yaël and Winnie were sitting on a bench after school. I wasn’t there, but I can picture it. I’ve heard this story so many times; it’s almost like an old family tale. They came up with a band name, “The Klittens,” yet they didn’t have a band to name. I remember getting a call from them around that moment: Hello, we are starting a band and you are in it. We’re called The Klittens. And so it began.

Laurie: I bumped into Winnie at a concert and she knew through her roommate that I used to take drum classes in the past. After the concert, she walked up to me and asked if I wanted to join her not-yet-existing band for a few jam sessions. I was like, Sure, we’ll do some jam sessions and then awkwardly let our early friendship fade away. But, it turned out to be so much fun to play music together! These jam sessions got a little bit out of hand though.

Michelle: Winnie and I go way back because our parents are friends. She had told me about The Klittens and I remember thinking how cool it was that she had started a band. I’d always wanted to be in one, but it never really found people at the same level. Most of my friends who were in bands had been doing that since secondary school so they were much more skilled and comfortable jamming. When Winnie told me The Klittens were looking for a bass player, I had just started picking up guitar lessons again and thought to give the bass a try. Playing with them —as musicians at a similar level, but also and most of all as friends— has always been great fun and we grew a lot together.

AC: You've just released your brand new single "Canned Air,” congratulations! In your own words, what significance does this track hold for the band?

M: For me it’s a very emotional song, for several reasons, but partly because I think it was the first song we wrote that features all five of us singing. Developing it into the song it finally became was a process that has brought us closer together, especially through the way we explored combining our vocals.

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“Canned Air” stil by Kilian Kayser

AC: Can you describe your band dynamic and creative process when it came to writing "Canned Air"? 

L: Winnie wrote this song at home. After finishing the song, she sent the demo to us and it was our turn to adjust and complete the song. Although the structure and melody of the song already were something that we all really liked, I had to spice up the GarageBand drum sample and Yaël tweaked the lead vocals. Every time we write a song it’s a different process; sometimes someone makes a demo, sometimes we just jam. 

M: In the original song, Winnie imagined the main vocals to be more spoken-word-like, but that developed into a melodic singing with Yaëls input. The two styles created a different atmosphere. When we were recording the song in the studio, we got Winnie to speak the lyrics and Yaël to sing them at the same time. So it became more layered in the process.

Also Cool: I’d love to know more about the music scene in Amsterdam! Are there any particular venues or local bands that you love?
L: There are loads of cool bands and there is a very dense and supportive indie scene in Amsterdam, but also in the rest of the Netherlands. A band we love is Personal Trainer, a project by Willem Smit, who has supported us as a band since the beginning. I think my favourite venue is Cinetol. It’s a beautiful building and the programming is very diverse. It’s really accessible to play Cinetol as an emerging artist, which makes it a very interesting breeding ground for talent. 

M: And then there are a couple of cool emerging post-punk/art rock bands, like Global Charming and a fungus. Venues that are worth paying a visit if you’re in town would be Garage Noord, Skatecafé, De Nieuwe Anita, and the former church Paradiso.

“Canned Air” still by Marc Elisabeth

AC: On a more present note: What does the future look like for The Klittens? How can we keep up the momentum surrounding this release and support you going forward?

L: We hope we have a bright future. We are trying to get back on track after not being able to play live shows and going abroad due to the obvious reason. It would be great to go back on tour in Europe or the UK again and play shows, meet new people and discover new cool places. We would love to go back to the UK, but it’s going to be tough due to Brexit. The best way to support us is by ending Brexit! In all seriousness, though, I think the best way to support us is listening to our music and recommending us cool record shops, radio stations, magazines, venues and festivals throughout Europe, and maybe even worldwide, so we can reach the audience we want to reach. 

M: What Laurie said, and… If you’re looking for a cool t-shirt, we have merch too! 

Watch the music video for “Canned Air” below!

