To put this short and sweet, this was probably the best “Live” / “New-kind of Dj-ing” set i’ve seen so far. Flying Lotus, the new wonderkid on the block rocked it for a little over an hour with a bass heavy, electronic, abstract hip-hop set. It was like seeing J-Dilla on crack! I mean come on!!!… some Aphex Twin, Jay Dee, Burial, Busta Rhymes and lots of his productions. Go buy his new Los Angeles LP out on Warp now! And people of Montreal! Let’s bring this man back! Damn!
Should be a really good one on Sunday the 28th of March @ Salon Daome, one of the best spots in Montreal.
I will be guesting at Phil Larochelle’s night called BEAT BOUTIQUE alongside one of the rising stars of the UK sound, Sharivari… his productions are starting to get heavy plays from all the A-List Dj’s. Check his stuff here. I will be recording this one for sure. Don’t miss it!
Montreal hip-hop heads you cannot miss this!!!! Live @ Foufounes Electriques on April 11th
BROTHER ALI + FASHAWN + BK-ONE.
The SOFA KING RAW boys have been on fire lately and are bringing you the Montreal part of the BREAKIN’ DAWN Tour.
This one is gonna be nuts.
This one is gonna be a scorcher! Legendary producer Shackleton (Skull Disco Records) will be in town for the February edition of the now famous KOMODO Dubs events @ SAT.
Also on the bill my homeboy dj BUS! You don’t wanna miss this one.
details: Facebook event page
Komodo Dubs
Le samedi 20 février 2010
Société des arts technologiques [SAT]
1195, boul. Saint-Laurent, Montréal
22h
We’re turning the page on this stupid decade and moving on to the 10’s y’all… time to get those flying electric cars, hover boards like in Back to the Future and all those good things the movies promised us.
2010 FUTURAMA
Andy Williams
Scott C
Basement Soul
& Lexisssssssssss!
click on the flyer for the details
My weekly throwdown called THE BRIDGE at Blizzarts is welcoming a hip-hop legend this friday, December 11th. And I am not using the word legend lightly… Check out the details right here. Thanks to Morgan Steiker, writer at the Montreal Mirror and fellow beat-head, MIMS got the chance to have a brief exchange with the man behind some serious classics who normally talks with his hands.
First experience with turntables:
My sister had turntables back in the day because the guy that lived below us had turntables and she wanted some too. She had a job so she got some turntables and a mixer. So I use to DJ on her stuff when she went to work and when she wasn’t home.
Meeting DJ Breakout and Funky Four Plus One:
Somebody moved on my block that knew Breakout but I wasn’t aware that they knew each other. Eventually he introduced me to him ad I started passing him records. Then my friend told me that his record boy quit or got fired and he said “maybe he might get you to do it.” I went to his house, Breakout liked me and now we’ve been friends for about 30 years. I loved the job. They had Sha Rock, she was dope. Rahiem was killing it. He would be singing at every show.
Moving to New Jersey from the Bronx:
That experience [with Breakout] gave me my b-boy style. Then when I moved to Jersey, I learned the club style. I got into that club stuff. I knew the hip hop stuff from the Bronx and I learned the club style in Jersey. They were blending two records together. They wasn’t going back and forth on the record. They were blending.
Early hip hop:
I can’t listen to it too much. I don’t listen to old school stuff very often. Maybe in the next five years I can listen to it for a few minutes here and there but that’s it. It’s like a really good movie that you don’t wanna see again for another few years once you’re done watching it.
The 900 Number:
Well, 900 Number…I took the sample, put drums on it, slowed it down. I put it out at the time but most labels wouldn’t put it out like that. They were saying “that needs something else, you cant just put it out like that.” So I was lucky that the label that I was on put it out the way it was and didn’t force me into making it a song. It’s still getting played now because it’s simple and major labels wouldn’t put it out. When I started making beats, I wasn’t buying that many records because I already had so many from being a DJ. I already had those records. I just got lucky with that one.
Forming Flavor Unit (Queen Latifah, Black Sheep, Lakim Shabazz, Naughty by Nature):
Basically Flavor Unit started out as a bunch of friends getting together smoking weed. Having a good time, whatever. Some drank beer, some were smoking. A bunch of comedians. They were all really funny so I brought them in. If you were funny and seemed like a nice person, let’s hang out. The nice thing is that I have good relationships with every last one of them. I cant say I liked one more than the other. It’s like loving all your kids equally. They all was talented too. They all knew how to rhyme good. But some ended up with better record deals than others.
Fondest memory of that era:
DJing with Latifah. Kid Capri brought me under his wing when he was DJing the Def Jam Comedy All-Stars. Latifah was there, Jamie Foxx was there, also that dude my sister likes, Steve Harvey. That was one of the most exciting moments for sure.
