Thursday, December 31, 2020

Bumping into... Josh Cole

Bumping Into... is a series of mini-chats with a variety of peeps that you might run into in some of our local music communities. (There's a bit of an intro and my thoughts behind the series here.)


How are you? Where are you?

I have my good days and bad. Riding the wave. Trying to stay positive, taking proactive steps to avoid getting too low. My partner Sonia and I decided to skip town for the winter because of covid and because we are about to have a baby, so we are in Alberta with family right now. We should be back in dear old Toronto just in time for all of us to sit in a park again listening to someone play a solo saxophone set.

What have you been up to since March or so?

When the pandemic hit I was lucky that I had some mixing work, so for the first bit there I mixed the Luka Kuplowsky 'Live at the Golden Lion' video that we did in January, and the Kind Mind record that was also recorded in January. Also I was really lucky that Sonia was able to work from home right away, so we settled into a chill home life. At first my regular rhythm of life seemed kinda normal, cause I generally don’t go out that much when it’s cold, and having work was a good coping mechanism. But once work dried up and the reality of not being able to play music with people set in things got dark, ya. And I also didn’t feel inspired to make things. I think there is this false narrative that says “hey, free time, we should make stuff”. But in talking to friends, I got the feeling that the darkness was too much to overcome for some of us. It was nice to find out that I wasn't the only one feeling a bit paralyzed in that regard. I tried to force it, but quickly learned that was pointless. I think really what we all needed for a bit was time to mourn what was happening.

Once the weather started to get better, I started to feel more of a pull to be, hmmm, productive is the wrong word. I think the word is maybe constructive. So I got back into practising, and also friends started to send me tracks to work on. I also decided to treat this time as a residency, so I reached out to bassist /improvisor/grandpa i wish i had Barre Phillips to take some lessons on Zoom. That has been a complete game changer for me, both in terms of my approach to my artistic practice and for my mental health. It was like being able to talk to Yoda for an hour or so every month. It really encouraged me. His journey had a lot of parallels to the time we all are facing. So to see how he’s approached his life as an artist removed from a big city (he lives in a small village in the south of France and spends a lot of time working alone), he's shown me the value in taking a deep look in the mirror.

So yeah, my time with him has set me on a constructive path. Not with any ambition, because Barre said it himself, he has no ambition. But really just going about the work of looking inward. Anyways, I’ve been doing that, oh and I was able to have a dreamy recording session with Luka Kuplowsky and the Ryokan Blues band, it’s gonna be an amazing record. And then like I said, temporarily relocated out here to Alberta to have a baby, and play ping pong and chess. So yeah, that’s more or less what I’ve been up to.

Have you found any new ways to do old things? How are you feeling about the shifts in how music is being made/shared/listened to?

Spending time with Barre, I’ve found lots of new ways to do old things. New ways to play my bass, new ways to practice. Something that I’ve slowly been coming around to is actually spending time discovering who I am and not just practising the bass in the traditional sense. We can all practice all the stuff we are told to practice, technique, tunes, sound, bla bla bla, but my time with Barre has really pushed me to start figuring out what are the things that make me me, and then to really develop those, and truthfully be okay with that, being okay with who you are and what you do, that’s a tricky one for me. Actually looking back now, full credit should be given to my time studying with William Parker and Taurus Mateen in 2017, who both in their own way were trying to push me that way as well, I just didn’t see it at the time.

As for how music is being made/shared/listened to. Obviously I very very very very much miss playing at the Tranzac. Damn do I miss that. But in terms of making music, emailing tracks back and forth has long been a part of the way I've done things probably for over a decade (see Thom Gill’s “is my living in vain”). So that part is not new to me at all, and in some cases I prefer sitting alone at home obsessing over constructing a bass part rather than being in a studio with time and pressure. But yea, I do miss hearing friends play at the Tranzac yes, yes I do. But to be honest that's really the only part that for me has changed, the rest of what I do and how I experience and share music is just about the same. People post their records on facebook and I listen. That's still the same. But yea gigs man, nothing will ever replace going to see or playing a gig, the magic that happens in music at a gig and the community/friendship that exists around it. At the end of the day emailing and texting friends never feels as full of love as being in a room rehearsing or recording together, or sitting in the back of the tranzac listening to Ryan Driver make bloops with on his MG-1, hanging out by the doors between sets talking to friends and watching raccoons get into the garbage, then walking home at 1am with a smile digesting all the beauty you just heard.

Any works of art that have been a light for you in these times? Anything that's just been a good diversion?

Do the Psalms count? Ya know the ones in the Bible. They’ve been a light for me in this time, it’s poetry right? That's art. Lots of records, listening to lots of solo bass records cause I'm just there right now. Arthur Russell’s world of echo has been helping me sleep. Listening to what all my friends have been making has helped me feel connected. I remember when Prince Nifty released “we’re not in Kansas anymore” like a month into the lock-down? I was like damn I love that guy. Also Phil Melanson played on this Sam Gendel record “Satin Doll”. I kinda think should of been ‘jazz’ album of the year (not that that stuff matters but seriously it’s so good and hit me in the best way). And I'm super happy for Phil cause I think he’s finding who he is with that vermona synth drum thing he’s doing, and his thing, it really comes out super clear on that record to me at least.

Oh yeah, and watching lots of Star Trek TNG, but I mean who isn't eh? That show is so zen.

How are you feeling about 2021?

I'm hesitantly optimistic. I'm optimistic this vaccine thing is going to help and we’ll be back playing music with each other more regularly by the summer. I also am going to be a dad in 2021 so that should be fun eh? That being said there is a lot to mourn, so I fully expect 2021 to have its fair share of mourning and lament, I think it's important to go through those things and process the sorrow so many people have felt and to cry together sometimes physically and musically.

Anything else we'd chat about if we bumped into each other?

Gear, right? We’d chat about cool pedals. I only bought one pedal this year (funds are tight), a cheap vibrato pedal. Joe, I wanna see you make a youtube channel of some of the cool stuff you do with pedals, but also you shouldn't do that, cause I don't want people to steal your tricks.

Bumping into... Karen Ng

Bumping Into... is a series of mini-chats with a variety of peeps that you might run into in some of our local music communities. (There's a bit of an intro and my thoughts behind the series here.)


