Recording: Baby Labour

Artist: Baby Labour

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Music By & For Ken Aldcroft XXI), September 12, 2018.

Baby Labour - unknown

One of the more powerful strands of this series is seeing some of Ken Aldcroft's former students come back and share the inspiration and musical passion they learned alongside a bevy of technical skills. Dan Loughrin's guitar work in this math-y, instrumental Guelph based trio might not draw much from Aldcroft's style, but the mix of tightly-composed pieces played with joyful, spatter-y abandon was right on the mark.

[Baby Labour will be back in town for Feast In The East 71 (Saturday, November 3rd at Matt Durant Studio), celebrating Luge's new album alongside Retired and Deep Waters.]

^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!

Recording: Harrison Vetro & Friends

Artist: Harrison Vetro & Friends

Song: [sections 2 + 3]^*

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Music By & For Ken Aldcroft XXI), September 12, 2018.

Harrison Vetro & Friends - [sections 2 + 3]

The first half of this night of music for Ken Aldcroft brought some carefully-crafted sounds from drummer Harry Vetro alongside Kaelin Murphy (trumpet) and Dan Pitt (guitar). With some nice give-and-take all around, there were moments of quiet introspection pushing outward seamlessly into louder abstractions.

^* I'm not sure if these are a couple smaller pieces, or two parts of a larger suite. If you know that and/or the titles, please leave a comment!

Recording: Stadhouders/Lumley/Groven/Ng

Artist: Jasper Stadhouders/Aaron Lumley/Marielle Groven/Karen Ng with Brodie West

Songs: [excerpt from first piece] + [second piece]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), September 12, 2018.

Jasper Stadhouders/Aaron Lumley/Marielle Groven/Karen Ng - [excerpt from first piece]

Jasper Stadhouders/Aaron Lumley/Marielle Groven/Karen Ng/Brodie West - [second piece]

Getting the chance to occasionally wander further afield, our local players are part of a global network of creative musicians, sharing stages and finding places to doss down across the planet. This combo was a musical reunion for three cities' worth of musicians, mixing Amsterdam-based guitarist Jasper Stadhouders with Montréal players Aaron Lumley (double bass) and Marielle Groven (piano/violin) plus local host Karen Ng (clarinet). After some opening clumps and noisebursts, they were joined by "secret guest" Brodie West for the bulk of the set for explorations on partial clarinet, piano strings, feedback bursts and the like.

Recording: BREM

Artist: BREM

Song: Body and Soul [composer: Johnny Green]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), September 12, 2018.

BREM - Body and Soul

This group (which derives its name from the first initials of performers Brodie West, Reg Schwager, Evan Cartwright and Marilyn Lerner) takes a casual approach to playing standards — before the set began, Brodie West could be seen surveying the members for pieces that everyone knew enough to get together on. From there, it was a close-yr-eyes-and-take-flight sort of affair as the parallel explorations unfolded.

Recording: Saturn City

Artist: Saturn City

Song: Shepherd

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #42), September 4, 2018.

Saturn City - Shepherd

While I've been familiar with her work in Processor (and that excellent tape she made with Castle If's Jess Forrest) for a while now, I've been a huge fan of M. Joakim's Saturn City project since hearing the Korg Etudes set she put out early this year. I was bummed when I missed her performance of that material at Nite Comfort earlier this year, so what better way to make up for it than an invite to TCB? All expectations were exceeded when that lead to the release of a new EP of material inspired by Saturn's sixth largest moon, moving from ring reflections to an edge-of-the-solar-system dance party.

[Track Could Bend is back at Wenona on Tuesday, November 6th with performances from Araz Salek & Colin Fisher, Julie Reich and Alex Fournier & Tara Kannangara.]

Recording: Very Many

Artist: Very Many

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #42), September 4, 2018.

Very Many - unknown

It's always deeply satisfying to be able to present musical explorations from folks I know from other avenues. I was familiar with Andrew Finlay Stewart as an organizer at the Long Winter series as well as a visual artist, and I knew Georgia Webber as a storyteller and comics maker (her Dumb: Living without a Voice has just been published by Fantagraphics) — so I was intrigued when they suggested they might be prepared to make some sounds together in public.