Should be another burner this friday at Blizzarts! For those who are in Montreal or in the area, I stronnngly recommend your presence. In fact, it’s mandatory.
None other than Nickodemus, one of the most eclectic Dj-Producers out there… he can drop boogie, tropical, funky stuff with the best of them. He is also the man behind the awesome label WONDERWHEEL and the long running night in NY called “Turntables on the Hudson”… (oh yeah, he’s also the man behind the track used by Apple a little while back. “Mi Swing Es Tropical”)
Friday, November 13th
NICKODEMUS (Nyc) + Andy Williams (Mtl, The Goods) & THE BRIDGE fridays residents Lexis & SevDee
@ Blizzarts
3956a St-Laurent, Montreal
6$
Finally! the dope Swedish x Japanese group come for a visit!
LITTLE DRAGON is – for those who don’t know any better – one of the dopest groups to come out in the last 2-3 years (although the vocalist Yukimi Nagano has been doing collaborations with people like Koop, Hird, Swell Sessions, Ge-Ology for a while now). Their first album (self-titled) dropped in 2007 and it had been a long long time since I had heard a good mellow, lofi, spacey electronic(y) record (it’s hard to define ok!)… it seemed in the late 90’s thats all that was coming out and that kind of stuff can really easily get generic and doesn’t usually age very well… Anyone listen to their 1995 Morcheeba record lately?
Their new record is definetly another step in the right direction, the production is a little more beefed up without sacrificing what made me love them from day 1. Anyyyywho, enough rambling… For those who know about them, go buy your ticket. For those who don’t you have about a month to do your homework and buy your ticks. This will be dope.
LITTLE DRAGON
Thursday November 19th
Il Motore, Montreal
It’s time for the fifth edition of our “HIP-HOP-HISTORY” event with none other than Montreal’s SIMAHLAK.
Sim’s been fighting the good fight behind the decks for more than 10 years and when I first became addicted with the Fridays at Blizzarts, he was part of the best DJ crew in Montreal called BRASS KNUCKLES (+Simon B, Andy Williams, Scott C)
Now it’s come full circle and we welcome Sim to his old home, Blizzzy! Check the FB event page for details.
The GOODS welcomes our boy HUGGS, one of our favorite DJs (true story!) as he makes his way back to his one time home, Montreal. Be prepared for a serious party of joints and jams as he teams up with resident Scott C for some dancefloor pressure!
Sala Rosa (Montreal)
Saturday Sept. 26th
The styles’ two torchbearers, SKREAM and BENGA will be joined by Montreal kingpins Komodo and Dj Hosta.
I’m obviously a big fan of both these dudes but i’m not sure how good they are DJ-ing wise. In terms of production though both are not to be fucked with, Skream’s biggest anthem is “Midnight Request Line” and Benga’s “Night” track was Gilles Peterson’s track of the year in 2007. As always itll be interesting to see if the “regular” piknic crowd “get it” and will be able to get into something other than minimal tech-house. Bass heads show your faces!
Sunday, September 20th @ PIKNIC ELECTRONIK
LaRoux “In for the kill” (Skream’s Remix)
For the first time in the 5+ years of The Goods (Montreal’s dopest monthly night) co-founder Scott C will be handling the spaceship Han SOLO style. 5 hours with one of the cities’ truest heads is an event that shouldn’t be missed.
Check out the FB page for all the details but more importantly go check out these two podcasts that Scott has just put out.
Can’t say how excited I am for this one. Gonna be throwing down some UK heat alongside the new breed of Montreal cats holding down the UK sound.
I was invited by dj BUS, member of the ESL Crew, who are already on their fifth UK FUNKY event. For those interested my set will probably be 3am to 5am-ish. Also guesting will be Toronto’s Cotango. Check out the Facebook event page for all the details.
MTL Funky pt.5
COTANGO, LEXIS + MTLFunky Dj’s.
10 pm – 5 am(!)
I think everyone who follows my site or podcast nows that I am a big fan of Dam-Funk’s. Well, I gots some outstanding news for you then… he is coming to throw down in Montreal and I will have the honor of opening for the master of Cali Future/Vintage Boogie Funk…
Much respect to Scott C for organizing this event. You can check out all the details on the Facebook event page.