How are you? Where are you?

I'm good! Quite good in fact, arguably the best I've felt in a long time. I'm here in the city, hanging out in a cozy new apartment to myself.

What have you been up to since March or so?

I've been doing a lot of reflecting and asking questions. Probably why I feel so great, this has been an important time of self-care for me, something I guess I've always claimed to be too busy for and wasn't entirely sure how to do. It literally was just sitting still with myself and resting lots, being good to myself.

I dove into the world of home recording which I've been meaning to do for a long time and am happily making things that may or may not see the light of day, doesn't matter, very pleased with what's been coming from it. Playing lots of guitar and bass (ready for our next Ruster gig!) and rolling around on the floor (I love telling people this, because it's true! All this sitting hurts my body but THE FLOOR IS AMAZING, check it out if you haven't already hahah)

Have you found any new ways to do old things? How are you feeling about the shifts in how music is being made/shared/listened to?

I've only recently started playing more saxophone and clarinet again... I think for much of the earlier pandemic I didn't really feel compelled to 'express' anything and those instruments are very much my expressive voice, I guess I just didn't have much to 'say'. But then I got tired of picking up the sax for a recording or odd thing I was asked to do and feeling like it was a ghost limb, a foreign entity, so I started back up again and am happily tootin' away just for the sake of feeling and hearing it again.

I feel pretty complex about it! But not necessarily negative. There is so much to live performance and gathering that I love so dearly that no alternative available right now can quite cut it. I'm happy to wait, and have really relished the few opportunities that have popped up once in awhile which have some resemblance to what once was. I feel like in this time where I can't DO the things I usually can, I've chosen this time to MAKE things instead and that's been a fulfilling thing - not at all meant to replace what I had but to shift to another mentality. The space of recording, as an improviser who is used to thinking of it as a means for documentation, has been a very interesting one... learning lots about what I can or can't let go, how I make decisions, what my tendencies are. Similar things that I would have found I think, composing on paper but this medium seems to suit me well, to hear possibilities and happy mistakes as they are created. I'm having a ball, but that didn't stop me from tearing up a bit when I walked into the Tranzac last Friday for the first time since March... I miss parts of our old life very much, and other parts I hope will change forever.

Any works of art that have been a light for you in these times? Anything that's just been a good diversion?

I ALSO dove into Twin Peaks for the first time, what a vibe!!! That and I've been playing guitar every day, learning some Fahey stuff and pretty chord melody ballads. Highly recommend listening to Elizabeth Cotton while rolling around on the floor.

How are you feeling about 2021?

Honestly, I haven't been able to summon up any concrete feelings about it... in this time where it is eternally present and today I've just been coasting along with that vibe. I wonder sometimes about what it'll look like, how it will feel, what I'll choose to do... and there are just so many uncertain factors I figure, I will meet it, in the way I can, when the time comes, and leave it at that.

Anything else we'd chat about if we bumped into each other?

Nah... I'd just give you a good long hug my friend xo

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Bumping into... Greydini

Bumping Into... is a series of mini-chats with a variety of peeps that you might run into in some of our local music communities. (There's a bit of an intro and my thoughts behind the series here.)


How are you? Where are you?

I'm doing alright. Been hiding out at my house in the junction and avoiding people. Taking alot of alleys when I go to the lcbo. I got really into listening to Meat Loaf records in the last few weeks.

What have you been up to since March or so?

Well I lost my job in March, and went to hide out at my partner's parents house near Woodstock. Stayed three months, I set up in their basement and recorded a new Greydini album called "the human one" which should be out in March. Found an old violin in their basement and taught myself how to play. I'm currently working on a six tape Greydini box set called "Mediocre Musician" which is all unreleased songs from the last eight years. That should be out in the summer. It's alot of work.

Have you found any new ways to do old things? How are you feeling about the shifts in how music is being made/shared/listened to?

I'm always trying to push forward and do things in new ways, I find it happens naturally without even noticing. I really tried to use this time to improve my skills, but it's been alot of day naps and screwing around. I'm really excited to see where we're all at when we're allowed out of our houses again. I have no idea what it'll be like. But I'm ready for anything.

Any works of art that have been a light for you in these times? Anything that's just been a good diversion?

We play alot of the board game Risk, it's been a great distraction. And watch alot of Parker Lewis Cant Lose. I listen to alot of Voivod and 2 live crew.

How are you feeling about 2021?

I'm trying to be positive, but also realistic. I miss my friends and the community. People keep asking me how it feels to not be out there playing shows and at first I said it didn't matter and I didn't care, but then I threw in a video for Cool Fest TV, and watching it I realized how much I get out of going to shows, meeting people, seeing the art they make and their approaches and perspectives. I miss that inspiration. But I know we will all be out there again before we know it.

Anything else we'd chat about if we bumped into each other?

I'd probably ask you how you've been doing and handling these unprecedented times !! And we would talk about the future and the cool new venues were gonna play.

Bumping into... Bill Gilliam

Bumping Into... is a series of mini-chats with a variety of peeps that you might run into in some of our local music communities. (There's a bit of an intro and my thoughts behind the series here.)


How are you? Where are you?

Overall pretty good thanks, still living in Toronto. Like most people I'm finding this period quite challenging especially when the weather got colder.

What have you been up to since March or so?

I did some remote online improv with Coexisdance, hosted by Rapheal Roter, with dancer Yvonne Ng which was great.

I performed online with Doug Van Nort, Glen Hall & Joe Sorbara as well as with Michael Palumbo in his Exit Points Series and also did some jamming online with Kayla Milmine & Ambrose Pottie and others.

In the summer I recorded my spoken word piece called “Vigil” online with Toronto Improvisors Orchestra players. These poems are about different people's perspectives on COVID and the recording is now on Bandcamp. One of these tracks was played on CIUT Electric Sense and BBC 3 heard it and played it later on a show called “Freeness”.

I also had a chance to record some improv tracks for an album together with Bill McBirnie (flute) & Eugene Martynec (laptop) in a studio in September which we are now working on to release sometime next year which we are excited about.