Each playing an unamplified violin, their set was all about listening, and listening closely. This piece (presented as a rather underwhelming field recording, I must confess) used the geometry of the room to create a spacialized experience, with the performers starting at opposite ends of the room and then meeting each other in passing as their quiet musical gestures trailed along with them and ending up at the far end from where they begun. A second piece (too beautifully delicate to be recorded at all) pushed further into Pauline Oliveros territory with Webber asking the audience members to add their own quietly-humming voices to create a soft bed for their hushed musical string-scratches.

[Track Could Bend is back at Wenona on Tuesday, November 6th with performances from Araz Salek & Colin Fisher, Julie Reich and Alex Fournier & Tara Kannangara.]

^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!

Recording: Sarah Tracy

Artist: Sarah Tracy

Song: Anagnorisis [excerpt]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #42), September 4, 2018.

Sarah Tracy - Anagnorisis [excerpt]

This recent returnee — who has until recently been pursuing studies and creative avenues in Montréal — brought a multimedia performance piece that utilized manipulated voice alongside live-collaged images from an old-school overhead projector. With elements of ritual, mediatation and offering, this was a most satisfying way to open up the night.

[Sarah Tracy will be performing as part of "an evening of experimental puppetry" called Concrete Cabaret, taking place at The Burdock next Monday (October 22nd). Track Could Bend is back at Wenona on Tuesday, November 6th with performances from Araz Salek & Colin Fisher, Julie Reich and Alex Fournier & Tara Kannangara.]

Recording: Dame Cook

Artist: Dame Cook

Song: [first piece, in two parts]^*

Recorded at Handlebar (Nite Comfort 59), September 2, 2018.

Dame Cook - [first piece, part 1]

Dame Cook - [first piece, part 2]

A charming night out at Nite Comfort that offered, as they say, both kinds of music (that is to say, electronic and electroacoustic). Playing violin — at times held like a dowsing rod — Dame Cook entered into a mysterious forest for some explorations. American Standard Trio bandmate Danny Sheahan added support on laptop manipulations (as well as duet vox on a closing cover of Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up").

^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!

Recording: Carlo Conda

Artist: Carlo Conda

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at Handlebar (Nite Comfort 59), September 2, 2018.

Carlo Conda - unknown

A charming night out at Nite Comfort that offered, as they say, both kinds of music (that is to say, electronic and electroacoustic). Carlo Kinda offered the former with some spare and pleasingly hand-crafted synth studies that drifted between cuts like a sort of ambient mixtape.

^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!

Recording: The Cosmic Range

Artist: The Cosmic Range

Song: The Gratitude Principle

Recorded at Yonge-Dundas Square (Intersection Day 2), September 1, 2018.

The Cosmic Range - The Gratitude Principle

Another interesting day in Yonge-Dundas Square for Intersection, once again excellently curated by Burn Down the Capital's Tad Michalak. Mixing in some abrasive sounds with lots of accessible experimentation, there was a pleasing range of mostly-local talent spread out through the square, animated between sets by the whispersounds of Tina Pearson's installation piece. Capping things off was another bigglyup ensemble, breaking out something like a greatest-grooves set. Convener and head kowboy Doc Dunn was off to the side on organ, while a casual observer might have concluded that sax player Andy Haas — performing with joyful verve centre-stage — was the leader here. Fun stuff and a perfect way to end the day's takeover of that strange ad-bathed concrete space next to the centre of the city's shopping vortex. There is always culture seeping out through the cracks.

Recording: Tonstartssbandht

Artist: Tonstartssbandht

Song: Breathe

Recorded at Yonge-Dundas Square (Intersection Day 2), September 1, 2018.

Tonstartssbandht - Breathe

Another interesting day in Yonge-Dundas Square for Intersection, once again excellently curated by Burn Down the Capital's Tad Michalak. Mixing in some abrasive sounds with lots of accessible experimentation, there was a pleasing range of mostly-local talent spread out through the square, animated between sets by the whispersounds of Tina Pearson's installation piece. This Florida-based brother duo made excellent use of their "side stage" zone, rocking like they were putting on a patio party. Simultaneously classic rock-accessible and wig-out weird, their songs are more like mini-suites, stretching out over shifting terrain. Supremely honed, there was plenty evidence here of the duo's heavy touring and some indications of fraternal telekinesis.