DAM-FUNK
+ LEXIS
@ Club Lambi
4465 Blvd. St Laurent
$10
I just wanted to officially pass on my congratulations to my long time friend Kobal on scoring, what is pretty close the gig of a lifetime…
Kobal will be opening for living legend (lets appreciate them when they are around people!) Stevie Wonder. He will be playing a two hour set from 6-8pm that is sure to be a trip through the history of Soul music. I am so happy that the Jazz Fest decided to book someone from MTL who will truly represent what being a DJ is all about… congrats big bro…
(Ohhh… and just thought i’d give you a scoop. Kobal will be recording and posting it right here after… shhhh!)
Event Info – MontrealJazzFest.com
Last minute reminder to tell you all that this Saturday, June 27th the Goods will be welcoming mr. Rich Medina
Was just keeping up to date on my man Scott C’s blog, and boom! the news of the day… (ok it was a slow news day).
July 11th, Club Lambi. You know where to find me suckas!
Also, check out:
Flying Lotus – MUTEK 2008
Flying Lotus – Essential Mix BBC
Linkage:
Facebook Event Page
BUGO.dj
This friday, the man Montreal has come to adopt as one of its own is ditching us! (and to make matters worse, he’s ditching us for Toronto!!! awww the pain)
Jusssst kidding. But seriously, this friday at Blizzarts, Lexis and SevDee are welcoming none other than SCRATCH BASTID, one the best technical DJs / party rockers around.
Don’t miss this. Check out the Facebook Event page for details.
Scratch Bastid’s official page
Skratch Bastid 110% Tour Promo Video from Skratch Bastid on Vimeo.
Anyone who’s not a complete loser in life knows how great THE GOODS monthly get downs are. One of the one nights in Montreal where you can truly say that music comes before anything else. Personally the gig I played there definetly ranks in my all-time faves (check out that set here).
Reasons you should check this one out:
1) It’s Andy Williams‘ birthday.
2) They are doing a special throwdown for a special ART meets Open Source Music Production / Remixing called SOUNDSCAPES. The project put together by Scott C and Claudio Marzano features dope MTL talent like Kenlo, Moonstarr, Think Twice and so on…
3) It’s Andy’s birthday
For those who don’t know MUTEK is probably the best electronic music festival in North America (along with Detroit’s DEMF). They have been doing a better job of booking outside of the very narrow “minimal” music. This year has Dubstep, Disco, Edit kings, Funky stuff and of course, MINIMAL SHIT!
For me it will be very hard to be last year’s personal highlight, FLYING LOTUS’ absolutely ridiculous set. (Check it out here). But we’ll just have to wait and see…
Don’t think the full schedule is out yet but the list of confirmed artists seems to be out.
Here are my picks if you’re in town! (in no particular order of course…)
Appleblim – “Dubstep Don”
Carl Craig – “Detroit Techno Living Monument”
Pilooski – “Beeeeeeggggin’….”
Trus’me – “Midtempo Dubby Disco Upcoming Superstar”
Deadbeat + Paul St-Hilaire – “Light a dub to this”
Jeremy Ellis – “Tropical Boogie Broken Bizness”
The Mole – “Canadian expat makes us proud in Germany”
Moonstarr – “The tallest / nicest / funkiest adopted Montrealer”
Ghislain Poirier – “Insert fog horn noise here”
My only question is that with all the dope electronic / abstract hiphop out there why not book at least one of these guys??? Bullion? Hudson Mohawke? Harmonic 313? Dabrye? Onra? Comme on…!
MUTEK Website
May 27 – May 31, 2009
It’s a pleasure to welcome MTL’s Bass Ninja to my night. February 27th at Blizzarts. Check out the Facebook event page for more details.
GHISLAIN POIRIER – DJ SET
(Ninja Tune)
Looking forward to this big time… i’ll keep you posted.
February 27th @ Blizzarts “THE BRIDGE”
I’ve been talking to Ram (aka Dj Ram aka Ramasutra), one of Montreal’s best and most eclectic producers, diggers and selectors. I’m working on him hard to come do a gig with me at Blizzarts on friday (i’ll keep you guys posted on the negociation process).
He’s playing hard to get right now but at least he sent me an invite to the Holiday party for his record label, SEMPRINI RECORDS.
Monday, December 22nd @ Casa Del Popolo. Music enthusiasts be prepared to geek out! The four selectors on this bill are pretty much the cream of the crop when it comes to having access to the rarest of the rare. As Ram puts it “this night will be worth more than 2 years of searching the net for rarities or 12 issues of Wax Poetics”
BRING A BIG FUCKING NOTE PAD Y’ALL!