Have you found any new ways to do old things? How are you feeling about the shifts in how music is being made/shared/listened to?

In 2020 I've been more focused on writing graphic scores as a new way for me to do old things (such as structured improv). My piece “Vigil” was a fun way to explore this type of score by arranging my poems spoken text as a guide to be accompanied by players using written instructions and some notation to improvise.

I'm working on some new pieces that use more graphic score type notations, symbols and images to be performed by improvising ensembles.

Any works of art that have been a light for you in these times? Anything that's just been a good diversion?

Kris Davis is a pianist who really stood out for me in recent months. I saw her perform with Ingrid Laubrock (sax) at the Women From Space Festival in Toronto just before the lockdown in March. It was one of the most inspiring performances I've seen in many years. I've been listening and following her performances online. She is such a wonderful Canadian talent who plays with top level international musicians.

For diversions this summer I visited the outdoor Zim Art collection near Rice Lake, Ontario which had wonderful soapstone sculptures by artists from Zimbabwe and also visited a number of conservation areas around Toronto in the summer to relax in nature.

How are you feeling about 2021?

More optimistic now than earlier in 2020. Despite all the challenges and tragedy, so many people are doing interesting and creative things to cope and adjust to the pandemic. With the virus vaccines now starting to be rolled out I think people will start to feel more encouraged about meeting and going out to concerts and we'll all have a chance to perform again. It'll be great to experience live music again when it is safe.

Anything else we'd chat about if we bumped into each other?

I'd like to say how great it is we had a chance to catch up and hear what you are doing and how much I appreciate all the work you've been doing to support our Toronto improv scene. Thanks Joe!

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Bumping into... Del Stephen

Bumping Into... is a series of mini-chats with a variety of peeps that you might run into in some of our local music communities. (There's a bit of an intro and my thoughts behind the series here.)


What have you been up to since March or so?

Okay, well, March 20th saw the release of what was, at that point in time, my favourite collection of music to date. I think this becomes true anytime I make music that feels particularly private, vulnerable, or earnest. But wow! I recorded this album and released it into the world and even took it on walks through the park. As I tried to indicate for the press in the album cover, Folk Music is rooted in poetry. stories, and various sounds. I momentarily returned to singing, which felt good and real.

'Meemydreemanai' (me, my dream, and I), a wish and then, poof, a springtime curse. It went like this:

"I WOULD
LIKE A DREAM
IN WHICH I MAKE

THROUGH MAGIC OR FREE WILL

MINUTE MOVEMENT
OR THE ETERNAL REELING IN

(A LINE
NOT WITHSTANDING
A LIMIT
LEFT UNCOUTH)

THROUGH MAGIC OR FREE WILL

AN OCEANIC PRESENT
FOR MEMORY I HIDE

THROUGH MAGIC OR FREE WILL

SURPRISE ME WHEN I FALL"

And just like that, I fell.

March 30: my birthday, my cancelled trip abroad, and my last day of 'work'. In hindsight, I wish I shared this with more friends and peers when it happened (in fact, I don't even know whether or not this is the first time I even told you about it), but I guess I was in some kind of confused state of shock or in-between space of not knowing what to do for a lOoOong time...I was a little lost. The next few months were some of the most challenging for me. The whole time I reminded myself that it was something everybody was going through, and I quickly recognized that for many people it was far worse than my situation. I think I was often wrapped up in conflict about how much weight I could hold on my shoulders, like a web of interconnected factors from all directions that was entirely overwhelming. I should've talked about it more with others, and sometimes I did open up (with fellow artists especially), but most of the time I didn't really know what to say or do. I did a lot of things that didn't help and a lot of things that did.

At the time of writing this, I'm smiling and I'm feeling okay. I still find some days that surprise me with spontaneous moodswings and feelings of utter 'blah'-ness that I'm sure is just part of being stuck in the collective trauma sludge zone (??? what is it really called???). Anyway, I pledge my allegiance to the 'one day at a time' club. More on moodswings later.

I read a LOT and had a brief stint of this ridiculous online gaming world (like soccer with flying monster trucks...). It was weird and not like me, but I would listen to hours of basically self-help podcasts into the night and drive around with awfully vulgar people online. 'Playing' with all these real people in real time was a total solace, and that definitely wasn't an obvious thing going into it. It was a time.

Some personal research on psychogeography throughout the past year or so had enough influence on me to eventually yield an album I called Deep Topography, a reflection that I put to paper and sound in May. Although it was an entirely instrumental album, it followed some heavy realizations (at the time still very subtle) that music was an essential part of my well-being, and at the end of the day, I was/am making it in order to survive. Surely I am not alone in having such a feeling or late/repeat epiphany, and so I release an album for those who connect. A poem accompanies the album:

"Investigating
adrift outer fringes
off beaten track
record & reel
too real
hand without a map
developing
inner & outer
peace
navigating
to & from
peace
meditating
high above & far beyond
peace
making
or trying to make
peace
exploring
7 pieces
total spontaneous
ley lines leading life
indeterminately
in any direction & in order
to be open
to all
uncertainties & everything just
to survive."

It started to get warmer out and although I was still finding myself in mostly muddy territories of every day, o holy Toronto beaches of Lake Ontario revealed themselves to me for the season and welcomed me with open arms. I alternated between reading and swimming, reading and swimming, etc., and things started to not seem so bad. You might even consider me lucky. I am lucky, though at the time it was still a lot of ups and downs, and surely certain friends were tired of hearing about it, while a few others could relate. We need each other!

'ANOTHER DAY', a poem/song from And The Spontaneous Splash Pad Poetry Of Applied Linguistics And Living (my first self-published collection of recorded poetry slash super illegal album of uncleared samples I collaged together from a bunch of my favourite songs) is a straight mobile text message response to a good friend who was just checking in. Sent in May, recorded in June or July. I guess it has to do with the still fresh and lingering wound of losing my job and being 'a little lost'. You can tell from the very first words that I'm still in a sort of denial at the time of writing, but also beginning to unravel all the various layers of what exactly it means to be 'working'. You might even notice a certain quality to my voice on this album that sounds like the voice of a person forcing themselves to make a musical voice memo of what the heck is going on. Anyway, here is 'ANOTHER DAY':

"I am working - today is another day where I don't I know what my job description is, yet I continue to exert myself so as not to unwork. I blend frozen fruit as loudly as I can, electrically.

