June, 2004

STOP DIE RESUSCITATE

WAVELENGTH 216 -- Sunday June 6, 12am

Purveyors of: Omni-hop
WWW.stopdie.com

Stop Die Resuscitate is a mixed bag of Aesop-style rhymes, crate-dug beats and unabashedly soulful vocal hooks. The new record was just released on their own Stop Die records and the band have taken to the stage to translate what was first simply a recording project into a full-fledged live electronic act. Neil Hamburger got the skinny on where they came from, who they run with and what's planned for the future.

Stop Die is a mish-mash of a lot of different styles and even a varied set of musicians. How did the band develop, both personally and musically? The band is still technically developing -- also it started off as a recording project, so it's been interesting trying to replicate and enhance that live. We have just added a drummer now as well. Initially Surge (a.k.a. Lyle) heard Luke's voice on a demo and wanted do some tracks with him. It got delayed because of an apartment flood. Then Luke met Dukes (a.k.a. Ndidi) at a fashion show, they had friends and interests in common. Then she was asked to sing on some tracks and then they were writing songs for the project. We all have an array of musical/literary/visual influences, so we all bring new stuff to each other which may or may not change the approach to a certain song.

What's the songwriting process like? Is the track made and then the respective vocalists add their parts, or is it a more collaborative process? Sometimes we will sit at Surge's and come up with a song on the fly. Sometimes we have lyrics stashed away that seem to fit a certain mood that he's created. Or he'll throw something at us and we'll both come up with something on our own and see if they can be integrated, or if someone really wants the track for themselves, then it's theirs. The next album will see more of both Dukes and Luke on the same track.

I hear you've done some work with Moonstarr. Does the band have more outside work planned? I (Luke) am personally hoping to do more stuff with Moon in the future, but he's a very busy guy. Plus he's in Montreal now. He threw this thing I did just messing around onto a Rednose Distrikt remix of his. Basically we are open to collaboration with good people who make interesting music -- it would be nice to work with some of our friends on projects together. We're open to any kind of collaboration, really -- our album release was at Mind Control Gallery, and we had a shitload of artists working in various styles, so in a sense that was a collaboration of sorts. Or we will work with people who will pay us lots and lots of money for more credibility.

How has the album been received? Well, we've been getting a lot of feedback from people who like new and interesting music (Denise Benson, Ben Rayner, LAL). The best though, was when I was at a show and I talked to this guy who bought our CD and he said he was listening to it before he went out that night. That was wicked.

Now that the record is done and out, what now? Well, we need to push it more, do more press mailouts and more shows and whatnot. Unfortunately, I had to go to the Philippines right after the album release, so it was difficult to get all the press shit together. Hopefully with time, more money, and better organization, Stop Die Records will become more than a vanity label. We've begun to mess around with new songs and are bringing more improvisation into the mix for live shows.

Toronto seems to be getting more and more electronic every day. Do you feel part of a larger scene or do you try to keep yourselves away from that sort of thing? Well we are about to do a show with LAL and Moonstarr, so yes, Rose (from LAL) has practically been our manager, getting us shows and giving us guidance. I think Toronto's indpendent electronic/rap scene is starting to make its presence felt. 4th Pyramid is signed to Def Jux, Moon's on Compost, so Toronto is getting recognition. People here are starting to figure out that we don't have to emulate whatever's fashionable or be “the new” to get heard.

BY NEIL HAMBURGER

GHISLAIN POIRIER

WAVELENGTH 216 -- Sunday June 6, 11pm

Purveyors of: Ambi-hop
www.intr-version.com

Ghislain Poirier's organic, hip-hop-inflected beatscapes have been released on such renowned labels as Chocolate Industries and intr_version. He'll be putting the dip in your hip with his microchip at Wavelength on June 6. Represent! It seemed odd to me at first that Ghislain Poirier, convicted electronic musician, didn't want to carry out an interview over email. “What the shit?” I asked myself. “Did I accidentally email Ghislain Poirier, Sr.?” As the interview unfolded, however, it became clear that this Montrealer was an atypical electronic musician in more ways than just his reluctance to communicate via electronic mail.