Where do I even begin to say how important this crew was to the Montreal soundscape in the late nineties-early 2000’s. The MTL Dj’s equivalent to the US Dream Team in 92, the fourtet held it down at Blizzarts on fridays for close to 5 years (I think)…
Andy Williams, Scott C, Simon B and Simahlak created a night were all kinds of styles co-existed but always kept the same level of quality regardless if Simahlak was dropping some Hip-Hop, Andy some rare groove, Scott C with the Dilla meets future soul vibes and Simon B one of this cities best overall party rockers…
The good vibes still live on fridays at Blizz, I try to keep that same spirit and diversity alive… but the real story here is that the reunion is going down this saturday at CODA. Catch it while you can, cause this is like the reunion tour for the Eagles, the Police or A Tribe Called Quest… who knows how long its gonna last!
Oh snap, this is gonna be dope. I’m Djing at a Breakers competition at Salla Rossa (4848 boul. Saint-Laurent). Doors open at 9 and the throwdown begins at 10. I’ve only done a break competition once so far which was for Bust A Move with Dj Static. Its quite a challenge to program music for 4 hours of breaking because obviously its crucial to what they do…
So, imma do my best to bring some classics as well as some new flavors!
Friday October 24h.
This will be the second “HIP-HOP HISTORY” event at Blizzarts. Last time, it was one of the best nights in the last 2-3 years for us thanks to Manifest, Naes, 7D and BluRum13 who rocked it all night. This time, my good friend Scott C will come and drop some serious knowledge… come early, and bring a notepad to take some notes!
/// The LINE-UP ///
Incubator (The Goods, Montreal)
7D aka SevDee (Lion Arts, Montreal)
Lexis (Musicismysanctuary Fool!)
BluRum13 (Ninja Tune, NY – MD – Qc!)
I’m proud to be on what promises to be one of the most diverse Piknic Electronik line-ups this year. It promises to be a very bassy afternoon with everything from Dubstep, Tech, Grime, Breaks on the menu. Hopefully, i’ll record my set and i’ll be my next podcast for those who missed it or don’t live in Montreal.
My set is from 2-4 pm.
Keep your fingers crossed for sunshine!
This week at Blizz, I will be holding it down solo with the birfday bwoy dj Manifest. Without a doubt one of the cities best Manifest will be unleashing a whole bunch of tracks that he’s not always able to play, from Boogie to New Jack swing to Golden Era classics… the goal of the night is to not get him too drunk so he can still Dj at 3am.
August 1st – 2008 – Bilzzarts – Montreal – 3956a St-Laurent
Christian Pronovost is coming down to play with me at good ol’ Blizzarts for the second time. Last time he brought a totally different flavour and crowd to the place and that’s the whole point of having guests! C.P is no ordinary guest though, we is one of the city’s most influent taste makers in addition to being one of the baddest behind the decks.
It promises to be a very eclectic night as we both love to work the angles. As I do everytime I play with Christian, I’ll be there with a big pad to take notes of all those obscure gems. Keeping the Lost Heroes alive!
It’s time to hit the books y’all…
((Big Big Thanks to Raphaelle Aviva Levy for the truly amazing flyer!))
I’ve been wanting to put this night together for a while now. It will basically be a history lesson in Hip-Hop 101 given by 4 Dj’s and 1 Mc.
With every hour we will go back in time to rediscover the music that was supposed to be a fad; but is still going strong since 1978 (although sometimes misunderstood)!
Djs:
Naes (PayzPlay Supa Dj)
7D (Lion Arts)
Manifest (Metropolis Music)
Lexis (Musicismysanctuary.com)
+ Mc: Blurum13 (US, NinjaTune)
Schedule:
2am – 3am: The Foundation & Samples
1am – 2am: 80’s
12pm – 1am: 90-95
11pm – 12pm: 95-00
10pm-11pm: 2000s
Blizzarts
July 18th, 2008
3956a St-Laurent
5$ door or 10$ with a CD
For those who missed it the first time, heres your chance. Whenever Bliss plays out, he brings it; he’s as confortable playing for a raver crowd as for the downtempo bass heads.
When it’s nice we do it twice!
Hip-Hop is dead, long live hip-hop…
Hmmm, who managed to put this bill together? Talib, Nas and up and coming force Jay Electronica will be in Montreal at Metropolis on tuesday July 22nd.
I’ve always been a Nas guy. He’s probably my favorite New York MC. Conscious but not too preachy, probably one of the most introspective MC’s. He’s been killing us since 1993 so sometimes we forget how much of a veteran he actually is… 18 years and counting. I’m really not too crazy about his last record, for some reason he always seems to put out one crazy on and then a so-so one… Never caught him live but as a Hip-Hop head he’s one of the guys you have to see at least once in your life.
Talib on the same bill is nothing to complain about… nice 2/1
I’m almost as excited to check out Jay Electronica as I am for Nas and Kweli. He’s one of the most innovative and counter mainstream guys out there… he keeps releasing digital EP’s, strange YouTube videos and that’s it. For those who don’t know him yet, he’s definetly on that abstract MF Doom type vibe.
