Monday Roundup #201

Community notes:

• Like many folks, I've found it weird to navigate the contradictions of participating on twitter for the past while. So with a new consensus forming around Bluesky, I'm going to try posting updates there instead. You can find me as @mfs-toronto.bsky.social. (And remember, of course: for an algorithm-free experience, this aged platform does offer you an RSS feed!)

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Video hits:

• Luka Kuplowsky and The Ryōkan Band's album release show is now preserved as the concert film "An Evening at the Tranzac" available on youtube. Beautuful stuff, go and fill your heart!

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Concert announcements:

Exit Points 55 (feat. Zoma/Sarah Peebles/halfdecentheart/Jaeyoung Chong/Andrew Finlay Stewart/Kimute/WEI EN/Zoë Ëoz/kat estacio/Jonathan Huard/Michael Palumbo) / Array Space 2024-11-29 (Friday). $17.52 (early bird)/$22.89 (advance)/$28.27 (general). [FB event]

Burn Down The Capital presents (feat. V. Vecker / Death Kneel / Cetacea / Aida Khorsandi) / Collective Arts 2024-11-30 (Saturday). $17.52. [FB event]

Cannon Album Release (feat. Dan Fortin/Michael Davidson/Thom Gill/Phil Melanson/Karen Ng/David Occhipinti / You Can Can [Felicity Williams & Andrew Zukerman]) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2024-12-01 (Sunday). $20. [FB event]

Track Could Bend #98 (feat. Dept. of Loss [Fan Wu / Phil Hamilton] / Pigeon Dance) / Wenona Lodge 2024-12-03 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

The Ocean Sleeps (Das Rad / Camo Kimono / Sabio) / Junction Underground 2024-12-06 (Friday). $10. [FB event]

Audiopollination (feat. Jake/Tomasz Krakowiak/Julie Lassonde / David Sait/James Bailey/Daniel Ramjattan / Adriana Monti/Gabe Girard/Nilan Perera / Brie Clarke/Jenna Geen/Adrian Russouw/Abby Silvera) / Array Space 2024-12-13 (Friday). $10 (cash or card). [FB event]

Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!

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Shows this week:

California Transformation [featuring works by Edgard Varèse, Juri Seo, Ivan Trevino, Michael Oesterle, Carlos Chávez, Lukas Ligeti] (feat. U of T Percussion Ensemble) / The Rex 2024-11-18 (Monday). $free. [FB event]

Dan Pitt Quintet [Naomi McCarroll-Butler/Patrick Smith/Dan Pitt/Alex Fournier/Nick Fraser] / The Rex 2024-11-18 (Monday). $20. [FB event]

Brittany Pitt's Reverie [Brittany Pitt/Dan Pitt/Tristan Schultz/Aaron Blewett] / The Rex 2024-11-19 (Tuesday – 5:30 p.m.). $10. [more info]

Music Hosted by Karen Ng (feat. Karen Ng & Allison Cameron [debuting a new piece by Stephen Parkinson] / Karen Ng & Ted Crosby / Philippe Melanson [solo]) / Wenona Lodge 2024-11-19 (Tuesday – 8:30 p.m.)

Andy Haas & Mike Milligan (Max Donaldson) / Sellers & Newel 2024-11-24 (Sunday). $20 minimum donation. [FB event]

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In the mix:

• New ambient mix! New age hits, classic 80's synth sounds (classic 70's too!), a Stargate and a Dragon Gate, some Doctor Who incidental music (not Gate-related!), possibly Ennio Morricone's cheesiest theme, and that one piece of hold music that kept haunting me. Tracks by: Constance Demby, Steve Hillage, Colin Currie Group & Synergy Vocals (playing Steve Reich), Suzanne Ciani, Emerald Web, Jonathan Gibbs, Anthéne & Simon Mccorry, Circa Alto, and DreamQuest.

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It happened this week...

• ...on November 19, 2017 at The Dupe Shop (Arachnidiscs Dual Release Show).

Stargoon - [excerpt]

• Recorded on November 22, 2017 at Array Space (Spirit Of The Inner Child: Spontaneous Group Explorations).

Del Stephen/Paul Newman/Jeff Sinibaldi/David Parker - [excerpt]

[Do remember that you can click on the tags below to go back and find the original posts (and often, more stuff) from these artists.]

Recording: Wenderly Park feat. members of Stargoon

Artist: Wenderly Park feat. members of Stargoon

Songs: [excerpt, in two parts]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), March 25, 2023.

