Artist: Canyons Title: Keep Your Dreams Label: Modular Genre: Sleazy house jams, electronic pop Format: Gatefold LP, CD, Digital
Since decamping to Sydney from Perth and launching their own label, Hole In The Sky, Australian duo Canyons (aka Leo Thomson and Ryan Grieve) have put out a heady mixture of spacey, psychedelic disco-tinged house. Although their first releases (which included tracks under the pseudonyms Fred Cherry & The Templates) flew under the radar of most, they did not escape the attention of key tastemakers: the Canyons soon released 12”s on DFA and I’m A Cliché and were snapped up by Aussie indie dance giants Modular for an album deal. Their EP for DFA featured two captivating, sleazy house jams in “Fire Eyes” and “Dancing On Silk”, while “Blue Snakes” appeared on the same Moments Of A Crisis compilation on Cosmo Vitelli’s eagle eyed I’m A Cliché that debuted Azari & III’s now ubiquitous “Hungry (For The Power)”.
It became quickly apparent that the Canyons sound was a diverse one. Tracks like “Busride To The Zoo” and a remix of Tame Impala’s “Half Full Glass Of Wine” emerged from a dense haze of bong smoke, all low slung riffage and, in the case of the former, monkey shrieks; then there were quirky, upbeat moments like “More Champagne” and “Apples & Pears”; “Big City Lights” meanwhile showcased a penchant for starry-eyed downtempo excursions, while “Blue Snakes” was a raw, throbbing slice of techno that found its way onto Agoria’s 2011 Fabric mix. Indeed “Blue Snakes” is the only track that makes it onto their debut album, Keep Your Dreams, and by the time we reach it we’ve already heard a breathless opening two track segue (“Circadia” into “Under A Blue Sky”), a largely successful attempt at daytime radio-friendly/TV sports soundtrack material (“My Rescue”) and the brilliant, Mr Fingers-inspired “See Blind Through”, which features some drunkenly pitched down vocals from Ramona Gonzalez of Nite Jewel. Indeed on the first half of the album, it’s only the somewhat hit-and-miss electro pop of “Sun & Moon” that doesn’t live up to Ryan & Leo’s lofty standards, coming across as a bit too polished.
Two things become apparent as the album drifts towards its conclusion. First, the duo have not shied away from the challenge of working with a range of vocalists, and, second, they have fully indulged a predilection for squealing/smokey (delete where appropriate) saxophone solos. Of the vocal contributions, it’s Gonzalez’s unexpectedly treated effort and “Tonight”, featuring the unmistakable tones of Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker, which shine brightest. Indeed it’s “Tonight”, with its shimmering guitars, sepia tinted vocals and groggy pop sensibility, existing at the lonely crossroads of commercial success and underground reverence, which provides the neatest summation of what the Canyons are all about.
Woolfy’s debut solo album If You Know What’s Good For Ya! released collectively between New York’s disco titans Rong and DFA last year was filled to the brim with under appreciated gems. “Looking Glass” perhaps stood tallest and demanded your attention most; mercilessly short for electronic music at just under four minutes, it packed enough potent synth drama and lyrical wistfulness to demand repeat listens. A two minute burst of golf claps to DFA for allowing Woolfy the chance to revisit the track and expand upon its qualities is certainly in order.
Inherently warmer in feel, Woolfy’s ‘expanded version’ also allows prominence for the bontempi style synth melody to shine. This element is discarded altogether by rising British DJ/ Producer Foolish Felix aka Felix Dickinson, of London’s excellent Bad Passion Project monthlies, on a remix that begins all acid house before a swift French Kiss tempo breakdown marks the onset of something wholly more psychedelic. Expanding on this psychedelic hue, Australian duo Canyons provide perhaps the most richly rewarding version to close proceedings. Beginning with a tapestry of acoustics and gentle piano melodies, the remix gradually accrues pace, with a subtle beat that never imposes itself. Woolfy’s distinct vocal refrain becomes ever more poignant it as it is drowned in vast echo.
“My Rescue”, the new single from Juno Plus favourites Canyons, now has its own video featuring a frankly scary looking warrior going to town on an opposing tribe.
Cosmo Vitelli is a tastemaker extraordinaire (even if he’s reluctant to admit it). His boutique I’m a Cliché label has steadily built a devoted following in its first five years of existence, unleashing the likes of Yuksek, Simian Mobile Disco, Canyons, Azari & III and Runaway on the record buying public. On top of his work as a label chief, Vitelli continues to innovate and surprise with his own productions. The recent Blue Steel EP, released under the Bot’Ox moniker, was described by Juno Plus scribe Tony Poland as “that most difficult of achievements for electronic music producers – a finely crafted slice of three minute pop music”. With a Bot’Ox LP on the way in 2010, we spoke with Vitelli via email about running a label, why Paris is “annoying” and his potential career in A & R.
Artist: Juan Maclean Title: A/V Remix Project Label: Scion/DFA Genre: Disco/Nu-Disco Format: Digital Buy From:Juno Download
Opening with a surprising take on the desolate, down-trodden piano ballad, “Human Disaster”, House of House show exactly what a remix can do for a track – spin it around and turn it on its head so it becomes a completely different animal. And in this case a hungry one, gradually fattening itself up with every layered effect over the track’s eight minute sprawl. Blending together deep house tones with combination percussion and cut-up, looped together vocal distortions, the NYC pair maintain the momentum throughout beautifully.
Irishman Marcus Lambkin a.k.a. Shit Robot, stiffens up the more limber original of “No Time” with a deeper, more robust bassline which gives the track an oddly sinister feel. Combined with the pint-sized Nancy Whang’s aloof, icy vocals, the track becomes sassy, and starkly sexy. Meanwhile, having peeled away the surface polish of “Accusations” by re-recording the bassline with his own analogue synths, Gavin Russom replaces the rippling piano notes of the original with hollow maraca-esque percussion under lingering cosmic waves. The cruisy disco-funk vibe of the original is still there, but it’s less quirky, more otherworldly.
And speaking of otherworldly, Sydney duo Canyons, take “The Future Will Come” even further out to space, starting it off with a deep bass loop coupled with peculiar metallic echoes and sheepish robot wails before it kicks into gear with a retro drum roll and ghostly whisper.
Playing off skittering computer bleeps and a startling “woosh!” or two, the gentle quivering wails are alternated with eighties-inspired synths to give the forward-looking title track a slick-but-offbeat treatment.
It’s been a watershed year for Londoner Matt Walsh, with the release of the debut Clouded Vision EP on his own imprint, some fine remixes on esteemed labels Turbo and XL and a slew of DJ slots at festivals and clubs across the UK and Europe. He’s a man with a finger very much on the pulse of electronic music – a connoisseur of everything from deep techno to peak time disco. He guided us through his top 12″s for November (plus a CD or two).
Ryan Grieve and Leo Thomson – aka Canyons – have their fingers in many musical pies. The Aussie duo have a debut album due out on Modular in 2010, following on from recent hit singles with James Murphy’s DFA and French imprint I’m A Cliché. They also run their own independent label Hole In The Sky, and are working on a live show that is due to hit the road in the new year. They took some time out from a hectic schedule to speak to Juno Plus about New York boat parties, DJing in dive bars and collaborating with Nicholas Cage.
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