The Klittens

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Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Backxwash and Maryze Share Spooky Music Video for "Squelettes" (Dir. Méchant Vaporwave)

Still from Squelettes

Happy Halloween from Also Ghoul! We hope you're all enjoying this spooky Sunday, whether you're recovering from a night out on the town or cozying up for some classic scary movies (or both). We're celebrating by sharing the work of our two favourite spookies, Backxwash and Maryze, who have released the long-anticipated music video for their track Squelettes.

Directed, edited, and shot by Backxwash's esteemed creative director Méchant Vaporwave, the black and white footage features glitchy performances from the two Montreal artists in creepy makeup and fantastical costumes and delivers witchy twists sure to delight their Halloween-loving audience.

Inspired by gritty black and white horror films, Méchant Vaporwave set out to create a nauseating fever dream aesthetic à la David Lynch, using quickened shots and flashing images to establish unsettling feelings of disappearing dissociation and dysmorphia. The bilingual banger, released last fall, is an arresting reflection on addiction and how it consumes us. Futuristic producer Margo delivers the track's feverish beat and hyper pop sensibilities.

"The song personifies addiction as a destructive entity that creeps in and takes hold, becoming inescapable, as well as the loss of self with lyrics like "my face no longer looks like me, I've lost my shadow." I was so blown away by the way Méchant Vaporwave brought that vision to life and how perfectly Backxwash's verse fit in. It was an honour to work with them!" says Maryze.

Watch the video below!

Backxwash

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Maryze

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Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.

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Ouri's "Frame of a Fauna" Offers a Treatise on Bodies in (Com)motion (Born Twice / Lighter Than Air)

Ouri. Photo courtesy of Kane Ocean

Sharp utensils carve through metaphysical auras. Jagged ribs pierce muted whispers. After much anticipation, the inimitable Ouri is ready to guide you through her life cycle. The multi-instrumentalist, DJ and producer has released debut LP Frame of a Fauna – out now via Born Twice and Lighter Than Air. 

A revered fixture of Montreal’s underground rave scene, Ouri has long captivated with her nuanced approach to orchestral experimentation. Frame of a Fauna stands as the artist’s second release of the year; Hildegard, the transcendent duo comprised of herself and Helena Deland, dropped their self-titled debut in June (which AC had the pleasure of diving into).

Marking the latest notch in Ouri’s belt, Frame of a Fauna carefully wields experimental and classical curiosities to seek deeper truths between the bars. The artist reinforces her aptitude for the sonically-transformative as she dissects the exchanges between intangible forces and corporeal forms. The album is guided by life itself, etched with Ouri’s personal losses and awakenings. Birth, death and rebirth are arranged on a seafoam platter, their bones exposed for all to pick.

Album highlights include the hauntingly beautiful “Ossature”; "Intact Alef" by PTU furnishes Ouri’s auditory playground, enhanced by breathy vocals and disfigured percussion. “Grip” offers tender reflections over a lethargic beat, coupled with a stirring video of Ouri undergoing brain surgery mid-performance. Her ambitious vision is not lost in this straddling of soundscapes, acting instead as a compass for each ethereal composition and grounding them in an inescapable reality.

Days before the release of Frame of a Fauna, we had the pleasure of speaking with Ouri about her creative pursuits, body oddity, and the merits to minimalism. 

Ouri. Photo courtesy of Kane Ocean

Rebecca Judd for Also Cool Mag: I'm really interested in the kind of [creative] work you do and the trajectory that you've marked. You fuse the classical with the experimental, carving new folds into the parameters of electronic music. How did you lean into this thirst for transformation? How did you realize that that trajectory could be possible?

Ouri: I feel like I started in classical music, and then stopped and jumped into electronic music and the more experimental approach to [that genre]. At some point, I wanted to reconcile everything; I always saw [the situation] like [picking] one or the other, either an advantage or disadvantage, and I just wanted to bring everything in. 

It was super exciting to create a new fusion in general. I feel like there's a lot of schools, a lot of ways to do things, and I wanted to prove to myself that it was possible to do something else.

