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What do you consider to be the darkest piece of music you’ve ever heard?
It’s a tough question because almost everything I listen to could be considered somewhat dark. The first one that comes to mind is “Taker” by DIIV from the album Deceiver. There is something about that song that makes me feel like I’m all alone, trapped in the void, but in a surprisingly comforting way.
How would you characterize your own music?
I’d describe it as dark, provocative, and kinda dancy. Our themes are generally sad, and the overall vibe tends to be gloomy, yet we keep it upbeat. We tackle heavy subjects but in a way that feels empowering and makes you want to move, almost making it fun.
What are your musical aspirations?
We’d LOVE to tour around Europe. Maybe it’s a romanticisation being a band from North America, but the idea of being able to tour and so quickly be able to reach so many different types of people and different cultures is amazing. Being from Montreal, we can drive 13 hours and still be in the same province. Plus, there’s a huge darkwave scene in lots of places across Europe - the UK, Germany, Scandinavia, to name just a few- and we’d love to connect with those audiences and bands, and if we could, even work with other artists we admire in the scene.
What are your main musical inspirations?
We definitely draw from synth-based bands from the 80’s - Depeche Mode, Joy Division - but more recent examples would be darkwave/post-punk artists like Selofan and Boy Harsher - driving, synth bass, dancy and mechanical drums, almost hypnotic rhythms, but really high energy.
What are your main goals in life?
That’s a hard one. I guess just trying to make the world a better place in any way I can, whether it’s through music or through my line of work. Take care of the people around me and be mindful of the good moments that come my way.
What motivates you to create?
Emotions! Whenever something makes me feel something in my daily life, I try to harvest it and turn it into a song, a theme, a melody, anything. And then obviously, the beauty of sharing those captured states with the world. Even if it just reaches one person, it’s magical to be able to communicate something and be heard or even understood.
Are you more of an early bird or a night owl?
Neither to an extreme, but I tend to be more productive in the evening.
Besides music, what other art forms would you like to explore?
We are excited by the idea of combining multiple art forms on stage - projections, dancing, special effects. It would be a chance to layer different artistic spheres and create an intense experience and performance, especially for our more high-energy songs. We know so many talented artists in and around Montreal, and this would give us a chance to collaborate with people in a way that is not only musical. We want people to walk away from the concert not only moved by the music, but by the performance as a whole. When people talk about seeing live music, they often say “Let’s go to a show.” We want to put on a show.
Which is the very first record that had a big impact on you?
Not sure it’s the most original answer, but I’d have to say The Bends by Radiohead. It’s no longer an album I listen to regularly, but each time one of those tracks comes on, it's like a nostalgic time warp back to my teenage years.
What is the best decade for music?
The 80’s! Everything about it, the sounds, the aesthetic, the little glowy touch. If you listen to our music, you can definitely tell that’s where we get a lot of our inspiration from.
What do your future plans include?
We’re about to finally release our first EP! It’s called Cope With Me, and we can’t wait for people to finally hear the songs we’ve been crafting for so long. But the thing is, we never really stopped writing. We already have more songs to share in the months that will follow the release. I think it’s something a lot of bands go through; you can’t really turn the creativity off. The recording process is finished, but we’re already itching to get back in the studio. We’re excited to go on a more introspective journey with these new songs, while at the same time maintaining a cohesive sound. That being said, it’s important to not get too far ahead of ourselves. We just finished this EP, we’re really proud of it, and we’re going to take some time to really appreciate how much hard work went into it while we prepare for shows this summer!
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MINDREADER
Band photography by Maison Toki / Philippe Manh Nguyen
All questions answered by Val
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