Wenderly Park feat. members of Stargoon - [excerpt, part 1]

Wenderly Park feat. members of Stargoon - [excerpt, part 2]

What has two harmonica players, a lap steel, and isn't a country band? The answer is not Stargoon, but also not Wenderly Park — although this one-off recombination included members of both, oscillating between dense drones and something more chaotic.

You can also check out footage of the full set over on youtube:

Recording: Stargoon

Artist: Stargoon

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Array Space, February 13, 2020.

Stargoon - [excerpt]

Stargoon is always an experiment and work in progress, so no surprise here to see Matthew Fava finding out in real time how some violin sounds in the midst of the maelstrom. The mix is a bit janky here, but one can still appreciate Kayla Milmine's sax grooves over the always-percolatin' rhythm section of Luca Capone and Jakob Rehlinger.

Recording: Stargoon

Artist: Stargoon

Song: Part 4

Recorded at Array Space, September 20, 2019.

Stargoon - Part 4

With The Side Eye celebrating a new Arachnidiscs album, they reached out to some labelmates in putting together a release show. Easy enough then to get Stargoon on board, seeing saxophonist Kayla Milmine is a member of both units. This Stargoon outing had a few less squawks with feedbackist Matthew Fava taking the night off, so your dogged documenter attempted to add some wrinkly textures in processing the sax sounds and deploying a drum synth pedal. As always, it's the rhythm section of Luca Capone and Jakob Rehlinger that really keep things simmering.

You can check out/download this full set over at Stargoon's bandcamp:

Images montaged from a video shot by Fahmid Nibesh.

Recording: Stargoon

Artist: Stargoon

Songs: [edited excerpt, in two parts]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Ayal Senior presents), August 11, 2019.

Stargoon - [edited excerpt, part 1]

Stargoon - [edited excerpt, part 2]

Ayal Senior asked me to guest-curate his Sunday afternoon slot, so this was a chance for Stargoon to gather for a family-friendly afternoon set. Saxophonist Kayla Milmine was away for this one, leaving more room for electronic squawks and rumbles, and a lot of deft rhythm section interplay between bassist Jakob Rehlinger and drummer Luca Capone.

Recording: Stargoon

Artist: Stargoon

Songs: [two excerpts]

Recorded at The Painted Lady, July 14, 2019.

Stargoon - [excerpt 1]

Stargoon - [excerpt 2]

This outing saw a quartet formation of Stargoon with Matthew Fava sliding over to bass and further manipulation experiments on Kayla Milmine's soprano saxophone.

You can also see a clip from the end of this set over on aus!Funkt's youtube channel:

[Stargoon will be performing as part of The Side Eye's CD Launch celebration at Array Space on Friday, September 20th, alongside Mira Martin-Gray and Elizabeth Lima.]

[Still from aus!Funkt's video.]

Recording: Stargoon

Artist: Stargoon

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Monarch Tavern, June 26, 2019.

Stargoon - [excerpt]

Re-emerging after a couple seasons away from the stage, Stargoon brought not only a new tape but also return special guest performer Kayla Milmine, adding some soprano sax (dry and processed) to the proceedings.

You can also see a visual sample from this set over on Ayal Senior's youtube channel:

[Still from Ayal Senior's video.]

Recording: Stargoon

Artist: Stargoon

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Array Space (Invocation Presents), October 12, 2018.

Stargoon - [excerpt]

Opening up an Invocation night that would winnow down into feedback and folky explorations, Stargoon's first show at a sit-down venue saw some granulated melodica and additional disco grooves added to the kosmische rumbles.

[Invocation's presentation of the Thalia Zedek Band has now been merged with Wavelength's Holiday Music/Comedy Fundraiser at The Baby G on Wednesday, December 12th.]

[photos by Peter Gough.]

Recording: Stargoon

Artist: Stargoon

Song: [first section]

Recorded at The Garrison's front room, June 28, 2018.

Stargoon - [first section]

Bespoke feedback-crafter Matthew Fava had to sit this one out, so straight-horn theorist Kayla Milmine was drafted to add some soprano sax to this set. That gave a refreshing new twist to some older strategies, and a chance to explore dynamics in a different way than usual. This opening segment of the set shows how things things recombined enroute to achieving disco-kosmische escape velocity.