Also Cool: You’ve been involved with many different projects, including the critically-acclaimed duo of Hildegard (who we previously chatted with at Also Cool); your career is inspiring with this relentless pursuit of skill and expression. How do your different creative projects meld into each other – do you conceive of them as separate chapters, or do they all play into your greater story? 

Ouri: I think they're all part of my story, and they're not like the end of a chapter. I don’t think, because I was DJing a lot and now I’m DJing less, that that makes me want to DJ less [in general]. I want to keep doing everything that I do, and it’s like all [these skills] inform everything – the way I do music, the way I think about music, the way I discover new things in compositions. [They] change the way I DJ, the way I dig and research and find new music to mix together, my compositional techniques and singing. 

I feel like having a diversity of projects, it was a little bit draining at first, but now I feel like I’m confident enough that I can bounce off each one in a very dynamic way.

AC: That’s a wonderful way to look at it – the synergy you feel, it sounds like that really helps you identify yourself and your passions, and express all those different sides to you.

AC: Speaking to [debut album] Frame of a Fauna, I’m fascinated by its artistic philosophies. You explain it as an album which explores “how emotional hardship can imprint, and in turn deform the skeleton”. The sensations you describe are viscerally-stimulating, etched in textures and suspensions all around – how did this direction for your debut album come about? 

O: [This theme], it was just one of my current obsessions that was troubling me. I was touring for the first time in 2019, and I was seeing a bunch of different people with different stories. There were first impressions, and then learning about their life experiences and comparing how those changed for them. 

This made me realize that I was obsessed with human beings, with [the body as] our vessel. It’s a great machine, but it’s also a very dysfunctional machine and absurd sometimes. I wanted to express that in my music.

I don’t know if it’s as present in the [lyrics of Frame of a Fauna], I feel like those are more of an expression of the moment that came naturally. But the music, it was really important to me to have that feeling of a natural, but deformed, but natural [state of being]. We all feel deformed, even when we’re less than someone else. I wanted to translate that into the music. 

AC: Something I read is that, coupled with these vivid sensations and experiences of rebirth are snippets of your own life, sewn into the seams of each passing genre and sound. What has the journey of this project taught you about yourself and your artistry? How does music help you to process your own experiences?

O: This project started when my sister had her son – I’m so close to her, and we’re almost the same age, and we have parallel lives. I wanted to be [with her], I wanted to be close enough that I could visit her often, so I decided to settle in London for a month. [When I was there], I was researching a lot, and I decided not to go to any social activities. I would go to record shops to listen to music and discover the city, and just observe without existing or interacting. I received a lot of inspiration.

Then I went to Berlin for a month, where I was recording more. I was meeting a [few] more people, but I was still a bit distant. By that time, I had a bunch of recordings, and I was really like – I don’t know. I feel like, in the female experience, there’s so much shame, and I wanted to really transcend that and see what I was ashamed of and do it, the best I could. And so that’s what I did [with my music]. I wanted to break down all the mental constructions that were in my way. Now, I feel more confident. I’m accepting what I’m doing. 

In the past, sometimes I feel like I was [preoccupied with the idea that], you know, you don’t know what type of success you want and you don’t know how far you want to go – instead of just being in the present moment. I have no idea where this whole adventure is going to lead me, but I know what I want to experience now. I know exactly which experiences are helping me become more focused and more precise and happier.

Ouri. Photos courtesy of Kane Ocean

AC: Tomorrow isn’t promised, so in that regard you must put yourself out there the way you want to at that moment and deal with the rest later. [Creating is] all about that natural state of being and what feels right. 

O: And, also, to practice – to just isolate yourself to practice your skills, and then come back and refine your vision, not [losing] yourself in what you think people will understand or expect from you.

AC: Is [isolation] an approach that you think you’d take to your future creative work, or was that just an exercise for the time being?

O: It was an exercise that I pushed to the extreme, but I definitely think that isolation helps the creative process a lot. It can be two months, a week, a few days, a year. I don’t know what I will need in the future, but I will need some isolation for sure.

