Recording: Martin-Gray/Roblin/Ford

Artist: Mira Martin-Gray/Diane Roblin/Justin Huang Ford

Song: [edited excerpt]

Recorded at Array Space (Track Could Bend #37), April 3, 2018.

Mira Martin-Gray/Diane Roblin/Justin Huang Ford - [edited excerpt]

Continuing a series tradition, Track Could Bend marked its third anniversary by inviting back all of the previous year's performers for a celebration. That's enough of a crowd to warrant a larger stage, so for one rainy night, the action shifted over to Array Space. There ended up being sixteen players, all of whom put their names in a hat to be drawn to create spontaneous ensembles for a series of quick sets. Things got started with this atmospheric combination that saw Diane Roblin's piano provide some structure for the drift and squeal of electronics and feedback.

[TCB will be having a special extra-early show at The Baby G on Tuesday, June 5th, with sets from Barry Prophet, Nicole Rampersaud and Lisbon's Sal Grosso.]

Recording: NAVI

Artist: NAVI

Song: excerpt^*

Recorded at Belljar Café (Track Could Bend #35), February 6, 2018.

NAVI - [excerpt]

The last time I saw NAVI perform, they brought a rather substantial set-up to Handlebar's stage — so though while they still had a respectable heap of gear for this set, it was definitely scaled back. Matthew Romerein handled modular synth and other electronics while Justin Huang Ford had his own keybs and pedals — as well as some fuzzed-out bass to add some looming menace beneath the pair's entomological explorations.

[NAVI will be back at Handlebar on Sunday, May 6th. Track Could Bend will be off-site at Array Space for a special Third Anniversary celebration on Tuesday, April 3rd. The night will feature an all-star assortment of performers from the past year's TCB events playing in "bands from a hat" — ad hoc ensembles selected at random shortly before playing.]

^* I suspect that this discrete chunk of the pair's continuous semi-improvised suite contains the seed elements of a song that will have a title of its own.

Recording: NAVI

Artist: NAVI

Songs: Granular/Neptune's Descent^*

Recorded at Handlebar (Nite Comfort 46), July 2, 2017.

NAVI - Granular/Neptune's Descent

The project brought one of the more elaborate stage setups that I've ever seen at Nite Comfort, with various musical workstations surrounded by the some oversized glowing beacon lights. Performing mostly as a duo, Justin Huang Ford (keyb, guit) and Matthew Romerein (synth, electronics) were joined for part of the set by Patricia Joong. Creating enveloping atmospheres, the set moved from science lab wubble-wobble to post-apocalyptic spaghetti western sounds — live, the echo-y twang was more front and centre than on their recent EP.

[Nite Comfort returns to Handlebar on Sunday, August 6th, with sets from Hybrid Frequency and Stargoon.]

^* Thanks to Justin for passing along the titles to these!