Here’s a vid:
I hate when media define a new artist as the new someone, its such lazy ass writting. Well, apparently Melody Gardot is now the new Norah Jones, until someone is appointed to the title of new Melody Gardot.
But after being lucky enough to catch her first ever Montreal show, I can tell you all you need to know : she has one of the most hypnotizing and crystal clear voices you’ll ever hear and has the stage presence of a veteran (she just released her first record in february and is only 23).
If you are reading this today you still have 2 nights to catch her at the TNM (July 2-3), in a setting that is perfect for the mood of the show. Oh yeah, the three musicians on stage are on point too…
“I’m looking for a man to hold my cane. If you’re interested see me after the show. I’ll pay you in cookies… not my cookies of course”. Heu…. pick me!
Play – Somewhere over the rainbow – LIVE
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My show review (in French) on Showbizz.net
Melody Gardot’s MySpace Page
Not to rub it in but this is the kind of show that you only get one chance to see. I’m not even sure if Al Green has ever been in Montreal before.
Reverend Green, backed by 10 musicians and 2 dancers busting out classic Soul Train moves, took over the huge Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier (3000 seats) and transformed it into his church.
Sometimes seeing a music icon live on stage for the first time rather than listening to the perfect studio versions of his classics doesn’t live up the hype. This is not one of those times. The man can still hit all of the notes, sang most of his classics and some timeless covers (Temptations, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Four Tops).
I Beliiiiiiieve!!!
Play – Let’s Stay Together – LIVE
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My show review (in French) on Showbizz.net
Article paru sur Showbizz.net
La dernière année fût marquante pour les amateurs de jazz; entre autres pour le Grammy de l’album de l’année remporté par Herbie Hancock (qui a battu des géants du pop comme Kayne West et Amy Winehouse), pour l’arrivée en scène de plusieurs nouveaux artistes prometteurs, mais aussi pour la triste disparition du plus grand musicien jazz qu’ait jamais connu Montréal. C’est donc pourquoi la 29e édition du Festival, qui ouvre ce mercredi 25 juin, est dédiée cette année à Oscar Peterson.La diversité de la grille est souvent l’une des grandes qualités du Festival de Jazz de Montréal mais c’est aussi parfois sa faiblesse qui s’exprime par cette tendance à trop vouloir élargir la définition du mot jazz. On peut néanmoins croire que cette stratégie est nécessaire afin d’attirer plus de deux millions de festivaliers par année. Les purs et durs peuvent toujours se rabattre sur des évènements plus pointus comme l’OFF Festival de Jazz et le Suoni del Popolo que je vous invite à encourager.
Je vous propose donc mes choix personnels pour cette 29e édition. Il s’agit de mon point de vue qui est celui d’un mélomane plutôt que celui d’un critique de jazz. S’en tenir à un ou deux choix par jour n’est pas une tâche facile parce qu’avec cinq cents spectacles à l’horaire, nos coups de cœurs sont souvent ceux auxquels on s’attend le moins.
Leonard Cohen
23, 24, 25 juin – Place des Arts
Présentés en marge du Festival, les concerts donnés par Leonard Cohen à la Place des Arts, les 23, 24 et 25 juin, demeurent des incontournables. On peut certainement s’attendre à une prestation mythique : sa première en
15 ans à Montréal.
Nikki Yanofsky
Mercredi 25 juin – Théâtre du Nouveau Monde – 20h
La jeune prodige Montréalaise de 14 ans a jeté tout le monde par terre l’année dernière quand elle a participé un hommage à Ella Fitzgerald.
Hank Jones et Oliver Jones
Jeudi 26 juin – Théâtre Jean Duceppe, PdA – 21h30
Première soirée de la série de spectacles « Invitation » qui rend hommage à Oscar Peterson avec certains des plus grands pianistes jazz dont McCoy Tyner et Dave Brubeck. Le pianiste Hank Jones, qui a maintenant 90 ans et Oliver Jones, pianiste canadien qui a été formé en partie par Oscar, seront les vedettes de cette soirée.
Deuxième choix:
Salif Keita et Vieux Farka Touré
Métropolis – 20h30
Salif Keita est depuis trente ans un des plus grands ambassadeurs de la musique africaine tandis que Vieux Fakra Touré continue l’œuvre de son père Ali tout en solidifiant sa propre réputation. Tous deux démontrent la richesse de la scène malienne.