AC: Describe the environment you want to curate with your Frame of a Fauna shows, physically speaking or otherwise. What do you try to convey in your performances, and what do you want conveyed back to you?

O: I really want to convey the energy that I feel inside of me. I want to show a softness while balancing the intensity that I feel inside of myself. I really want to do something musical, but I don’t really want to do a visual show – right now, that is not what I’m trying to do. 

I want to feel a strong dynamic between me, the musicians on stage, and the crowd. I want to feel that exchange of energy. [My shows] will not be unidirectional. I want to stop time, accelerate it, and play with all the parameters.

AC: That [description] kind of relates to the overall themes of the album as well. [Frame of a Fauna] is about all of these vivid human sensations that you can’t describe, this “more than words” type of energy. So the idea is, then, that it’s going to be very minimalistic and people are going to be transformed by the musicality?

O: That is really what I want! I feel like there is so much going on visually [in the world]. Since COVID, I’ve spent so much time on my phone––seeing things, trying to grab information from visuals––but sometimes I feel like I receive too much information visually, and it goes too fast and doesn’t make sense anymore. 

Music can really help change that, jumping between completely new perspectives and new worlds of sensation. I want to take advantage of that. This is what I do, I’m a musician, so I’m focusing on the music.

AC: We are looking forward to whatever you’re up to next. Is it too early to ask about next steps? How are you hoping to transform in the months to come?

O: Absolutely. I’m going to do a couple of shows after this one [in Montreal on October 27], and I’ll also be launching my own imprint with this album––it’s called Born Twice––so I’m already working on the next project that I’m going to release. I’ll be continuing to forge the sound of that.

I’m really curious to observe people’s reactions to my album. In the past, I feel like I was running away from reactions because I was afraid they would be negative, but now I just want to see how people react to this because it’s going to give me a tip on what to pursue next. 

I want to have solid pillars for my different approaches, musically, to Born Twice. I’m already [working on a pillar]; maybe the reaction to Frame of a Fauna is going to be another pillar, and a new collaboration is going to be another one. We’ll see!

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FRAME OF A FAUNA

Released on October 22nd, 2021 via Born Twice and Lighter than Air

1. Ossature

2. The More I Feel

3. Two

4. Odd or God (ft. Mind Bath)

5. High & Choking Pt 1

6. Fear of Being Watched

7. Fonction Naturelle

8. Wrong Breed

9. Chains

10. En Mon Doux Sein

11. Shape of It

12. Too Fast No Pain (ft. mobilegirl)

13. Felicity (ft. Antony Carle)

14. Grip

All songs written by Ouri (except 'Odd or God' also written by Mind Bath and 'Felicity' also written by Antony Carle)

Produced by Ouri

Engineered by Ouri

Mixed by Ouri, additional mixing by Francis Latreille

Mastered by Enyang Urbiks

Synth programming by Pulsum and Justin Leduc-Frénette

Samples from Kelly Moran, Tati au Miel, Zach Frampton, PTU (Song: “Intact Alef”, courtesy of Trip Recordings), Aphex Twin (Song: “minipops 67”, courtesy of Warp Records)

Artwork: Photo by Derek Branscombe, layout by Jesse Katabarwa

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Ouri

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Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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NYC's Lily Konigsberg Crafts Relatable Pop Reflections on Debut "Lily We Need to Talk Now" (Wharf Cat Records)

Lily Konigsberg by Chloe Carrasco

NYC’s Lily Konigsberg has announced the arrival of her long-anticipated full-length, Lily We Need to Talk Now, out this Friday, October 29th, on Wharf Cat Records. Since 2016, Lily has been chipping away at her plainspoken pop debut, all while learning to find lightness in life’s most trying moments. Leading up to her release, we had the chance to connect with Lily and chat about her evolution as an artist, writing from her heart, and making a name for herself in New York’s underground music scene.

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: To start, I'd love to know what growing into your first proper full-length LP has been like since its beginnings in 2016? 