I also look for opportunities to make eye contact with fellow heat seekers on the masked sidewalk. We miss each other while missing each other. I read books."

In a similarly diaristic fashion, 'BALCONY BLUES' is also a record of what was just an average day for me at that point in time, with no sugar-coating or cinnamon glaze to be added. The part about 'this music' refers to whatever was on my stereo at the time, but also the sounds I was making myself, and could be uttered with the same kind of emphasis we used when we say things like 'oh my gosh, this cake is delicious!' like it's a one-of-a-kind thing (cake), just about music as a wondrous thing that I can't possibly fathom. This music! What is this thing? You know what I mean? It goes like this:

'It is or is not raining - the humid evidence drips - the water slides down the building eavesdrop to the soil below - I wonder if this is 1 way to grow - maybe this music is what you are - after today.'

I also wrote and sort of chanted a reminder to keep 'TRYING'. I would've liked to have different voices join in on the echos and refrains, but it's just a couple layers of my own voice, maybe like someone who is wanting to help themselves but also a little out of control. This is truly deep-end microphonic therapy to a buzzed out loop of a famous Toronto rock band riff.

'Trying!
Mood swings
Forward high
Middle low
Backward high
Don’t let go!'

Okay, let's fast-forward a little bit more. In the spirit of trying, in October I released maybe my most ambitious album to date, Imagination Fever. This was actually months/years in the making, but other sounds that were coming to the surface (like the ones above) kept feeling more immediately prevalent. Heavy on the keyboards and drum-machines, and mostly on the 'upbeat' side of things, the premise of 'Imagination Fever' is simple. If you've read this far then you'll know that it was the very obvious next creative offering to be. It beings with a lengthy declaration, stealthily disguised as a poem:

"I TRIED
TO IMAGINE
A LIFE REPLETE

WITH LOVE
AND
ALL MUSICALLY NEAT

I TRIED
TO LIVE INSIDE
A DREAM WITHOUT
AN END

I ALWAYS TRY
TO HAVE THAT
DREAM AGAIN

IMAGINATION FEVER
OH I NEED YOU NOW
CREATIVE HIGHS
AN ARTIST’S DREAM
EVERY COLOUR REALIZED

OH WHAT BEAUTY
MAGIC SORCERY
WILD TRIATHLON
LOVE, ART, MUSIC
ALL IN FULL BLOOM
PARADE THE STREETS
REJOICE!

OH WHAT A FEELING
COMING DOWN
WITH ONE

IMAGINATION FEVER
NEVER COMING UNDONE

IMAGINATION FEVER
PLEASE NEVER COME UNDONE

IMAGINATION FEVER
NEVER-ENDING ONE

IMAGINATION FEVER
HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN."

Love, art, music, all in full bloom. This album is my 'love letter' to imagination. It might sound like what I feel like at my most far-out periods of imaginative thought, or perhaps the melodies and rhythms reflect the continuous movement of this life. I've learned that movement is everything, especially when we feel stuck or don't know what that next 'move' is. That being said, maybe the album acts as more of a sonic prayer to art, or a call to creative arms. The introductory poem itself could easily be seen as being overly romantic, but the over-the-top or extravagant tone that suggests this interpretation (or criticism) is only there to express these feelings of unabashed hope, desire, gratitude, longing (etc. etc. etc.!) towards all things art. Despite there being a climactic title track in the middle of the album that aims to sum up all the things that these words can't convey (hence a return to instrumental album), perhaps the song 'Me & Art' is the definitive sonic feeling that I relate to most after all is said and done.

So, in a nutshell, that's more or less what I've been up to since March. I continue to work on new music, new art, new ways of being a better person, and taking care of the other.

Have you found any new ways to do old things? How are you feeling about the shifts in how music is being made/shared/listened to?

New ways to do old things...well, I guess you're already aware that I moved into a new space downtown a couple months ago, with a lovely energy to share the days with, so I've been doing pretty much all of the old things in what feels like mostly new ways. I often hear the sounds of humming to the music that's playing (or not playing), which is something my senses are still adapting to and making room for. If music is indeed best enjoyed together, then let it be enjoyed in such a way...

As far as shifts in how music is being made/shared/listened to...I don't really know. I love John Cage with a healthy portion of my heart, but I will also say that I hope people are finding more value in recorded music these days, not just to experience in the absence of going out to live concerts, but also as a means of keeping a record of life and learning more about the people around us. I really believe we can get to know a person in a surprisingly meaningful way through experiencing their art, no matter how abstract it might appear to be (i.e. sometimes how we do something says more about us than what we do). Or there's just a certain feeling, you know?

Let's talk more about this later.

Any works of art that have been a light for you in these times? Anything that's just been a good diversion?

Haven't I already said too much? We'll talk about this another time, I'm sure.

How are you feeling about 2021?

Ultimately, I'm an optimist. How can you not feel like any new year brings about new spirits? This whole spontaneous occasion of bumping into you has been me talking about new ways of living, being with each other, exploring, listening, creating, etc etc etc. Going into 2021, I've been reflecting a lot on the meaning of 'Today Versions', and dedicating myself further to love, creative action, and persistent art. I'm also really looking forward to having deeper and more intimate conversations about music and art with other people in the community, including creative peers I might not be so close with. If you've read this far, you'll have realized how much more interesting it would be if you were able to share how you feel or relate (or not) about some of the things I've said, and actually, if you do, feel free to 'bump into' me too. There's several chats I had with artists (mostly on the phone or at the park) at various points throughout this year that I really wish I had recorded. Something about the way we worked out our ideas together, the ways we've been adapting/adjusting/navigating through the days, etc., that seemed to bring out a certain 'inner fire' or soulful movement that was always contagious and inspiring. This kind of thing might require us to be together in some way though, so...yeah, what was I saying? I hope for more of this and I just think that when we do get back together, we'll really be together, you know?

Anything else we'd chat about if we bumped into each other?

