Recording: Blue Light

Artist: Blue Light

Song: [second section]

Recorded at Toronto Public Library – Parkdale Branch (SHHHH – Day 2), May 7, 2016.

Blue Light - [second section]

So many things I like here, wrapped up in one package. Not only was this a celebration of an awesome new initiative from the Toronto Public Library where anyone with a library card can borrow a musical instrument, it was celebrated with a couple shows in the program's home branch. I didn't make it out on the Friday where the event's co-organizer Kyle Knapp played a quieter show with his Deliluh project, alongside solo efforts from Dorothea Paas and Dave from Soupcans (a new solo endeavour called Stucco). But Sunday afternoon (a free!, all ages!, afternoon! show — which for me is like seeing a row of cherries come up on the slot machine) moved things down to the Parkdale library's mysterious basement — home, it turns out, to an auditorium that awesomely looks like it was last redecorated c. 1985. This show got pretty loud, though apparently the bunker-like building is soundproofed enough that that didn't disturb the patrons above. I would love to see more shows like this — the mind reels at the possibilities of the communities that could be brought together in this space.

Ami Spears has worked in several projects, from beloved drone-rockers Ostrich Tuning to ambient/noise duo Schønsee (to say nothing of her recently-ended stint in Crosss and recently-begun stint in Surinam). This solo outing saw her shape sounds from her (beloved, semi-broken) keyboard with a few pedals, mixing minimalist ambient repetition with crunchy noise granulation. This middle section's creamy tones was at the more relaxing end of the spectrum — quite beautiful stuff.