Lily Konigsberg: It's funny because I've made so much music throughout my life, but I’ve never released a full-length. I'm somewhat of a perfectionist I guess… This album had around five song orders and many rejected songs. It's actually something I'd like to work on because I admire artists that have frequent releases. This being said, I'm really excited to share this album with people, I am proud of it. 

Also Cool: Branching off of that, how have your past musical endeavours informed this release, Lily We Need to Talk Now? Say, in comparison to writing music with your band, Palberta, or other projects?  

Lily Konigsberg: Palberta taught me how to collaborate and how to perform confidently. I am forever grateful for the friendships I formed with Ani and Nina and the confidence we built together. Working with Matt in Lily and Horn Horse allowed me to hone in and work on my melody writing. My past solo work prepared me for writing a set of bangers with the intent of having them all be as good as each other. This of course didn't happen because there are always favourites. Being in these projects educated me as a writer, performer, and friend. I wouldn't be where I am without them. 

AC: You’ve spoken about how your album commemorates heavy moments in your life, but with an intentional effort to not take yourself too seriously. How do you find humour or lightness in vulnerability and translate it into your music? 

LK: Humour is a big part of sadness and pain for me. I feel a lot all of the time so it's a way I've learned to cope. Some might say it's a tactic of distraction, but I think it's the most human and relatable reaction to pain. Humour and vulnerability come through mostly in my lyrics. In one song, I'll go through moments of relatable sadness, absurd concepts, sass, and back to pain. It's just how my brain processes emotion. I live for dark humour. For instance, in a song with my new band, My Idea with Nate Amos, I wrote, Why so sad bitch, depression's a conspiracy theory? It's an insane line, but I feel it really hard. It's me throwing my hands up in one of those moments of realizing that nothing matters at all. 

AC: Given that the album is such a personal work, has it been strange to see it being dissected by bigger publications like Pitchfork and the FADER? 
LK: I mean, yeah! It's okay because I put it out for people to dissect and interpret. Loss is a completely universal feeling. This album is mainly about a breakup for me, but the songs can apply to many different instances of loss. I am most excited about hearing what my listeners think. 

Lily Konigsberg by Chloe Carrasco

AC: On a different note, I'm curious to know about your coming-of-age —in both real time and as a musician— in NYC. How have you forged your path in the New York scene to be where you are now? What advice would you give to others trying to stay afloat in such a coveted artistic hub? 

LK: Well first of all, I was born in Brooklyn in an upper-middle class neighbourhood. I was encouraged to pursue music when I expressed interest in it, and I had the opportunity to begin performing at the age of 14. Many people do not have most of these privileges growing up. Mix privilege with unique talent and you are going to get a certain amount of attention.

Through music, I met friends I still have today and developed a presence in the music scene. Music was great for me as I was a pretty shy kid, and it enabled me to have a reputation instead of having to prove my worth through my personality. After that, it was all meeting other musicians and relating to them, meeting Palberta, meeting Wharf Cat and on and on. Things organically grew from there. Only now do I have a manager for one of my projects; it was pretty DIY until now. It's hard to give advice considering this but I would say to try not to be discouraged by the music industry. It's inherently racist and sexist like every industry and doesn't recognize talent a lot of the time. Keep making music and meeting like-minded people. 

AC: To end off, how do you plan on celebrating this release and what are your plans for the future? 

Hmm… I'll probably drink a Gingerale and stare at a wall with a smile on my face. Maybe I'll have some Twizzlers. Then I'll play my release show on November 14th at Union Pool. More info for that will appear on social media soon enough. Maybe I'm trying to get sponsored by Gingerale and Twizzlers? I guess that would kind of contradict my previous rant! Next up for me is my debut album with my new band My Idea on Hardly Art. I'm so excited! 