Your bio talks a lot about your work as a visual artist. Why are you compelled to create in both mediums? Well, to tell you the truth, music is taking an ever-larger place in my life. I don't do any more drawings or paintings; I may come back to it later, though. It was really a matter of space and time. Not enough space in my apartment, not enough time. Music is really 100% of what I do now. At least it's still creating! (laughs)

What are you planning on unleashing on us here in Toronto? I'm pretty excited --- I'm bringing an MC named Séba with me to Toronto. He's worked with me on my last two albums. He and I, we're a team. We'll be working a lot more together. How'd you get hooked up with Séba? I was DJing a poetry night, and he came up on stage and just started freestyling over beats. It took about a year for him and me to get started working together -- but now, we're a team. We'll be working a lot more together. What's this Sneaky Dee's place like, anyway? Is it a bar, a club? How's the sound?

It's more a bar. Sound is loud. Bring earplugs. Great. We're really excited about Toronto -- I think I've only played there once before, a while back.

You're excited? I'm excited. What's knocking your socks off these days? I love all of Madlib's stuff: Madvillain, Jaylib... Prefuse 73 is amazing as well. Also DJ/Rupture on Tigerbeat6 -- but lately I've also been listening to a lot of afrobeat, soul, ragga, anything that's not electronic music.

Why the move away from electronic music? Electronic music used to be challenging, about pushing sound further. Now, it seems like the work of pioneers is just being repeated, being done over. Hip-hop is fun! I love the interaction between the audience and the MC. I like that the way I'm working now lets me push the boundaries, but also have fun.

So can I have your computer, then? I'm still using computers. I don't change my technique, just my output. It's the feeling, the finished product that matters. If you do it with turntables, with an MPC, acoustic -- I don't care. I don't put technique before music.

Whoa -- hold on, let me write that down. Okay.

Anything else I should tell the people? We're seriously excited about coming to Toronto. We are going to have a lot of fun at this show!

BY BUNK BEDOUIN

VITAMINSFORYOU

WAVELENGTH 216 -- Sunday June 16, 11pm

Purveyors of: Montronica
www.sfeericle.com/vitaminsforyou

When Bryce from the electronic band vitaminsforyou played for an audience of 1500 at the Cabaret du Plateau in Montreal, he thought he would be booed off the stage. Luckily, this is not what fate had in store for him.

“I usually enjoy playing in smaller, more intimate gallery spaces,” he explains, “but it ended up being awesome playing in such a big place for so many people.”

Though Bryce won't divulge what he describes as the “long and boring” story behind his one-man band's unique title, he says it has something to do with his hometown of Winnipeg. The musician's work, like his eclectic stage name, has been called “experimental” and while Bryce agrees, he says he believes it is also accessible.

“My music comes from a lot of different places,” he says. “It's not your average pop song, but most people get it.”

Vitaminsforyou began in 1998, with the band's genre of music allowing Bryce to perform onstage as well as collaborate with other art forms, such as theatre, animation and dance. In 2002 Bryce moved eastward from Winnipeg to Quebec for a change of venue.

“Montreal is really great in supporting music and the arts in general,” he explains. “There are so many more people, which I think translates into more opportunities.”

Though a large part of his career has involved doing projects for other people, Bryce's recent focus has been on playing live shows and recording. Vitaminforyou's first full-length album entitled I'm Sorry Forever and For Always came out last November and was met with critical acclaim, with Night Life magazine describing it as “a sublimely human album.” Bryce is concentrating on releasing another album by the end of 2004 and is currently working with artist Sook-Yin Lee and singer Emm Gryner, among others. On May 4 vitaminsforyou began a 19-day countrywide tour with two other Quebec musicians. The tour kicked off in Montreal and will make its way to Vancouver, dipping into the United States for two shows. Bryce's tour gear includes two laptops, a guitar, a keyboard and a glockenspiel.

“I usually play with a band, but for this tour I'm trying to do it all myself,” he says. However, at his Wavelength set on June 6, vitaminsforyou will be joined onstage by tour-mate Montag (www.montag.ca).

