Recording: Giui

Artist: Giui

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Yonge-Dundas Square (Intersection – Day 2), September 2, 2023.

Giui - [excerpt]

That particular Labour Day tradition returned once more this year — the Intersection Festival filling up the concrete plains of Yonge-Dundas Square with creative and adventurous music. As with last year's return from the pandemic pause, this was more stripped-back than in the "old days", with all of the music constrained to the big stage, which itself was a bit more cut off from the square by metal barricades. The square as a whole felt a little less, ah, pulsating than in the past — while there's still all sorts of random passers-by and carryings-on, the space felt a little more restrained overall. But on a mostly-beautiful day for standing around outside (with just one minor cloudburst to take the edge off the heat) the programming was mostly on-point, distracting a few people, chasing some away, and calling in a few in to take in the sounds.

Although theoretically a new group making its debut, this trio — of Kurt Newman (guitar, effects), Andrew Furlong (double bass) and Mark Zurawinski (drumkit) — was composed of musicans who have played together frequently in varying combinations. This outing saw them exploring clonks, skronks and screaming microloops — rather good fun!