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LILY WE NEED TO TALK NOW

Out October 29, 2021 via Wharf Cat

1. Beauty
2. I Can Make You Sweat Forever
3. That's The Way I Like It
4. Alone
5. Don't Be Lazy With Me
6. Proud Home
7. Hark
8. Bad Boy
9. Roses, Again
10. Goodbye
11. True

All songs written by Lily Konigsberg

“Bad Boy” written by Lily Konigsberg and Nate Amos
Engineered, mixed, produced and mastered by Nate Amos

Tracks 3, 6, 9, and 11 engineered by Sasha Stroud and Nate Amos

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Lily Konigsberg

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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Ada Lea's "one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden" Chronicles Montreal with Folk-Pop Ballads (Saddle Creek)

Standing on Parc and Bernard, wondering whether you should move back home for a while, Ada Lea's one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden becomes the perfect soundtrack for your trying-to-make-it-work-in-Montreal life crisis. The introspective folk/pop songs walk with you through the process of finding your identity and losing it again to someone who's not worth it, daydreaming about life in other cities, and wondering when to go home again. 

Inspired by personal experience, daydreams, and Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels, Ada Lea's lyrics center storytelling on a bigger scale. The experience and emotions of a year are communicated through Levy's vignettes of city life. Her prose wanders through St. Denis in Montreal, conjuring memories from local haunts like Fameux, La Rockette, and Quai des Brumes in rearview reverie. 

We spoke with Ada Lea about her new album, favourite memories, and of course, Montreal.

Ada Lea by Kristina Pedersen

Malaika Astorga for Also Cool: Your songs chronicle your life in Montreal and the city itself. How has your relationship with the city changed over the years? Can you tell us about a favourite memory or two?

Ada Lea: It's definitely sad to see many of the spots shut down over the years, and hideous buildings take their place, rent increasing, friends moving out of Montreal. Having lived some time in the States, I've come to appreciate the higher standard of living, accessibility to medical services, and overall feasibility of Montreal. 

It's hard to name a favourite memory, but the ice storm of '98 was quite memorable. I was pretty young, and the images of that time are fragmented and magical. 

Also Cool: How have you felt the music/art scene in Montreal shift over the years? What has your experience navigating the scene been like?

AD: Either the DIY scene has dissolved, or I am just not aware of what the scene looks like now - I'm not totally sure - all I know is that all the venues that were important to us back in the day have shut down, and I haven't heard of anything new popping up to replace them. Those spots were instrumental to my musical development and the growth of my peers and bands newly forming around that time. It felt like a really strong community of musicians that had the time and space to explore new sounds and the ability to afford these experiences.

AC: Your lyrics tell the stories of your memories, but almost like you're reminding yourself of what happened so that you don't forget. How has your relationship changed with the art of storytelling? 

I know you were inspired by Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels, and I'm wondering how that impacted your writing.

AD: It feels like I have a better sense of what I'm after, what matters in a story, or maybe I'm quicker at identifying when I'm not touching on anything. There's also less of a desire to be awkwardly "poetic." When I was just starting out, I felt like I needed to embellish everything, to make it more abstract, or how I thought things ought to be said in a poem. These days I feel more confident in reaching for the concrete, adopting a conversational tone, or being open to the change of direction in a story. There is a whole range of different song types, too, and I'm just starting to explore which ones interest me most. 

I wrote the album as I was finishing the Neapolitan Quartet. I think her writing is something that I'll never grow tired of investigating. I became inspired by her character development, which will likely be explored in my third album, more so than this second one. 

“Hurt” Artwork by Monse Muro

AC: In your songs, you go through many cycles of change, acceptance, and release. What have you learned about this perpetual cycle of release in relationship with your own personal growth?

AD: Acceptance is everything! I feel most resistant to change when I'm not willing to accept it. Only in the past few months have I applied this to my own life, but what a difference it has made.

AC: What would your advice be to someone who had just moved to Montreal?

AD: Work at a cafe. Start a punk band. Be in an open relationship. 

Listen to one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden below

Ada Lea

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

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Tessa Fleur's "The Hell of It All" is a Slice of Alt-Folk Paradise

Summer’s sun may have faded in the Northern Hemisphere, but time stands still against the honey-soaked harmonies of Tessa Fleur. After Fleur’s debut single “Sunset Melancholy” charmed the likes of triple j Unearthed, Brisbane’s alt-folk songstress is back with “The Hell of It All” – a breezy track that defines her captivating approach to internal transformation.

