Listings
Jazz
Mike Gauthier
Classical
« Distant Worlds: music from Final Fantasy »
With 15 instalments and as many or more auxiliary releases, Final Fantasy remains fantastic but shows no sign of finalizing anything. Over a third of a century, the video-game franchise has retained its place as an all-time great for gamers, a paradigm-shifter on par with Pac-Man and Pong. Unsurprisingly, its music has a Pavlovian emotional resonance for legions of gamers globally, particularly that of the revered Final Fantasy VII. Three years after their first spin through Montreal on the 20th anniversary of that lucky seventh entry, Grammy winner Arnie Roth again unsheathes his might baton again and conducts the 100-piece Distant Worlds orchestra and choir through the game’s musical history, accompanied by projected visuals. VII’s sounds get a place of honour on the programme, but so do some numbers from the most recent Final Fantasy XV. These were composed by the concert’s special guest, Yoko Shimomura (pictured here), whose memorable, emotive melodies, and intrepid intermingling of classical and current pop, have placed her at the pinnacle of video-game soundtrack production.
Avant-Garde / Experimental / Contemporary / Free Improvisation / Poetry / Singer-Songwriter
Chorale Joker
Photo credit: Martin Morissette
The Joker a cappella choir brings together some 20 musicians from the Montreal contemporary music scene. Under the direction of its founder Joane Hétu, the ensemble has been exploring the countless possibilities of the voice in all its forms for the past few years. Les lucioles, which premiered last May at the FIMAV, by the admission of its composers Hétu, Jean Derome, and Danielle Palardy Roger, is a tale in disarray. With a blend of poetry, music, dance and theatricality, it evokes both the fragile and evanescent nature of life, and the forces of darkness that threaten it.
Preceded at 7 p.m. by a talk on the place of storytelling and theatricality in today’s music.
Indie Rock / Rock
Destroyer • Nap Eyes
The unpredictable and always captivating Dan Bejar, the soul behind Destroyer, arrives in town to present his twelfth effort. Known for never making the same record twice, Bejar offers ten songs on Have We Met, produced in the company of his guitarist John Collins. Without abandoning the theatrical tone that has always characterized his work, nor his Bowiesque aspect, Destroyer is slightly less sinister or gothic than on his two previous records, with a few pieces showing a much more lighthearted tone. Without saying that this album – initially conceived to be entirely instrumental – is downright playful, it remains perhaps more accessible for anyone who’s not familiar with Bejar’s strange work. By his own admission, the Vancouver-based musician and singer was inspired by Leonard Cohen’s last records, soundtracks such as Pretty In Pink and White Nights, as well as… 1980s hip-hop.
From the Big Easy to the Balkans, brass bands can be counted on to get the party started. New York City’s Lucky Chops have their own distinctive take on blowing hard through metal tubes, one that’s familiar to more than a few users of that city’s subway system. Their long-overdue debut album of last September is built out of bumping funkiness, buoyant good cheer, and absurdly catchy horn hooks. Lucky Chops also visit schools for pedagogical sessions while touring, bless their socially responsible souls, but it’s a workout, not a workshop, that awaits when they haul out the heavy metal at le Belmont.
Bossa Nova / Brazilian / Jazz / Pop
Summer Salt • Okey Dokey • Breakup Shoes
Nestled somewhere between Mac DeMarco and ’70s California rock is Summer Salt. While references to bossa nova abound, the Austin band’s penchant for flowing pop-rock songs and the sweetness of a sunny, slightly outdated psychedelia are particularly noteworthy. The Beach Boys, Dope Lemon, The Lovin’ Spoonful and Donovan also come to mind when listening to this band that seems to live in a permanent summer. Farewell, winter! (For a few hours).
Classical / Contemporary / Minimalist / Neoclassical
Trio Fibonacci: « The Giants of Minimalism »
The Fibonacci trio – named after the Italian mathematician who created a series of numbers closely related to the golden ratio, symbol of harmony, balance and beauty, whose perfect proportions are found in nature as well as in artistic creations – is one of the rare chamber-music trios combining piano and strings. After the success of its concert Les Géants du minimalisme last year, the ensemble is back with a program featuring more or less the same composers, namely: Arvo Pärt, Ludovico Einaudi, Max Richter, Keiko Delvaux, Michael Nyman and Brian Eno. As long as one is open to it, their music acts as a true balm for the soul.
Trio Fibonacci
Julie-Anne Derome, violon
Gabriel Pym, violoncelle
Steven Massicotte, piano
PROGRAMME
Arvo Pärt : Spiegel im Spiegel (1978)
Ludovico Einaudi : Primavera, I Giorni, Petricor
Max Richter : On the Nature of Daylight, Dona Nobis Pacem 2
Keiko Devaux : Efflorescence (2020; création)
Michael Nyman : Time Lapse
Brian Eno : By This River
Philip Glass : Metamorphosis Two, The Hours
Since their debut album in 1996, Anti-Flag have been arming themselves with gritty and uncompromising punk, as evidenced by their 20 or so studio albums. The indomitable Pittsburgh-based combo remain ardent defenders of the DIY ethic so dear to the punk movement and have never really let up in almost 30 years of existence. Vindictive, committed, militant, the American band has more reason than ever to shout its rage and charge the stage. For Anti-Flag, there will always be something to revolt against, and 20/20 Vision, released a few weeks ago, is proof of this over 11 abrasive titles. Punk is far from being dead.
Electronic / Industrial / Techno
DROP [04] : Codex Empire • D.Blavatsky • The Marquis • Creature
Attention, dark and industrial techno lovers, Codex Empire is coming to Montreal for the next show organized by AMP Industrial Events! The SAT will welcome British producer Mahk Rumbae for his first concert on Canadian soil as he uses his machines to create abyssal sonorities that only he knows the recipe for. The veteran of the Berlin label [aufnahme + wiedergabe] will be joined by D.Blavatsky who, as usual, offers a dazzling performance of hardcore techno with forceful rhythms and a wild, unbridled energy. Get ready to dance!
Berliners by adoption The Underground Youth showcase their latest album, Montage Images of Lust & Fear, released in March 2019, during their very first visit to Montreal. Buttressed by the charismatic presence of Craig Dyer, the project’s founder, The Underground Youth unfold an atmospheric post-punk laced with the troubled moods of disillusioned crooner Dyer. The result: ballads bitter rather than sweet, evoking Nick Cave. They will be accompanied by the Mexican band Lorelle Meets the Obsolete, just as worthy of mention for their hushed, irresistibly lunar psychedelia. They’ll also release a new EP the following day, RE – FACTO, on Sonic Cathedral, featuring two original tracks and two remixes. It is, for them too, a first passage through town.
The Danish trio will once again hit the road for a short North American tour, which they will begin at home, between two European tours. This time, they are performing at the Velouria Festival II, organized by the Montreal label Velouria Recordz. While they claim a clear affiliation with The Cure, especially in the rich, dark voice of Mikkel Borbjerg Jakobsen, the band has a clean, refined sound with an energetic melancholy. They’ll present his latest album, Outnumbered, released in April 2019 on Artoffact Records.