Alice Russell
Vendredi 27 juin – Club Soda – 23h59
La voix puissante et pleine de soul de cette blonde de l’Angleterre est un secret bien gardé ici. Ses collaborations avec les plus grands de la scène Nu-Jazz/Funk européen, Quantic Soul Orchestra, 77 Nostalgia Octet avec qui elle a enregistré une excellente version de « 7 Nation Army » sont à découvrir.
Deuxième choix :
Jake Shimabukuro
Cinquième Salle, PdA – 22h
Ce virtuose qu’on surnomme “le Jimi Hendrix du Ukulélé” défie les limites du petit instrument hawaiien. Faites-vous plaisir avec une petite recherche sur Youtube à son sujet, vous en serez bouche-bée.
Al Green
Samedi 28 juin – Salle Wilfrid Pelletier, PdA – 19h30
Il est absolument essentiel de voir à l’œuvre l’un des derniers piliers du R&B américain qui vient de prouver sa grande forme avec son excellent dernier album « Lay it down » produit en partie par Questlove du groupe The Roots.
Deuxième choix :
De la Soul
Métropolis – 20h30
Un des groupes les plus influents, prolifiques mais surtout sympathique de l’histoire du hip-hop.
Roberto Fonseca
Dimanche 29 juin – Théâtre Jean Duceppe, PdA – 18h
Le jeune pianiste est celui qu’on qualifie souvent de talent le plus prometteur de la musique cubaine. Le pianiste attitré du légendaire Buena Vista Social club apporte une nouvelle dimension plus inclusive aux autres styles musicaux que ses prédécesseurs.
Deuxième choix :
Woody Allen
Salle Wilfrid Pelletier, PdA – 19h30
Woody Allen est plus connu pour son talent derrière la caméra qu’à la clarinette mais pourtant il est très bon musicien et un passionné de jazz depuis l’enfance. D’ailleurs, le prénom d’artiste qu’il s’est choisi vient d’une de ses idoles, le clarinettiste Woody Herman.
Esbjorn Svensson Trio (E.S.T)
Lundi 30 juin – Annulé
Même si le spectacle est annulé, je veux souligner ce qu’aurait été mon choix ce soir-là en l’honneur du décès tragique du leader du trio Esbjorn Svensson que j’avais très hâte de voir pour la première fois : Ce trio de jazz de Suède se considère plutôt comme un groupe pop. E.S.T. c’est la définition même du jazz fusion européen qui aurait pu plaire aux puristes, autant qu’aux fans de Coldplay.
Deuxième choix :
That 1 Guy
Pavillon Heineken – 20h30
Sorte de one-man band qui s’est inventé un instrument qu’il surnomme le « Magic Pipe ». En fait c’est un instrument fait de tuyaux en forme de harpe qui sonne comme un didgeridoo pris dans une garde-robe avec une contrebasse. Résultat intéressant mais il me semble que ça aurait été le genre de spectacle de type « extérieur gratuit ».
Steely Dan
Mardi 1er juin – Salle Wilfrid Pelletier, PdA – 19h30
Comme pour plusieurs autres de mes choix, il y a des artistes qu’on n’a souvent pas la chance de voir deux fois. La dernière fois que Steely Dan sont venus à Montréal c’était dans les années 70! Ils débarquent donc avec 10 musiciens pour faire revivre leur extraordinaire catalogue qui a été tellement influent dans le rock, jazz et même le hip-hop.
Deuxième choix:
McCoy Tyner Trio et Ravi Coltrane
Théâtre Maisonneuve, PdA – 19h)
Tyner est un des ex-pianistes de John Coltrane (sur « A Love Supreme » entre autre) sera accompagné par le fiston Coltrane, Ravi au saxophone.
Melody Gardot
Mercredi 2 juillet – Théâtre du Nouveau Monde – 20h
On n’a pas fini d’entendre parler d’elle. La chanteuse de 24 ans à une voix absolument hypnotisante et une histoire dont les médias raffolent, elle est un modèle de courage et persévérance après avoir survécu et lancé sa carrière suite à un accident presque mortel.
Deuxième choix :
Blind Boys of Alabama
Théâtre Maisonneuve, PdA – 21h30
Le groupe gospel de l’Alabama qui a été formé en 1939 (!) compte huit membres dont deux qui étaient de la fondation du groupe. Ces derniers avaient soit 8 ans quand ils ont formé le groupe ou ils ont 132 ans maintenant. Non sérieusement, allez-les voir, ils sont sublimes !
Rodrigo Y Gabriela
Jeudi 3 juillet – Théâtre Maisonneuve, PdA – 21h30
Deux mexicains basés à Dublin qui jouent de la guitare acoustique à la vitesse de l’éclair font entre autres des reprises de Metallica, Pink Floyd style guitare espagnole. Pas toujours très jazz, mais ça risque d’être une des plus belles surprises du festival.