Recording: Nadja

Artist: Nadja

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at Yonge-Dundas Square (Intersection Day 2), September 1, 2018.

Nadja - unknown

Another interesting day in Yonge-Dundas Square for Intersection, once again excellently curated by Burn Down the Capital's Tad Michalak. Mixing in some abrasive sounds with lots of accessible experimentation, there was a pleasing range of mostly-local talent spread out through the square, animated between sets by the whispersounds of Tina Pearson's installation piece. Berlin-based local expats Aidan Baker and Leah Buckareff managed to fit in several gigs over a summer sojourn back to T.O., capped off by swathing the square in some warm, heavy drones. Pressing down like the afternoon sun that had just been eclipsed behind the surrounding tall buildings, this felt like a perfectly-reasonable soundtrack for the city's concrete heart.

^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!

Recording: Dun-Dun Band

Artist: Dun-Dun Band

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at Yonge-Dundas Square (Intersection Day 2), September 1, 2018.

Dun-Dun Band - unknown

Another interesting day in Yonge-Dundas Square for Intersection, once again excellently curated by Burn Down the Capital's Tad Michalak. Mixing in some abrasive sounds with lots of accessible experimentation, there was a pleasing range of mostly-local talent spread out through the square, animated between sets by the whispersounds of Tina Pearson's installation piece. An outdoor festival is an ideal place to bust out some bigglyup¹ grooves, and Michalak obliged by programming two different sets over the course of the day. Featuring three saxophonists up front to entrance passers-by, creator and band leader Craig Dunsmuir was tucked off to the side, turned around from the crowd to stay in eye contact with bassist Josh Cole and the percussion section. Meanwhile, it was interesting to note that the group's overlapping polyrhythmic fragments have been formalized in a "book" (beautifully-designed by Mike Smith) so here's hoping there will be cause for the musicians to break it out again soon.

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^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!

¹ Local scholar Kurt Newman was moved to ask, after this event, what the proper name was for "the unique instrumental groove based but experimental large group music that happens in Toronto with a lot of musicians in common", and he was informed by percussionist (and frequent participant in this phenomenon) Blake Howard that "bigglyup" is, indeed, the proper term.

Recording: Deenzi

Artist: Deenzi

Song: [excerpt from 1st piece]

Recorded at Yonge-Dundas Square (Intersection Day 2), September 1, 2018.

Deenzi - [excerpt from 1st piece]

Another interesting day in Yonge-Dundas Square for Intersection, once again excellently curated by Burn Down the Capital's Tad Michalak. Mixing in some abrasive sounds with lots of accessible experimentation, there was a pleasing range of mostly-local talent spread out through the square, animated between sets by the whispersounds of Tina Pearson's installation piece. The sun broke through a layer of clouds to start baking the zone's unsheltered denizens just as this re-emergence from Heidi Chan (flute, modular synth) and Andy Yue (synth) conjured up some froopy grooves, at some times sounding like off-kilter acid-jazz/trip-hop and at others (as heard here) like robot love ballads.

[Deenzi's Heidi Chan will be performing solo and in an improvising duo with Nic Murray at the next SynapticCircus event, Sunday, October 28th at The Tranzac.]

Concert Listings Roundup #272

You can read more about why I'm doing listings here. Long story short: This curated and decidedly non-comprehensive list contains nothin' but shows that I am going to/would go to if I had more time.

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Gig of the week:

The Pineapple (xLq / Heart Structure Quartet [Del Stephen/Bree Rappaport/David Parker/Jeff Sinibaldi]) / The Tranzac (Tiki Room) 2018-10-18 (Thursday) [FB event]

Expect music and multimedia experimentation at this night in The Tranzac's cozy Tiki Room. Conceived as the local stop on a mini-tour from improvising audiovisual crew Heart Structure Quartet, there'll also be something from rising performance art crew xLq plus sweet/tart/acidic sounds from The Pineapple.