Produced by Alistair Richardson, “The Hell of It All” mixes the comforts of 70s nostalgia with Fleur’s refreshing lyric vulnerability. Fleur’s angelic vocals glide overtop of a striding beat and the indulgent twinge of slide guitar, evoking hints of Fleetwood Mac. Presenting an effective combination of wisdom and whimsy, “The Hell of It All” makes for a worthy addition to your daily mix.

Heightening the sensations behind “The Hell of It All” is an entrancing music video, directed by long-time collaborators Allisa Tsukimori and Oliver Marshall. Between swoops of vintage lace and Ford Cortinas, Fleur concocts an intriguing story that finds her at the centre of a devoted cult. Viewers are taken on a journey that explores the concept of falling into your deepest truths, an experience that Fleur summarizes as “indoctrinating yourself into your own cult”.

The video took over 12 months to conceptualize and execute, ensuring the strongest realization of Fleur’s vision. Spotted along the way are the artist’s friends, family and fellow creatives – a tribute to the village of support that has carried her this far. Fleur also takes pride in the video’s ethical decisions, with all materials, designs and props made locally sourced or hand-crafted. “Collaborating with local businesses and creatives is something I’m heavily passionate about,” Fleur explains. “More than ever, we need to support our local businesses and creative community.”

Get lost in the dreamy disposition of Tessa Fleur, and figure yourself out along the way.

Watch “The Hell of It All” below!

Tessa Fleur

Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Kansas City Duo The Black Creatures Release Single "TRUE FRIENDS" In Anticipation of Upcoming Album

If we've learned anything over the past few years, it's that having a good support system makes all the difference in the world. Trusting that your chosen family will take care of you and that you'll take care of them when they need it is what The Black Creature's latest single, "TRUE FRIENDS," is all about.

The track is the first off of their upcoming album By Thy Hand,​ produced by Xavier and written by Jade Green and Xavier. It’s a synth pop ballad that reminds us what true friendship is all about, and carries the same cadence and bubbly but honest energy as early Chance the Rapper tracks.

According to Jade," This song is not only a celebration but an offering of gratitude to the support system that I've been lucky to have in my life. Especially during this time where everybody feels so isolated, so far removed from community and from collaboration, this song is a cheeky way of telling listeners,' you deserve loyalty, you deserve love - did you forget who the F you are?!'"

The Kansas City duo (who we interviewed earlier this year) make a point to blur the lines of genre while maintaining a recognizable cohesion. They blend contemporary pop, hip-hop, dance, R&B, EDM and soul with cinematic and storytelling sci-fi/fantasy elements and themes.

Listen to "TRUE FRIENDS" below & stay tuned for their upcoming album!

The Black Creatures

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

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Sunglaciers Release MGMT-Inspired Indie Pop Track "Draw Me In" (Mothland)

via Mothland

According to our recent Instagram polls and that one guy's TikTok, we've all been missing early 2010s indie-pop in a real way. MGMT, Phoenix, M83, and Passion Pit had held us with a vice grip for a while with their sparkly guitar riffs, upbeat vocals, and slightly dystopian lyrics.

Lucky for us, Sunglaciers (Mothland's latest signing) fill that nostalgic void with their latest single, "Draw Me In." The track is reminiscent of The Postal Service's "Such Great Heights" and embodies the band's self-blurring of dazzling indie-rock melodicism and icy post-punk experimentation genres. It's a departure from their earlier shoegaze sound and delves into MGMT-inspired pop.

Sunglaciers came together as a band in 2017 and are based in Calgary. The track was co-produced by Chad VanGaalen and mixed by acclaimed engineer Mark Lawson (Arcade Fire, Yves Jarvis, The Unicorns). It's also accompanied by a video directed by pluri-disciplinary artist Anthony Lucero.