Deuxième choix :
RZA
Métropolis – 20h30
Les amateurs de hip-hop le connaissent comme le cerveau du légendaire Wu-tang Clan tandis que les cinéphiles connaissent ses compositions pour les bandes originales des films «Ghost Dog» et «Kill Bill I & II».
Aretha Franklin
Vendredi 4 juillet – Théâtre Maisonneuve, PdA – 19h30
Inutile de décrire trop longuement l’importance d’Aretha Franklin dans l’histoire de la musique américaine. Après 40 années de carrière et 20 Grammy’s, la reine du soul continue de prouver qu’elle peut aussi trôner en jazz, soul, pop et gospel.
Deuxième choix :
Nate James
Scène General Motors – 21h
Excellent chanteur néo-soul britannique qui rend hommage aux maîtres du R&B en y ajoutant aussi sa touche
The Wailers + Lee Scratch Perry
Samedi 5 juillet – Métropolis – 20h30
Ce n’est pas tous les jours qu’on a la chance de voir des géants du reggae, et en plus c’est un 2 pour 1. Lee Scratch Perry est un célèbre producteur, ingénieur de son, et DJ qui donne dans le dub interspatial.
Les Wailers, l’ancien groupe de Bob Marley, a vendu 80 millions d’albums, inutile de faire les présentations.
Deuxième choix :
Spectacle 25e anniversaire du label jazz Justin Time
Salle Wilfrid Pelletier, PdA – 19h30
L’étiquette de jazz la plus importante au Canada célèbre son 25e anniversaire avec plusieurs de ses artistes et quelques surprises. Supportons le jazz d’ici !
Spectacles gratuits à découvrir :
Martha High and the Shaolin Soul Defenders
Vendredi 27 juin
Légendaire choriste de James Brown et Maceo Parker, son curriculum en matière de soul, R&B, blues et funk est difficile à surpasser.
The Dynamites f. Charles Walker
Samedi 28 juin
Le vétéran soul man Charles Walker débarque avec 9 musiciens de Nashville pour un cours 101 de gros soul-funk bien gras.
Jamaica to Toronto
Dimanche 29 juin
Un hommage aux grandes collaborations reggae entre Kingston et Toronto dans les années 60 et 70. C’est génial de voir des musiciens parfois oubliés qui ont une deuxième chance de venir présenter leurs productions d’il y a 30 ans. Du vrai reggae et R&B!
Mayra Andrade
Lundi 30 juin
Jeune chanteuse née à La Havane, d’origine capverdienne qui habite à Paris. Le résultat est très bon croyez-moi. Elle chante surtout en créole capverdien – moi je comprends mais je ne le parle pas 
– mais aussi en français.
Bran Van 3000
Mardi 1 juillet
Je suis très curieux de voir ce que ça va donner ce supposé « Block Party » parce disons que depuis le premier album « Glee » que j’avais adoré, ils n’ont pas vraiment réussi à m’impressionner. On va laisser la chance au coureur…
Naturally 7
Mercredi 2 juillet
Groupe purement a cappella qui combine le R&B contemporain, gospel mais surtout avec la particularité du beatbox qui donne l’impression qu’ils sont accompagnés par un band complet.
Papa Groove
Jeudi 3 juillet
Excellente formation montréalaise qui tourne depuis longtemps. Le groupe donne dans le gros afro-funk soutenu par 10 musiciens.
Zaki Ibrahim
Vendredi 4 juillet
Charmante chanteuse canadienne, d’origine sud-africaine, qui offre une belle combinaison de jazz, vieux soul et hip-hop.
Orquestra Tipica Imperial
Samedi 5 Juillet
Ce solide groupe de tango d’argentin débarque avec 9 musiciens pour la première fois à Montréal.
The Lost Fingers
Dimanche 6 juillet
Terminons le festival avec un groupe de Québec dont tout le monde parle qui fait des reprises de chansons pop (Technotronic, Samatha Fox, etc…) dans le style jazz manouche de Django. C’est très sympathique et ludique, mais je ne comprends pas pourquoi les organisateurs ont décidé de gâcher le facteur mystère en les engageant pour jouer à presque chaque jour du festival.
Bon festival !
SUPER EXCLUSIVE MIX FOR MIMS!