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This week's noteworthy shows:

The Ford Pier Vengeance Trio (Laura Barrett) / Burdock Music Hall 2018-10-15 (Monday) [FB event]

Jim Lewis/Andrew Downing/Jean Martin / The Emmet Ray 2018-10-15 (Monday) [FB event]

Toby Driver (Clara Engel / Qarafa / Reversal) / LOLA 2018-10-16 (Tuesday – all ages!) [FB event]

Lake Visions [members of Beliefs/Chere Francoise/Fresh Snow – first show!] (Picastro [solo] / The Pinc Lincolns [solo]) / The Baby G 2018-10-16 (Tuesday) [FB event]

Lowell Whitty 4 (Jacob Gorzhaltsan Group) / Wenona Lodge 2018-10-16 (Tuesday) [FB event]

Hearts & Minds / The Rex Hotel 2018-10-16 (Tuesday) [FB event]

Yellow Tentacles [Germaine Liu/Mark Zurawinski/Kurt Newman/Allison Cameron] (Nessun Angelo che Balla? [Michelangelo Iaffaldano/Allison Cameron/D.A. Meeks]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2018-10-17 (Wednesday – early!) [FB event]

Mike DeiCont/Germaine Liu/Karen Ng/Daniel Pencer / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2018-10-17 (Wednesday) [FB event]

BEAK (Absolutely Free) / Mod Club 2018-10-17 (Wednesday) [more info]

Danceband [Paul Linklater/Dave Clark/Kevin Hearn] / The Dakota Tavern 2018-10-18 (Thursday) [FB event]

Laurence Lemieux: Love me out of it ["Set to the iconic "Frantic City" by Canadian punk band Teenage Head, Love me out of it explores Lemieux's long relationship to dance through various characters that come to life with every song. Following each performance will be a concert by a different local band."]) (feat. Pony) / Citadel + Compagnie 2018-10-18 (Thursday) [FB event]

Fucked Up / The Horseshoe Tavern 2018-10-19 (Friday) [FB event]

Audiopollination (feat. Michael Snow & Diane Roblin / Nobuo Kubota) / Array Space 2018-10-19 (Friday) [FB event]

Michael Feuerstack [Natural Weather LP release! (Isla Craig [solo]) / Burdock Music Hall 2018-10-19 (Friday) [FB event]

Laurence Lemieux: Love me out of it ["Set to the iconic "Frantic City" by Canadian punk band Teenage Head, Love me out of it explores Lemieux's long relationship to dance through various characters that come to life with every song. Following each performance will be a concert by a different local band."]) (feat. Rapport) / Citadel + Compagnie 2018-10-19 (Friday) [FB event]

Hot Garbage (Possum / Kaleidoscope Horse / Mother Tongues) / The Garrison 2018-10-19 (Friday) [FB event]

The Curse [with original vocalist Mickey Skin] (The Discarded / Chris Haight's Ad-ventures / The Screwed) / Rivoli 2018-10-20 (Saturday) [FB event]

BA Johnston (First Base / Jean Daddy) / Junction City Music Hall 2018-10-20 (Saturday) [FB event]

Nennen (Charise Aragoza / Dorothea Paas) / The White House 2018-10-20 (Saturday) [FB event]

Laurence Lemieux: Love me out of it ["Set to the iconic "Frantic City" by Canadian punk band Teenage Head, Love me out of it explores Lemieux's long relationship to dance through various characters that come to life with every song. Following each performance will be a concert by a different local band."]) (feat. Peeling) / Citadel + Compagnie 2018-10-20 (Saturday) [FB event]

CCMC with Charity Chan [launch of new CCMC residency!] / Array Space 2018-10-20 (Saturday – free!) [more info]

Diane Roblin/Brodie West/Nick Fraser / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2018-10-21 (Sunday – early!)