Probably something related to Yo La Tengo... or just a silent headnod and a smile to acknowledge the great fact that we're sharing the same space : ] . Thanks so much for keeping Mechanical Forest Sound alive and well, and thank you for listening.

Bumping into... Jay Anderson

Bumping Into... is a series of mini-chats with a variety of peeps that you might run into in some of our local music communities. (There's a bit of an intro and my thoughts behind the series here.)


How are you? Where are you?

Doing pretty good all things considering. I’m in Toronto.

What have you been up to since March or so?

I’ve been keeping busy. I’ve had a lot of music come out which has been really nice. New projects, old projects. Some stuff I knew that would be out and some stuff that I didn’t think would come out. I was able to start some new collaboration and continue on some other ones that should see the light of day next year. Practicing more than ever. Keeping in contact with people I care about. Enjoying what I have and not taking anything for granted.

Have you found any new ways to do old things? How are you feeling about the shifts in how music is being made/shared/listened to?

I’ll be honest; I haven’t really missed playing live all too much. I miss the interaction with other musicians and the rush of creating something with others. Learning that you can still make music and not perform live has been something that I’m embracing fully. It seems that people are taking the time to listen to music a bit more intently. Without the live experience, you’re forced to take more time with the recording. Don’t get me wrong, I love playing shows, but after nearly 20 years of doing it consistently, the forced break has been welcomed.

Any works of art that have been a light for you in these times? Anything that's just been a good diversion?

Listening to as much music as possible. It’s as important to me as practicing and writing with others. Going down YouTube live music performance rabbit holes is always fun. Watching movies makes me happy as well. The well is never dry. Keep me hydrated!

How are you feeling about 2021?

I wish this city would give a shit about margilized people that this pandemic is really affecting. I’d feel better about 2021 knowing that those who have the power to do so properly look after them. Everything else seems a little less important in the grand scheme of things.

Anything else we'd chat about if we bumped into each other?

I’d say “Joe! How you been?” You keeping well? What have you been up to since March or so? Have you found any new ways to do old things? How are you feeling about the shifts in how music is being made/shared/listened to? Any works of art that have been a light for you in these times? Anything that's just been a good diversion? How are you feeling about 2021? I’ve missed you!”

Monday, December 28, 2020

Bumping into... Jesse James Laderoute

Bumping Into... is a series of mini-chats with a variety of peeps that you might run into in some of our local music communities. (There's a bit of an intro and my thoughts behind the series here.)


How are you? Where are you?

I'm doing well enough. Any day above ground, am I right? I am living in brockton/little portugal throughout the pandemic. It's a real treat!

What have you been up to since March or so?

Walking, talking, cooking food, buying cooking implements with government money (it's our money anyway and anyone telling you otherwise can fuck off) and working on various records i've been kicking around my head for the past few years to varying degrees of success. I've become a much better mixing engineer with all of my free time.

Have you found any new ways to do old things? How are you feeling about the shifts in how music is being made/shared/listened to?

I built a guitar! I was already doing most of my mixing at home "in the box" as they say so not much has changed in that regard. I have found the time to get really focused on really small details that no one will notice but me, but I have a sneaking suspicion that those details affect people's listening experience whether they're conscious of them or not.

Any works of art that have been a light for you in these times? Anything that's just been a good diversion?

I binge watched the clone wars and realized that it makes most other star wars properties look like complete shit in comparison. I say this in all honesty, as a lifelong trek person. It was actually fun to watch!

I'm always trying to stay on top of the endless stream of new brutal metal albums. This one by Akhlys really sounds of the moment to my ears.

And i'm always going back to Bach, baby. And Blaze Foley.

How are you feeling about 2021?

Any day above ground, mate.

Anything else we'd chat about if we bumped into each other?

On the lighter side, probably gear. Like the volume pedal I bought to make sounds for stoners with. I'd ask you about which new devices you've incorporated into your setup. Talking about gear can still be fun as long as the person you're doing it with actually gives a shit about it. Check for eye contact, if it isn't there, change the subject.

If we chose to get into politics we might talk about how John Tory sucks as a mayor, how his homeless policy is both bankrupt of compassion and ideas. How his lack of action will most certainly kill people while he continues to make appearances meant to give the impression that he is helping even in the slightest.

We might also talk about how Doug Ford's efforts to "protect small businesses" seems to mean forcing them to close so big box stores can stay open without competition, leading to increased traffic in fewer places, thereby exposing the most vulnerable people, the ones usually forced to work for these larger businesses for low wages, to the virus disproportionately.

So yeah, how those guys are terrible might come up.

Bumping into... Luca Capone (a.k.a. Slamdunk Samson)

Bumping Into... is a series of mini-chats with a variety of peeps that you might run into in some of our local music communities. (There's a bit of an intro and my thoughts behind the series here.)


How are you? Where are you?

I am bundled in bed after waking up an hour ago (It is 12:00pm on a Saturday as I write this) after a much-needed sleep in.

What have you been up to since March or so?

Well, after deciding to end The Night Shift in December 2018, I realized as each month went by, how much I needed it in my life. I don't deal with change in the best of times, but this was like going without water or tomato sauce; Community radio was an essential ingredient in the fabric of my being. And so, with the world floundering in a state of confusion and fear in the spring of 2020, enough was enough. I started it up again with the temporary internet station Nowhere FM (anchored by Haligonian radio royalty, Trevor Murphy), before being welcomed back with open arms by CJRU 1280AM, and in just a couple months, I also found a home on the grid of the beautiful CJUM 101.5FM in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Community radio is all love.

Have you found any new ways to do old things? How are you feeling about the shifts in how music is being made/shared/listened to?

CJRU 1280AM has a way of doing radio live via the interweb, but I've been pre-recording and mixing and mashing everything up on Audacity. It's more work, and it lacks the fire of live radio but I love noodling with Audacity in general, especially when it comes to experimenting with beats and soundscapes, so it's been fun in that respect.

Generally, I think most music-streaming platforms like Spotify have no soul, character, and don't give a shit about the musicians, so I refuse to take part.

Just praying that shows become a solid, living breathing thing for musicians again sometime in the back half of the new year (Being realistic at this point).

Any works of art that have been a light for you in these times? Anything that's just been a good diversion?