Dj Bliss – For the breakers mix
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Dj Bliss – For the breakers
Dj since the age of 14 and recognized as one of Montreal’s most musically versatile djs, Bliss has been djing the Montreal club circuit non stop for well over a decade. His most notable residencies have been the electro clubnights CHEMISTRY and VOYEUR and Montreal’s first breaks weekly THE GRILL. Over the last 10 years he has played hundreds of venues across the city, from small club nights to afterhours events, alongside an important number of international artists such as Dj Krush, Afrika Bambaataa, MSTRKRFT, Tommie Sunshine, Girl Talk, Gun N Bombs, Freddy Fresh, Kool Herc, Atomic Hooligan, Aquasky, Thievery Corporation, Kid Koala, Krafty Kuts, Bebel Gilberto, Bonobo and The Streets, as well as dj sets at prestigious local events such as the Montreal Jazz Festival, Picnik Electronik, Pop Montreal, Mutek, La Nuit Electronik and the MEG Festival.
NEW VIDEO!!! Payz Play – Il était deux fois
(article pris du Nightlife Magazine)
«Ça fait neuf piastres de Sprite que je bois, là. Ça va faire!» Cette exclamation de R.U. caractérise bien la joie de vivre générale des premières journées de chaleur que nous avons connues à la mi-avril, moment de ma rencontre avec Payz Play.
Réunis sur la terrasse du Saint-Sulpice, Égypto, R.U., DJ Naes, DJ Ephiks et ToastDawg, les quatre membres (trouvez l’erreur) de ce nouveau groupe issu des cendres du légendaire collectif Atach Tatuq en avaient long à dire sur leur évolution musicale, sur leur passé, et surtout sur leur futur.
La première écoute de leur album éponyme (en magasin le 27 mai) est pour le moins déstabilisante. Habitués que nous sommes à une sonorité plus «true-school» de la part de ces vétérans de la scène hip-hop montréalaise, l’approche électroïde de la majorité des pièces confirme la volonté de changement. Mais Payz Play tenterait-il de surfer sur la vague d’un courant bien en vogue? «Dès que tu fais quelque chose en marge du rap “classique”, tu peux facilement te faire étiqueter comme rap-électro. Nous autres, on s’est donné le mandat de pas se confiner à un moule pis de faire les choses comme on avait envie», me répond R.U. «On essaye une nouvelle sonorité liée à tout ce qu’on a écouté ces deux dernières années. Un son plus club, plus party», enchaîne Égypto.
Et c’est lorsque qu’on réécoute le disque encore plus attentivement qu’on en découvre toutes les subtilités qui en font plus qu’un simple CD de rap-électro. ToastDawg commente: «La façon dont on travaille pour le beat, c’est encore à partir des samples. Comme j’ai toujours fait. Sauf qu’au lieu de sampler du jazz-soul des années 70, je sample plus des choses des années 80.» R.U. poursuit: «On est partis des maquettes de ToastDawg, puis on a complété avec pas mal d’arrangements. On avait trois musiciens: deux claviéristes, qui jouaient des keys très vintage, et Seb Ruban (réalisateur de l’album Deluxxx d’Atach Tatuq et guitariste avec DJ Champion) à la console.»
AUTO-REVERSE
Justement, par rapport à Deluxxx et à Atach Tatuq, ressentent-ils une brisure dans le style musical? «On était beaucoup, dans Atach Tatuq. On était douze. C’est certain que Payz Play ne ressemble pas à ce que les autres faisaient, ou ont fait post-Atach Tatuq. Mais oui, ça ressemble à nos propres tounes au sein d’AT. Je ne pense pas que j’ai réinventé mon style. Au contraire, j’ai vraiment un sentiment d’appartenance à Payz Play. [...] C’est la même technique de travail à la base. Et c’est le même rap. Écoute Chambre à Gaz Feng-Shui, sur Deluxxx. On dirait que c’est la première toune de Payz Play», me confie R.U.
Si Chambre à Gaz Feng-Shui est la première chanson non officielle de Payz Play, l’«officielle», ou du moins «publiquement officielle», est probablement McFly, en collaboration avec Omnikrom, une pièce testée à plusieurs reprises lors des concerts du trio trop banane. Puis est apparu sur les Internets le morceau Il était 2 fois, la composition la plus électro du nouvel album, paradoxalement basée sur le sample le plus âgé du record, datant de la fin des années 60. L’album comporte aussi des pièces en collaboration avec Carole Facal (Dobacaracol) et DB (Division Blindée), un groupe mythique de l’underground montréalais.
Et l’origine du nom Payz Play, c’est quoi? «On voulait de quoi de super simple: deux-trois syllabes, concis, qui claque», explique Égypto, avant que n’enchaîne R.U.: «On est contents avec ce nom-là parce que ça peut représenter n’importe quel style de musique. D’un autre côté, c’est une proposition et un ordre en même temps. Payz Play, tu verras ben.»