Destroyer [solo] (Andre Ethier / Sandro Perri) / The Great Hall 2018-10-21 (Sunday) [FB event]

Louis Cole (Bernice / Jake Sherman) / The Velvet Underground 2018-10-21 (Sunday) [FB event]

Somewhere There Presents (feat. Wire Circus) / The Emmet Ray 2018-10-21 (Sunday – PWYC!) [more info]

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Add these to your calendar:

Reminder: This post only contains this week's updates — the full listings can always be found over on the right-hand sidebar!

Avi Buffalo (Haunted Summer / Beams) / Monarch Tavern 2018-10-24 (Wednesday) [FB event]

Music by Harry and Furlong S1E2 (feat. Harry Vetro & Nick Donovan / UNHIP [Mike DeiCont/Andrew Furlong/Be Mcc-b]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2018-10-24 (Wednesday) [FB event]

Audio Bleed presents (feat. Kalte / DreamState / Hozerz) / Roland Inspiration Centre 2018-10-25 (Thursday – PWYC) [FB event]

In Store 12 (feat. Sandro Perri / Ejji Smith) / Quixotic Sounds Toronto 2018-10-26 (Friday – free!) [FB event]

Meandering Streams of Consciousness [Chris Weatherstone/Anoush Tabaei/Peter Lutek/Rod Campbell/Alinima MadanI/Avesta Nakhaei/Yui Nakurama/Cheryl Ockrant/Alex Fournier] / Gallery 345 2018-10-29 (Monday) [FB event]

Harmonic Fields #2 (feat. Naman Cale [vibraphone, electronics] / Irene Harrett [upright bass, electronics]) / Burdock Music Hall 2018-10-30 (Tuesday – early show at 6 p.m.!) [FB event]

Somewhere There Presents (feat. Emily Denison & Daniel Kruger / Eric Hofbauer / Emily Denison/Daniel Kruger/Andrew Furlong) / Array Space 2018-11-01 (Thursday) [FB event]

Jeff LaRochelle /Luan Phung/Søren Nissen/Ian Wright/Michael Davidson/Aline Homzy/Sheba Thibideau [Lenses Extend album release show!] (Sabine Ndalamba/Eric West/Phill Albert/Jeff LaRochelle) / Burdock Music Hall 2018-11-01 (Thursday) [FB event]

Sandro Perri [In Another Life LP release! (Matthew "Doc" Dunn) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2018-11-04 (Sunday) [FB event]

Julien Gasc (Marker Starling) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2018-11-06 (Tuesday) [FB event]

Riparian Acoustics presents (feat. Thin Edge New Music Collective) / Canadian Music Centre 2018-11-08 (Thursday) [FB event]

Toronto Tabla Ensemble [Bhumika CD release!] / Harbourfront Centre (Studio Theatre) 2018-11-09 (Friday) [FB event]

LeBarons [Summer Of Death record release!] (United Snakes / The Old Salts) / The Dakota Tavern 2018-11-10 (Saturday) [FB event]

Burn Down The Capital presents (feat. Charlie Looker / Tryal / Clarinet Panic) / Burdock Music Hall 2018-11-13 (Tuesday) [FB event]

Musicworks at 40 (feat. Desert Island Re-Direct [John Oswald & Sandro Perri] / Gayle Young & Phil Melanson / Bonjay) / Array Space 2018-11-15 (Thursday) [FB event]

Sahara (Mimico / Mr. Joy) / Monarch Tavern 2018-11-16 (Friday) [FB event]

Dastgah: Adam Rudolph's Go:Organic Orchestra (feat. Araz Salek/Sadaf Amini/Hamidreza Khalatbari/Jonathan Adjemian/Ernie Tollar/Aline Homzy/Nelson Moneo/Rob Clutton/Karen Ng/Emily Denison/Peter Lutek/Jay Hay/Pedram Khavarzamini/Brandon Valdivia/Nick Fraser) / The Music Gallery @ 918 Bathurst 2018-11-17 (Saturday) [FB event]

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Bandcamp corner:

• A surprise collection from The Weather Station documenting their current live lineup and setlist "live... to tape, with no overdubs or edits" just materialized on bandcamp. This is a must-grab, and you should grip it right away, as it'll only be available 'til until October 27th, when their tour ends.