Category Archives: Mini-Review

Matt Penman – Good Question

by Dæv Tremblay

The Music

The Words

Modern jazz, with its emphasis on rhythm, above harmony or melody, has swiftly become one of my favourite and most sought-after subgenres of jazz music. I believe this was kickstarted in me by the amazing group Ikarus, which commonly uses various metres against one another to great effect. Today’s subject follows that train of thought on Good Question.

As a starting point, the first track starts off with what sounds like a \(\frac{13}{16}\) melody over \(\frac{13}{8}\) chords. While these two voices resolve every two measures, it’s interesting to hear and a bit jarring at … Read more

Kaguu – Wistful

by Dæv Tremblay

The Music

The Words

I remember last year, when I covered Kaguu‘s debut, I was very fond of their sweet tap-and-math rock. It’s cheerful and, simply, beautiful. Well, it’s one year later, and the band’s sophomore is here!

Wistful takes the same mentality that made Hawkridge wonderful, and expands upon it. Not only is it longer than the previous EP, it’s also better in every respect; as a ripened fruit. Playful and sweet, it’s one of the finest math rock releases of the year so far. It’s not perfect, however. I like and enjoy the humanness of the … Read more

Délétère – De hōrae leprae

by Dæv Tremblay

The Music

The Words

Of leper hours–De hōrae leprae–; of Terēdinis the leper–”Terēdinis lepra”–, prophet of the Centipèdes. Dejection of society, leprous and miasmatic, offering sacrifices to Locusta; eat the rich! eat the rich! and offer sigils your rotting canvas. Forty days and countless plagued souls for thirteen Chthonians to rid the world of the light. The heir of boreworms, Terēdinis, ventures into the nine Circles to cast pestilence upon the world.

That’s the concept behind the album, in a nutshell. Délétère, from Québec, offers us the newest release in the exclusive “métal noir québécois” genre. This … Read more

Graz Composers Orchestra Meets Claudia Döffinger, Evil Genius, Robert J. Zimmer?, Chris Pitsiokos Unit, Sudan Archives, Christophe Monniot & Le Grand Orchestre du Tricot, Ingrina, C0mputer, and Dischordia

by Dæv Tremblay

Graz Composers Orchestra Meets Claudia Döffinger – Monochrome

The big band of the talented Graz composers ensemble plays here the wonderful album Monochrome, which is everything but. It is filled with counterpoints, battling themes, and solos to give you chills. The album was released in January, but it’s never too late to enjoy a perfectly ripe fruit. One of the highlights of jazz and big band music of 2018 already!

Evil Genius – Experiments on Human Subjects

Los Angeles’ Evil Genius trio is a guitar-tuba-drums team playing rocking jazz with a few avant-garde and experimental tendencies. There’s a bunch … Read more

Le Baron de Vincèse – Pectine & Grotonus

by Dæv Tremblay

The Music

The Words

I’ve been attracted towards Le Baron de Vincèse‘s newest release, Pectine & Grotonus, because of the “math rock” tag that was attached to it. However, what I found is something much deeper and more complex than a single brief descriptor could convey. Innocently enough, I listened to the first minute or so of a song and thought to myself: “Yeah, that is some pretty good math rock alright!” However, things changed (for the better) soon after.

A more accurate, but less concise way of referring to their style of music would definitely include the … Read more