Perfect timing, as I just released my Favourite 30 Albums of 2020 mix!!!

How are you feeling about 2021?

Hoping and praying that things start to steer in the right direction for everyone, especially folks who have really been kicked to the curb. Really looking forward to giving people the biggest hugs.

Anything else we'd chat about if we bumped into each other?

Damn, I would just want to give you a big fucking hug, you silly son of a gun! Hmm I'd probably ask you what you last ate, which is what I usually do, then ask you how your famjam is doing, and generally, would look forward to the next time we can drive down Marlee, as I ask more and more questions about interesting convenience stores and buildings, as we take flight south into the city to go play a show.

Sunday, December 27, 2020

Bumping into... Leslie Predy

Bumping Into... is a series of mini-chats with a variety of peeps that you might run into in some of our local music communities. (There's a bit of an intro and my thoughts behind the series here.)


How are you? Where are you?

I'm doing ok, I'm in Toronto (east end)

What have you been up to since March or so?

I have to think...it feels like March was years ago, but also yesterday. I haven't done much creatively, I haven't had the motivation. My job got really busy with the pandemic, and I've been trying to spend more time actively outdoors (walking, biking, etc.). I have also been eating a lot of cheese

Have you found any new ways to do old things? How are you feeling about the shifts in how music is being made/shared/listened to?

I have't been able to get into the experience of watching a musical performance online--it doesn't feel the same. Personally, I've also always made music that was meant to be performed live so I haven't been making new music. I have found myself buying and listening to more digital records/albums this year (I loved New Fries' Is The Idea Of Us and the Brigitte Bardon't album made on a Barbie keyboard). Bandcamp Fridays are great! I hope we'll see more equitable platforms for musicians to share music.

Any works of art that have been a light for you in these times? Anything that's just been a good diversion?

I've been watching more films, both old classics and new. Sound of Metal is one of my favourites from this year, and I love weird horror movies (like Death Spa).

How are you feeling about 2021?

I'm trying to keep my expectations low, but I'm optimistic.

Anything else we'd chat about if we bumped into each other?

I'd probably ask you what you've been listening to and how you've been dealing with the crazy times. You've been a huge supporter of live music so I'd probably ask you what you thought of the current situation.

Bumping into... Patrick O'Reilly

Bumping Into... is a series of mini-chats with a variety of peeps that you might run into in some of our local music communities. (There's a bit of an intro and my thoughts behind the series here.)


How are you? Where are you?

I'm feeling good! I'm in a little place with my little cat Navy.

What have you been up to since March or so?

It's been a wild ride. At first being totally alone with no obligations was very surreal and possibly a much needed break. It felt different and exciting to have so much time to compose, practice, take photos, and go on long walks. Eventually I realized I didn't need to be on my computer as much as I had before. No rehearsals/gigs to schedule, no coffee dates with friends to plan. So I moved away from that and slowly started leaving the city all together for stretches to stay with other friends who had also been isolating and make music together.

This all culminated in a drive across Canada in August with my dear friend & collaborator Meghan Gilhespy. The whole trip was a highlight of my life. We made our way to Vancouver where we split ways and I hopped on the ferry to Victoria to visit recent Toronto expat bassist/composer Phill Albert. We recorded an acoustic duo album I'm hoping will be released summer 2021.

When I got back to Toronto things had changed and it felt safe to do socially distanced gigs outside. I started playing frequent porch concerts with WAPAMA. A trio with my friends Max Senitt and Waleed Abdulhamid. We jammed and recorded in Max's backyard too, and then started playing a weekly residency outside in Kensington Market at the Oud & the Fuzz. Man it felt good to play again!

Now with things being what they are, the weather getting colder, and the days shorter, I'm hunkering down for the winter and mostly just recording.

Have you found any new ways to do old things? How are you feeling about the shifts in how music is being made/shared/listened to?

Practicing has changed a lot! So much of my time has always been spent preparing for gigs. I love this process, but the change has resulted in the ability to have more consistency day to day. For the time being I am still enjoying this consistency.

I'm not sure if it's the result of lockdown or just that I have more time to research things, but I feel like there has been so much amazing music released this year. Though admittedly I haven't been watching many livestreams.

Any works of art that have been a light for you in these times? Anything that's just been a good diversion?

So much music! I'll keep it to two:

  • Meara O'Reilly's Hockets for Two Voices has been on a pretty constant rotation since March:
  • and this week I've been getting into Richard Devine's new Acid inspired EP Systik:

How are you feeling about 2021?

I am hopeful. There is a lot to look forward to, and I would like to use the solitary winter months ahead to prepare for that so I can be ready for when the time is right.

I miss our friends and I every day I dream of the day that we can all hug each other and sit at a table chatting at the Tranzac until closing time.

Anything else we'd chat about if we bumped into each other?

Pedals...we would talk about pedals :)

Saturday, December 26, 2020

Bumping into... Nick Fraser

Bumping Into... is a series of mini-chats with a variety of peeps that you might run into in some of our local music communities. (There's a bit of an intro and my thoughts behind the series here.)


How are you? Where are you?

I'm ok, which is about as good as it gets these days...? I'm in Toronto. In the summer, I got to spend a bit of time out of town (Gatineau, Montreal, Neustadt), but not too much.

What have you been up to since March or so?

Mostly staying at home and practicing. Listening. Cooking. I've done a few musical things, like play with Rob Clutton and Karen Ng in a park in Hamilton for Cem Zafir's series. Recording at Doug Tielli's place in Neustadt with Doug and Heather Saumer. Working on some upcoming recordings that were recorded pre-pandemic, like a new quartet album (with Rob, Andrew Downing and Tony Malaby) plus a duo thing with John Farah.

Have you found any new ways to do old things? How are you feeling about the shifts in how music is being made/shared/listened to?

Streaming concerts/online events are not great. I've done a little bit of teaching and collaborating online, and it's ok, but nothing that compares to real-time playing in the same space. I've been doing a bit of duo playing in my house which reminds me of that.

Any works of art that have been a light for you in these times? Anything that's just been a good diversion?