THE ABSENT SOUND

WAVELENGTH 217 -- Sunday June 13, 11pm

Purveyors of: It sounds like snow

The Absent Sound hails from good ole' Winnipeg, MB. They're into combining a progressive ambient rock sound with visual aids to create an experience that thrills the senses. You may be asking yourself: “Which senses are they going to thrill?” I'm sorry to report that they won't be thrilling our sense of taste. It's pretty unfortunate, seeing as how I always get hungry late at night. However, they do have most of the other bases covered. Makr B sent digital mail to Winnipeg and received the following in response. Who is The Absent sound and what do you do? We are human beings reaching out with our music and thoughts. I, Rob Menard, play guitar and create the samples and loops/keyboards. Dave Fort plays guitar and a bit of voice. Dr. Seth plays violin. Freya Bjorg Olafson: choreographer/dancer. Brian Longfield: choreographer/stilt walk/film loops.

How did the band come together? We decided to collaborate while working at John Bosco Camp in Saskatchewan and wanting to carry on the spirit of our childhood through music. What made you decide to incorporate film loops/performance and dance into the live show? To make it a total sensory experience. Some performers are naturally evolving with us to create a whole production.

What type of audience reaction do you usually get? People are quite blown away by the whole experience. We get a lot of people thanking us for what they say was a spiritual experience. While we play, they are completely tuned in and not a peep in the crowd until we are through. It has been very nice, the reactions from the different crowds.

Any new recorded material we should be on the lookout for? Yes indeed we are releasing our new album Music to Live and Die To on May 28th here in Winnipeg and we'll have it with us on the road. CIUT FM 89.5 has a copy if you'd like to hear it.

What type of show can the kids in Toronto expect? It is very nice this time around because we have our full unit together so we will put on our whole show. Our dancer and stilt walker will perform their piece to the engaging music as the film loops are projected on the screen. And who knows what else will happen in a live sense.

What kind of images and feelings are you trying to create for the audience? Inspiration and an intense but peaceful means of facing ourselves. It's really up to you how it makes you feel.

POINTS TO VICTIM

WAVELENGTH 217 -- Sunday June 13, 10pm

Purveyors of: Armed and Hamilton
www.geocities.com/pointstovictim

Points to Victim was, until recently, called Reason Pause. They've played with Les Mouches, Sing That Yell That Spell, and controller.controller. They are four guys, one of whom is named “Jag.” Seriously. Ryan McLaren exchanged emails with Jag in a vain attempt at garnering insight.

What are your names and what roles do you play in the band? Jag -- guitar, Scott -- keys and found sounds, Darren -- percussion, Kris -- bass.

Where are you guys from? Where do you call home? And what're your last names? We're from Hamilton. Hamilton is home. Last names are confidential.

What's the story behind the name change? We used to be called Reason Pause. A member left and I felt it was necessary for something new, hence the name change.

How'd you come up with that name? I watched CNN for about seven hours one day -- all stoned -- and I thought, “Goddamn. How many victims of war, violence, abuse etc. must fingers be pointed at?” I was thoroughly disgusted with how I saw the media at that given time.

So how long has this band been together, as Points to Victim? As Points to Victim, about a month.

How did the band form and how long have you been playing together? Well... Scott and I (members of the uber-ambient low frequency, pilot) decided to bring elements and textures from playing together in that environment and combine those with a tight rhythm section. Scott and I have been playing together for about a year, Darren and Kris entered earlier this year.

So you're also in a band called Pilot (“uber-ambient, low-frequency”)? Is that right? How do you and Scott decide if something is a Points to Victim sound, or a Pilot sound? How are the two different for you? I'm also in a band called low frequency, pilot. I drive the bus. I will get you there safely. I make the rules. The two aren't different. I still drive the bus.

How did you end up creating this sound? Is there an underlying philosophy? With a noose and clamp. I drive the bus.

What's your favourite kind of guitar and why? The Telecaster, of course. It's all I have.

What are some of your influences? Anything that has to do with Vincent Gallo.

What do you like better, Vincent Gallo's movies, Vincent Gallo's music, or Vincent's Gallo photography? Vincent Gallo. Enough said.

If you were given the chance to create the soundtrack to any movie, whether it be past, present, or imaginary, what movie would the Points to Victim sound best compliment? I'd prefer flowers and clowns to accompany our music. Quite fitting, I think.

