After experiencing Anthropologies Imaginaires, it’s hard to imagine that just a few years ago Gabriel Dharmoo, its creator and performer, was reluctant to use his spectacularly flexible voice to anything like its full extent. In fact, he initially rebelled against seizing the singer’s usual place, smack in the middle of the spotlight. “I felt likeContinue reading “The Shapeshifting Sounds of Gabriel Dharmoo”
Author Archives: Musicworks
Ayo Leilani Interrogates the Beats
“Eh Yo! Eh Yo, Leilani!,” she heard as she walked down a bustling New York City street. Turning around to see a friend calling out to greet her in the way that only the hip-hop generation can, Leilani (Hawaiian for “gift from the heavens”) realized she’d just found a captivating addition to her current name:Continue reading “Ayo Leilani Interrogates the Beats”
How We Listen
In the summer of 2013, I was on the hunt for photos of Charlemagne Palestine and was put in touch with crys cole, the artistic director of Winnipeg’s Send + Receive festival. She had invited Palestine to perform at the festival, and our friendly email exchange (with attachments!) not only helped me out but alsoContinue reading “How We Listen”
Three Literary Field Recordings
I. White Fang, Chapter I[1] A vast silence reigned over the land on every side was the silence, pressing upon them with a tangible presence a faint far cry arose on the still air. It soared upward with a swift rush, till it reached its topmost note, where it persisted, palpitant and tense, and thenContinue reading “Three Literary Field Recordings”
Aaron Oppenheim’s October 12, 2014 (excerpt)
October 12, 2014 (excerpt) is a recording of a live performance held in New York City on October 12, 2014 as part of ABC No Rio’s COMA Series, which presents experimental and improvised music. “This piece uses samples of voice for all of its material, manipulated in real time using my custom Max/MSP live instrument,”Continue reading “Aaron Oppenheim’s October 12, 2014 (excerpt)”
Kaie Kellough Sounds It Out
IT’S 2016,YET I FIND MYSELF SPENDING an inordinate amount of time talking about artistic output from the ’70s and ’80s. It was in the latter decade that esteemed Montreal-based sound poet Kaie Kellough’s favourite band, Bad Brains, emerged on the scene with a self-titled debut that advanced the “hard” in hardcore punk. If you needContinue reading “Kaie Kellough Sounds It Out”
Juan Camilo Vásquez’ Calíope (canto de las abejas)
YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MATHEMATICAL HYPERSURFACES or guitar architecture to enjoy the dense sparkle, relentless energy, and intelligent swarm behaviour of Juan Camilo Vásquez’ Calíope (canto de las abejas) for guitar and electronics—but it definitely enhances the listening experience if you know a little. The Colombian composer’s 2014 work, winner of Musicworks’Continue reading “Juan Camilo Vásquez’ Calíope (canto de las abejas)”
Tenzier: History Outside the Margins
“There’s a group of students who used a term I really liked: countermemory,” Tenzier founder Eric Fillion tells me over Skype from Montreal. “I almost like that better than counterculture.” He’s talking about Tenzier, the avant-garde label which has put out five critically acclaimed vinyl releases in as many years, as well as Tenzier theContinue reading “Tenzier: History Outside the Margins”
The Power of Voice: Musicworks Spring 2016
TWO YEARS AGO, TANYA TAGAQ LANDED ON THE COVER OF MUSICWORKS. Her unforgettable voice has been in my head, so to speak, ever since. Our Spring 2014 CD opened with “Tulugak,” a wild evocation from her album Animism, which won the Polaris Prize later that year. Our cover story, written by Mary Dickie, now seemsContinue reading “The Power of Voice: Musicworks Spring 2016”
Sonic City
We presume hush because business has yet to come. People stand, the movement of feet inaudible Over the creeping perception of noise An indistinguishable hum pervading the acoustic Of suitcases’ wheels Clitter-clattering across cobbled stones Some uneven, some gliding with ease — The bounce of speed announcing a sanguine rhythm To the muted silence ofContinue reading “Sonic City”