I've been listening to a lot of Fela Kuti the last few days. Also inspired by Tony Malaby's things that he's recorded under the New Jersey turnpike. I'm not sure if it's "art", but Alan Dawson's Rudimental Ritual has been a fun daily project. Brodie West and Evan Cartwright's Ways record is unreal. I enjoyed the British cop show Line of Duty. I read a good book called Jazz Cultures by David Ake.

How are you feeling about 2021?

Well, there's a lot of uncertainty, but I hope to start playing outdoor concerts as soon as it's feasible this year. I didn't get it happening until later on in the summer this past year and it was really what I needed. I do hope that lockdown measures are eased a bit and that the Tranzac, the Rex and the Emmet Ray can all re-open and keep presenting bands. And that small festivals can happen?

Anything else we'd chat about if we bumped into each other?

How are YOU, Joe? I might even ask you all of these same questions! (Probably not in sequence. Probably, we'd actually have a conversation. Even though I've mostly forgotten how to do that.)

Bumping into... Matthew Fava

Bumping Into... is a series of mini-chats with a variety of peeps that you might run into in some of our local music communities. (There's a bit of an intro and my thoughts behind the series here.)


How are you? Where are you?

I am managing. I am at home in Toronto’s east end. The physical home varied in a way this year, but I am really thankful to have several friends who have shared space with me at different times thus preventing an apartment search. The two transitions, and three roommate configurations, offered a different filter for my experience of ‘isolation’. It also offered three opportunities to get feedback on my baking—the pie crust is improving every time.

My co-parent is working from home. I am working from home, and my employment and income were sustained through 2020. My daughter is in online schooling with the TDSB and she is more and more comfortable with the daily routine. Parenting has been an evolving challenge and a profound gift. The big emotions that were on display in the early months of the pandemic (feeling isolated from friends and community, being caught up in fear, anger) are still there at times but my daughter and I are finding increasingly gentle ways of settling into, sharing, and talking about them.

I often lose sense of the day, but I am making time for rest, nourishment, and social connections that help to keep me restored, inspired, and motivated… and sometimes I am also baking sugar cookies at three in the morning while episodes of Star Trek are booming in the background.

What have you been up to since March or so?

There are various programs that I support through the Canadian Music Centre. My work keeps me connected to a number of artists and arts organizations. I have been able to contribute in some small way to artistic mentorships, performances, career development, and inter-generational exchange among community members in Toronto and elsewhere.

I have spent the year reading and re-reading Dylan Robinson’s Hungry Listening—among other things, the book offers an impressive analysis of listening positionalities. Dylan questions and defies the assumed objectivity of musicological analysis, and asks that readers consider epistemic distinctions of settler and Indigenous understandings of music. Hungry Listening is one of the most consequential offering in the field of sound studies I have encountered. It has been a joy to take part in two book clubs dedicated to reading and discussing Hungry Listening.

I have also been rewatching Avatar The Last Airbender on loop and drawing stills from the show in my sketch book. My daughter has orchestrated a few art projects that recur over time—squishy makeovers, POSCA paint marker decorating, melty bead figures, water colour and drawing challenges, and so on.

Have you found any new ways to do old things? How are you feeling about the shifts in how music is being made/shared/listened to?

New ways. I did take part in the Exit Points series in November (and really appreciated Michael Palumbo's thoughtful facilitation of the experience). For all of the livestreams I have produced from the CMC in Toronto, Exit Points was my first contribution as a performer in a livestream. It was also my first experience improvising telematically, and while the listening was more elusive (I often benefit from visual cues and extra musical exchanges in performance) I was delighted by the outcome. I got to dabble with my harmonica during one of the closing sets which was especially fun.

Back in the spring I worked with my friend Pouya on a short guide to audio production and livestreaming—I got the sense that it was helpful for a number of people, which is great! We included a comment about continually updating the guide to reflect questions we receive, and new developments in streaming software and hardware. That comment seems completely silly now, as there are countless approaches and tutorials for artists to consider. My hope is that artists feel empowered to advocate for themselves, that presenters are compensating artists fairly, and that artists receive additional financial and technical support when they are required to handle audio and video production (and sometimes even online audience engagement!) as well as performing.

The new obsession I have is working with TouchDesigner software. My friend Jason casually mentioned TouchDesigner to me over the summer. When I had some time off in the fall I spent hours each day completing online tutorials and replicating projects that folks shared online—there is an astonishing community of artists demonstrating their techniques! I am learning some basic steps to drive audio-reactive (or more general interactive) animations, and this new skill is serving as the impetus for a renewed individual recording practice. TouchDesigner is developed by Derivative, and the non-commercial version is free to download.

I don’t have the most informed perspective on wider habits for making, sharing, and listening to music, but I am encouraged by the number of people who have supported artists through Bandcamp during the pandemic. There are a few sound artists in my network who are drifting into other mediums and/or adopting community-engaged methods for co-creation and reproducing pieces online. My friend Ilana just circulated a call for recordings, images, and graphic scores inspired by letters and postcards. This has motivated me to collaborate with my mum on transcribing, translating, and recording a message that her grandmother, Maria, wrote to her on a postcard from Italy when I was born. My mum was shocked when I sent her a picture of the postcard—she had no idea that I had been carrying the postcard with me all of these years. The postcard might represent the only writing sample we have from my great grandmother, so this rare opportunity of contributing to a sound project in collaboration with my mum is evolving into a family history project. I have Ilana to thank for that.

Any works of art that have been a light for you in these times? Anything that's just been a good diversion?

I got a new prescription a year ago, bought some new glasses, and this has made it possible for me to comfortably read my paperback copy of Samuel Delany’s Stars In My Pocket Like Grains of Sand. Published in 1984, I picked up my copy from a used book store nearly a decade ago. The writing in Stars is signature Delany in its intricate lyricism. World- and universe-building are striking, from the inter-species and gender dynamics encoded across cultural/linguistic practices on the fictional planet Velm, to Delany’s reimagining of dragon “hunting”. Most magnificent is the love, passionate and vulnerable, between Rat Korga and Marq Dyeth, which culminates in a superbly crafted epilogue that as a unit of writing unto itself was a highlight of the year for me.