Describe, if you can, the best show you've ever played and what made it so great. We haven't played a best of show yet. Give us 5 years. Or wait for the CD.

How about the worst? Every show in Hamilton.

What do you do outside of the band? Lots of things.

Where do you see yourselves in 10 years? Don't ask.

Let's say you've just found out that the stock market is going to crash tomorrow. And you also discovered that pineapples turn into grapefruits whenever someone whispers “peanut butter monkey potato” during an east wind. Foregoing any possible developments in chaos theory, what smell will be most pervasive among Junior Administrative Assistants? Feces.

MACH TIVER

WAVELENGTH 218 -- Sunday June 20, 12am

Purveyors of: Sibling-rivalry rock
www.machtiver.cjb.net

After many years on the road, Toronto (via Brighton, ON) sibling duo Mach Tiver are calling it quits after their summer tour. Their high energy rock shows and beautiful hand-packaged CDs will surely be missed by all who have been touched by the Mach Tiver experience over the years. As a practical joke, I intended to send interview questions originally published in a Hulk Hogan interview, but could only find questions pertaining to “what it's like to be back?”... so, this is what I came up with on my own. Adam answered from the road by email.

Tell us a bit about who you are, where you're from, and what you do. We are Adam and Shannon Goodwin. Originally from Brighton, ON, but now Shannon lives in Toronto and works as a child care provider and I live in St. John's, NF, in a perpetual state of education. I play bass and Shannon plays drums and we both sing and scream a lot.

After noting that your band is a sibling duo, what is the next key point usually mentioned by journalists? It is usually that we seem to tour a lot, which is true. The tour that we are just completing, which is our last, is the tenth one we have done in the last six years.

In the past, you have added a second bass player. Why not add a guitar? We have had a second bass player and the reason we don't have one anymore, which will also answer the question of why not add a guitar player, is that we have always felt the most comfortable writing songs with just the two of us. Whenever we have had a third member the writing process always seemed to take so much longer. Maybe if we had another sibling they could have been the third member and played guitar, keyboard or bassoon.

What is your favourite record from the mid-90's early “emo” scene? Adam: Shotmaker -- The Crayon Club, a close second would be the Shotmaker/Maximillian Colby split LP. Sometimes it is hard to pick between them. Shannon: Ana Sarca -- “East Bunk Hill”/”Eugene Debs” 7”

Is it true that Adam does the driving and Shannon does the sleeping? Yes. So far this tour Shannon has driven for approximately five minutes, but she has done some intense van napping. Luckily for me though, we have a seasoned road dog named Kyle that splits the driving with me. Where is your favourite tour stop in Canada? In the U.S? Our favourite place ever on tour I think would be Calgary, AB. we have played absolutely incredible shows there and met so many great people. When we first started to tour, our favourite U.S. place would have been Meadville, PA, but now I think it might be Denver, CO.

If Mach Tiver were a Playstation game, which would you be? I think we would be Britney's Dance Beat. We have all the bass pumping and the hot dance rhythms.

Tell us a bit about your new record. Is it the last from Mach Tiver? The new record, one beat, one chord, is indeed the last Mach Tiver record. We recorded in December with our friend Alex Durlak, who has done the last two records as well. We went a little insane on the packaging this time around. Shannon and her knitting circle knitted the first 100 CD sleeves. The rest are packaged in sewn felt sleeves. All are closed with a nice Mach Tiver button. We are really happy with how it turned out. Thanks a lot to Alex and Ryan Mills, who mastered it.

What's next for Mach Tiver? It seems weird that after August, Mach Tiver will pretty much be done, but it has been increasingly difficult for us to write and practise for the last year or so due to my living in Newfoundland. There are bunch of things going on with both of us. I am playing in a band out in St. John's, Beaumont Hamel, in which I just do vocals and we should be playing in Toronto at the end of August. Shannon plays in the infamous Cougar Party, doing both drumming and vocals.