[No Stargoon-related escapades on the immediate horizon, but at always, Kayla Milmine will be all over the city making music. One noteworthy upcoming show is an appearance by Wow & Flutter (Kayla Milmine, Bea Labikova & Sarah Peebles) at the Music Gallery on Friday, September 21st, opening things up at the Brodie West Quintet's release celebration.]

Recording: Stargoon

Artist: Stargoon

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Duggan's Brewery, March 30, 2018.

Stargoon - [excerpt]

The Stargoon crew returned with feedback and mildly-melodic zworping to warm up the crowd in this Parkdale basement.

[Stargoon will also be warming up the crowd for The Mean and Aus!Funkt at The Piston on Thursday, May 31st.]

Recording: Stargoon

Artist: Stargoon

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at The Dupe Shop (Arachnidiscs Dual Release Show), November 19, 2017.

Stargoon - [excerpt]

What better place than The Dupe Shop to celebrate a couple new tapes emerging into the world? Launching the afternoon with a celebration of its first physical release, Stargoon was showing off the more expansive sound that has developed since its recording, with additional audio complications from Matthew Fava (SuperCollider and AUMI software plus manipulated human voice) joining mainstays Luca Capone (drums) and Joe Strutt (synth/pedals) and producer/permanent guest bassist Jakob Rehlinger. The recording here's a little over-saturated, but this seemed to cook nicely.

Photo by Andrika De Lanerolle.

Recording: Stargoon

Artist: Stargoon

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Somewhere Else, October 20, 2017.

Stargoon - [excerpt]

It was a pleasure to bring some Stargoon sounds to this informal living room show [full disclosure/caveat emptor: yours truly is a member of Stargoon] mixing a rock-solid rhythm section with treated sounds swirling from two separate directions. Oh, and also a cheap plastic Russian speak-and-spell spitting distorted phonemes in the background. Look for this as a future live document on the Stargoon bandcamp: in the meantime, our side of our new Arachnidiscs split tape is available for your perusal.

Photo by Andrika De Lanerolle.

Recording: Stargoon

Artist: Stargoon

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Handlebar (Nite Comfort 47), August 6, 2017.

Stargoon - [excerpt]

After a debut performance at one of Simcoe County's premiere hippie festivals, Stargoon returned to a more natural environment in the city. A quartet this time 'round, with drummer Luca Capone and synth/pedal troublemaker Joe Strutt joined by Moonwood's Jakob Rehlinger (producer of the band's forthcoming Arachnidiscs split tape) on bass as well as Matthew Fava on SuperCollider and AUMI software plus manipulated human voice. It felt satisfying up on stage, with a nice mix of simmering grooves and some more textured stretches. It even earned some scattered applause from the crowd. Further Stargoon adventures to follow, including the release of that aforementioned split tape with Moonwood.

You can check out the full recording of the set over on bandcamp:

[photo by Aaron Dawson.]

Recording: Stargoon

Artist: Stargoon

Song: Live at Bradstock [edited excerpt]

Recorded at Terry's Farm (Bradstock XXV – Night 1), Bradford, June 16, 2017.

Stargoon - Live at Bradstock [edited excerpt]

For the past twenty-five years, some genuine and proper hippies have been assembling out past Bradford at Terry's farm to rekindle some "peace and love and music" vibes, offering a weekend of free sounds and free camping. Terry had decided to cap off a good run at a nice, round number, creating a bittersweet vibe to this year's event. Among the saddened crowd reacting to that news was Luca Capone (drummer for Moonwood/host of CJRU's "The Night Shift"), one of Terry's former students who had played the festival several times previously. With none of his usual projects available, he turned to the next best thing and asked if I wanted to team up for the gig. And thus the origin story of Stargoon, an improvising krautrock band named after a paint colour created by a neural network. (We were joined here by James Gill on bass, who had played with Capone several times in the past at Bradstock.)

The festival turned out to be an interesting experience. A meadow hillside created a natural amphitheatre, and the stage was a gazebo behind a moat-like water feature. There was a succession of acts, offering folk songs, Grateful Dead-ish jams, and even a little garage rock. Back by the house, there was a pen with some goats and a mule. Through mysterious hippie decision-making processes, we ended up playing last on the festival's opening night, fighting off the swarms of mosquitoes attracted to the stage lights, as we cranked out a half-hour of sounds. Seemed to go over well enough with the folks on hand.

[I have been documenting Stargoon "live in the studio" with a pair of EP's over on bandcamp. Stargoon will be making their Toronto debut at Nite Comfort on Sunday, August 6th.]

[second photo by Luca Capone.]