Gig: Torngat

Torngat / Muskox / I Have Eaten The City

Teranga. Thursday, October 8, 2009.

Starting the long weekend early, made the last-minute decision to go out for a Thursday-night gig — might as well, I figured, seeing as I didn't have to be up early in the morning. Looking over the listings, there was an embarrassment of riches, three or four things I could have gone to and had a good time. In the end, went with a bit of a left-field choice, eschewing the poppy-boppy usual suspects for a night of instrumental — um — not-pop at Kensington's Teranga. The venue was boasting a new stage and PA system, but having not been previously I can't comment on the extent of the changes.¹ Paid at the door and grabbed a spot along the wall as people were trickling in. A long and narrow windowless room, Teranga is an African restaurant as well as a venue, with tables and bar in the back half of the room. A smallish space with capacity listed at eighty-seven which, from a quick guess, would feel a mite crowded. Actually turned out to be a nice crowd out for this one, though mildly thin as things started off.

I Have Eaten The City, normally a trio, were performing on this night without drummer Brandon Valdivia, leaving Nick Storring (cello, laptop, effects, vocal sounds) and Colin Fisher (guitar, pedals) to improvise as a duo.² The set started of with low frequency rumblings before deconstructed cello fragments put it all into place, followed by some Lanois-esque guitar soundscapes. I found the opening movement the most compelling, pure environmental abstraction that filled the room like a fog of forgetfulness. The loudest, central part of the performance built from glitchy zarps and whipping/thwapping noises that slowly ramped up, though without becoming too busy or just noise, building up in intensity before easing back off. There was a good sense of give and take, and of the players giving each other space. A section with Fisher's guitar accented by cello was spare but highly evocative, creating a very lovely, floating moment. It was followed by the ending suite, dominated more by Storring, with beats created from vocal noises adding form as a percussive bass loop slowly built in volume underneath. This last ten minutes or so was fine, but grabbed me less.³ A couple segments where I was swept into it, a couple where I was less into it, but a nice set on balance.

Listen to an excerpt from this performance here.

In between bands, took the opportunity to grab my chair and move in closer to the stage to get up close to Muskox. I was familiar with the band's work from their series of EP's on 3" compact discs, each an economical and concise musical statement. Six members deep on this night, including banjo, marimba, cello, saxophone and dual harmoniums, the most apt term for Mike Smith's progressive chamber jazz unit might well be "arranged". There's a buttoned-down sensibility behind these compositions, with each musician's parts playing off each other just so. While such rigour could come off airless or academic, the band maintained a deft touch throughout, and a nice contrast in musical approach from I Have Eaten The City. Three of the four pieces in the half-hour set were from their forthcoming debut full-length, including "Ghost Ride" and "'72-'76"⁴, as well as the standout (and album lead-off track) "Humphries' Tide". Beyond genres, but worthy of soundtracking something complicated and thoughtful.⁵

Listen to a track from this performance here.

There was a slightly longer switchover with Muskox having more equipment to break down. So had a few minutes to duck out for some fresh air and a stretch and still have time to spare while Torngat got ready. The band was pretty much an unknown quantity to me, but they obviously had some fans out, as a small knot was soon standing in front of the stage. A three-piece from Montréal, I recognized Pietro Amato of Bell Orchestre and The Luyas with his french horn. He was accompanied by Mathieu Charbonneau (on keybs and synth) and drummer Julien Poissant (also playing keyb). The variety of keyboards and electronics gave the band a wider sonic palate than their numbers might indicate, their atmospheric, instrumental songs with a pleasant lushness and enough ideas to maintain momentum. One track had an Aphex Twin music box vibe, with analog synth ululations that, after building up, had Charbonneau playing on a drum and the metal leg of his keyboard. Amato treated his horn sounds in a variety of ways, at some points making it sound like a guitar. The songs mostly stretched out to the six or seven minute mark but never felt bloated or as if the band were repeating themselves. The band was not particularly interested in stagecraft — or banter for that matter, and were content to let their music speak for them. Partially a function of entering without any expectations, I found myself enjoying this set a whole lot. After fifty minutes on stage, the band was convinced to stay for one more,⁶ making it a solid hour's entertainment.

Listen to a track from this performance here.

On the whole, a very well-constructed and balanced bill, the bands contrasting with each other nicely. Not rip-out-your-throat or jump-up-and-dance music, but the "implied" pleasures of these bands made for a top-notch night out.

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¹ The sound was, however, quite good throughout the night. Special props are, indeed, due to whoever was doing sound, handling three different set-ups — including a somewhat-complicated one for Muskox — with no hiccups.

² By coincidence, I had seen Fisher — in his Not the Wind, Not the Flag guise — at the previous gig I'd attended.

³ Not to be confused with "'74 - '75", the '93 semi-hit by The Connells. The Muskox tune is somewhat more expansive. How much more expansive? Well, four, obviously.

⁴ Interestingly, I found this last segment much more engaging listening to my playback, where the percussion sounded a bit more subtle amongst the other elements.

⁵ In fact, Muskox will be sharing a CD-release gig with the formidable Canaille at the Music Gallery on October 29th. This is, if I may be so bold, a highly-recommended gig.

⁶ Not really an encore in the truest sense, as, without any sort of backstage to retreat to, the band just sat for a few seconds, discussing amongst themselves what else they could play.