"I went with the direction I did because the sound and spatial structure of the song was very fluid and encompassing. I found that when messing around with machine learning that flowers and daisies really fit the nature and energy of the song better than anything else could." -- Anthony Lucero

Watch "Draw Me In" below

Sunglaciers

Website | Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | Youtube | Instagram | Facebook

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

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Jean Grünewald Discusses Montreal Dances Across Borders' New Compilation "Volume 2"

Volume 2 album art courtesy by Thomas Lopez and Elisa Gleize

On September 28th, 2021, Montreal Dances Across Borders  followed-up their 2020 project Volume 1 with another exciting compilation project: Volume 2. This anticipated release from the Montreal collective brings together 10 incredible electronic artists for a more-than-worthy cause; with 100% of Bandcamp going to Solidarity Across Borders, a Montreal-based migrant support network working to combat the unjust realities faced by immigrants and refugees. 

While the compilation’s sound is experimental and eclectic, the participants’ unanimous support for the project’s cause acts as a base for it’s overall sonic unity. Despite its variety, each track inspires dance, movement and energy. 

Volume 2 features tracks from: HRT, LE SERVICE HUMAIN, PULSUM, AN_NA - Red Wine, s.talbot, HUMAN JUNGLE, Inside Blur, K-10, Remote Access and DBY. It was curated by Jean Grünewald and Louis Paulhus with artwork by Thomas Lopez and Elisa Gleize. The entire project was mastered by Elliott Sebag.

View fullsize

Volume 2 album art courtesy by Thomas Lopez and Elisa Gleize

Jean (AKA ottoman.grüw), one-half of the curatorial duo behind the project, spoke with me about challenging borders in a multitude of ways. 

Simone Tissenbaum for Also Cool Mag: I read in a summary you wrote about the project that music embodied in spaces is inherently political… What does that mean specifically for Montreal Dances Across Borders?

Jean Grünewald: The project was created to remind us that [dance] music, embodied in spaces, is above all political. The idea of ‘dancing across borders’ relates specifically to this kind of music. Underground dance and techno music survives the shared cultural knowledge of marginalized groups that is ongoingly threatened by systemic oppression. The spaces where this music is played, whether it’s a warehouse or a club, allow for moments of togetherness... Moments where you can acknowledge and celebrate different realities. The hope is that this can create more empathy, solidarity and respect between different people.

Also Cool: I understand that the music itself is political, and clearly the spaces in which that music is shared become political as well. What does that mean for digital spaces? How is it the same, or different, when we’re talking about this type of music being experienced in a digital sphere?

Jean Grünewald: There’s a paradox in the way that digital releases are connecting but also fragmenting. If there was a pandemic in an era without digital networks, there would have been no compilation at all. This is certainly connected to the idea of borders, dancing across borders, getting rid of the borders… It’s something that digital methods do.

AC: I’m curious then, not to be harsh on the digital realm, but to consider what might be lost inside of it. Obviously there is a connecting factor, but what is being lost right now in a world where live music and shows and events are harder to come by?

JG: With less [in-person] events, I’m wondering how much our feelings of togetherness and empathy are fed. Because when you’re going to a show, whatever it may be, you have people close to you. If they’re reacting in a certain way... you hear that, you see that. Even though you’ve never seen these people before, spoken to them, and may never see them again, there is a connection that is made. You’re testifying the existence of those other people at this specific moment, while you’re also testifying of your own existence.

AC: Is this project designed to address the lack of connectedness you think we’re collectively experiencing?

JG: Maybe [this compilation] is not a whole solution, but it’s an attempt at remedying the situation. In the same way that it’s directly connecting the artists involved, it’s indirectly connecting the people that are listening to the compilation, with listening to the album acting as a shared experience. 

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With such thoughtful and politically-engaged creation and curation, you can expect nothing less than a moving piece of work, both physically and emotionally.  

The project is available on Bandcamp in a PWYC format with all proceeds being directed to Solidarity Across Borders. 

Montreal Dances Across Borders

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Simone Tissenbaum is a Montreal-based dancer, educator, and writer. 

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