More immediate to my own work, I was part of the technical production team for the Freesound concert in October featuring works by Jason Doell and Anna Höstman, performed by Aysel Taghi-Zada, Wesley Shen, and Anthony Thompson, and organized by Paolo Griffin. The three days we worked together at the CMC were wonderful, and served as a beacon in the midst of an impossible year, the sounds stretching out like soft tendrils backward and forward in time to affirm all that we had done, and to secure a hopefulness for all we will do.

I should also mention how much I enjoyed reading Namwali Serpell’s The Old Drift, and learning about the work of painter Mohamed Melehi (my knowledge of visual artists is inadequate, and I only learned about Melehi after he passed away in October).

I took part in a CSA program with Wheelbarrow farm. I don’t think it is too much of a stretch to say that the biweekly farm boxes we received were beautiful, and fulfilling in a variety of ways: dandelion greens, hakurei, kohlrabi, napa, purple mizuna, tatsoi, watermelon radish, and more. My friend Jacqueline shared several recipes for rhubarb to start the season.

My daughter and I got through the first couple of months of the pandemic with the help of Flamingo Rampant, and their radical approach to storytelling, illustration, and literature for kids—we also took part in their daily drawing prompts which is why my sketch pad includes a drawing of rigatoni noodles on the run.

How are you feeling about 2021?

I think I am going to be skating outdoors a lot to start off the year. I need to make time to talk with my dad. I can’t wait to meet my friend Rick’s baby. I can’t wait to hug my grandmother and grandfather and tell them I love them. It is overwhelming.

Anything else we'd chat about if we bumped into each other?

I would go into more detail about pies, how I finally made pumpkin pie from scratch, and how after making pumpkin pie from scratch I proceeded to make another pumpkin pie from scratch. I would ask what new and delightful gadget you are planning to unleash in your electronics set up. I would ask when you were available to join me for lunch at Ethiopian House, my treat.

Thursday, December 24, 2020

Bumping into... Mike Duffield

Bumping Into... is a series of mini-chats with a variety of peeps that you might run into in some of our local music communities. (There's a bit of an intro and my thoughts behind the series here.)


How are you? Where are you?

Overall, I'm doing fine. I'm still in Toronto, I've got a warm place to live, a supportive wife, eating well and have somehow fallen into enough work to squeeze by, which is amazing considering I lost all of my income once the pandemic started.

What have you been up to since March or so?

Musically, I've really spent a lot of time working on my craft. I put so much time and energy into the people I work with's ideas that I often don't nurture and develop my own. I've been trying to make a daily practice of trying to break through the physical and mental ceilings that have been nagging me since college and generally being able to be better at self-actualizing. Once I know what the hell I'm doing I'm going to write a drum exercise book from this experience.

I've also been saving up and strategizing how to release the new Beams album, which will be out in the spring. We worked with a dream team of people on the project and I can't wait for people to hear it. We were really struggling on how to release since we're essentially a live band and generally it's hard to contextualize us via internet. So right now in conjunction with the album, we're co-producing a concert film that's a celebration of physical spaces in Toronto (all covid precautions in place, of course) that's turning in to a real wild ride. We also have almost written an entirely new album that we hope to record once it's safe to do so.

Currently, Ben Oginz, Alex Gamble and I are in the last days of completing the Experts record. What was meant to be a well-recorded improv/cosmic rock album we started working on the day of the solar eclipse in 2017 has turned out the be a whole other beast. We've spent the last three years editing down over three hours of music into a 40 min record and have had people like Colin Fisher, Jesse Laderoute, John McEntire, Anh Phung and Neil Rankin make contributions. Also really excited for people to hear it because it has been one of my favourite things I've ever worked on and it's really opened up new worlds of creation.

Other than that, I've been trying to finish up turning our rehearsal space into a recording space and have been tracking drums for a variety of projects and just trying to create a comfortable workspace. It's something I've wanted to have my whole adult life and it's been a goal since we moved there in 2013. Just really happy I have the luxury of time to finally make it happen.

Have you found any new ways to do old things? How are you feeling about the shifts in how music is being made/shared/listened to?

I'm going back through old notes, exercises and approaches with the wisdom of age and realizing that I've been given all the information and instruction I could ever need. I just didn't really have the life experience upon the initial instruction to really grasp the full depth of everything. It's both humbling and inspiring and has kept me really thirsty and excited to basically spend time in states where I feel uncomfortable and inept.

I really miss experiencing art in physical spaces and the all the social stuff around it. There's no real replacement for that aspect. I really feed off other people's energies and it's beyond weird to just have all of that unavailable. That said, there have been a bunch thoroughly enjoyable livestreams I've watched. I've been able to catch all the stuff from artists in different cities that would normally be unable to experience and it's really nice. It's nice to see how all of these different communities are coping and finding ways to persevere.

Also, I've had a driving job which gives me a lot of time to listen and explore. For the first time algorithms have been my biggest source of discovery and it's really connected me back to being fourteen and being filled with glee of discovering new music.

Any works of art that have been a light for you in these times? Anything that's just been a good diversion?

Music:

  • Hen Ogledd - Free Humans
  • Richard Dawson - 2020
  • Black Country, New Road - Science Fair
  • Laurie Spiegel - Drums

TV/Movies:

  • How to With John Wilson
  • Lusty Crest (by Kate Skelton)
  • The Last Black Man in San Francisco
  • Mandy
  • The Midnight Gospel

One of my favourite venues in Chicago, The Hideout has a variety show series called Cosmic Country. A bunch of the musicians and comedians who perform there have brought it online and it is absolutely fantastic. I hope they keep making them.

In research for the book I'm working on I found someone's master's thesis on my old teacher/mentor Jim Blackley's pedagogical approach. He kept bringing up that he made students read Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel, but certainly not me. So I got it from the library and it was super illuminating and has led to the path I'm currently on.

I also read Are We Still Rolling? By legendary recording engineer Phil Brown and now I just want to record music every day.

How are you feeling about 2021?

To be honest, I don't know and I'm not going to make any predictions. Either way, just going to improvise and try to exist as I'd like no matter what the world throws at me and hopefully do more good than harm.

Anything else we'd chat about if we bumped into each other?

I'd probably ask you what you were excited about so I could check it out. I definitely feel you have your ears closer to the ground locally than I do.