PEOPLE FOR AUDIO

WAVELENGTH 218 -- Sunday June 20, 11pm

Purveyors of: Sonic city sketches
www.peopleforaudio.com

Montreal has accumulated quite the coterie of large-ensemble rock groups that use orchestral instrumentation to create wide-canvas compositions of epic proportions. You can add People for Audio to that list, though they are neither as mournful as the Constellation crowd, nor as poppy and theatrical as the Arcade Fire -- and they told the string section to stay home. There's a cool, jazzy undercurrent to their insistently flowing audio city sketches (befitting songs like “Sidewalks and Skylines”) that reminds me of British post-rock progenitors Talk Talk and Bark Psychosis (some have waited two years to say that again -- repetitive ed.) -- albeit with more muscular Ontarian dynamics, à la Slow Loris or Holding Pattern. There's not a wasted moment in People for Audio tunes; no mean feat considering some of them stretch into the 12-minute range. The group's Jeff McMurrich-produced debut is greatly anticipated -- at least by Jonny Dovercourt, who chatted with guitarist Curtis Stone via email.

The People for Audio biopic would involve location shoots in British Columbia, Guelph and Montreal. Can you give us the edited-for-Wavelength version please? Bill, Keiko, and Curtis all met four years ago out west and then moved to Guelph in 2002. They started playing shows with Rich on bass and recorded their first album in Toronto. We now all live in Montreal and have added Adam on lap steel and Scott doing projected imagery. We have our first album titled ...and this will be our homecoming‚ coming out very, very soon on Storyboard Records.

You claim classical, avant-garde and minimalist influences, and I hear some jazziness as well, all of which seem to set you apart from your “we've heard Godspeed and want to try something like that” peers. Have any of you studied music or composition? If so, how does it affect your music-making? We've all been to school for music (except Scott) and I think it definitely has an effect on our writing and the way we go about arranging a song. It has helped out a lot in communicating ideas.

Is going to music school the new punk rock? I really don't think so.

Toronto super-producer Jeff McMurrich recorded your first album. Tell us how you hooked up with him, and describe the experience of working with him. We knew that we wanted to capture the live energy of the compositions and as soon as we heard what Jeff had done with Rockets Red Glare, we knew he was the guy to do it. We were fortunate that he saw what we were trying to do and was willing to help us out. He has really great ideas and he knew exactly what we wanted. There's not enough space here to fully describe how much respect and gratitude we have for him. He's a true gift to your city.

What plans do you have for unleashing this recording on the world? Is there a concept or theme that unites the record? We're going to put it (...and this will be our homecoming) out on our own, under the name Storyboard. It's been a long time coming, but it should be in our hands shortly. I think I can speak for everyone by saying we've all sort of been in a state of flux the past few years, so the tone of the album just came naturally. It has a drive to it that to me really captures the emotions of being in transition and feelings of nostalgia. As the name of the album suggests, it deals with the comings and goings in life.

I hear People for Audio have also become People for Video with the addition of a graphic designer/photographer/videographer to your line-up. Why do you think it's so important to provide the audience with a “full multi-media experience?” The imagery provides us with another tool for creating a memorable experience. A lot of the imagery deals with memory, so part of the experience is to create something lasting in the audience. We try to approach the projections like another instrument in the compositions.

Arcade Fire, Bell Orchestre, Black Ox Orkestar... you adopted hometown of Montreal is certainly not orchestrally challenged. What's the story? Some of the music here is truly amazing. I'm really excited to be here and have local bands that I find inspirational.

PICNICBOY

WAVELENGTH 218 -- Sunday June 20, 10pm

Purveyor of: Maybe you're not in tune to my guitar

Picnicboy is Dave Rodgers' (Neck/Christiana, Mean Red Spiders) latest foray into pop brilliance. Picnicboy is named for the third song on The Residents' Commercial Album. The Blue Co-pilot sat down for a chat with Dave at Spiderhaus.

Pop
A good song is a good song. Many of the labels people have for certain kinds of music have a lot to do with the technology that's used. I think when it all comes down to it you have to take the song, pull it apart and really see its merit. The Residents and The Beach Boys and so many other exalted generators of great pop songs realized that when all's said and done it's the framework of the song that's important.

Seefeel
What I really liked about Seefeel was that (in the early '90s) few were really embracing the notion of marrying the kind of guitars they were using (sampling the guitars to create a whole new sound) with the dub basslines and the emphasis on rhythm and space. The influence of My Bloody Valentine was quite evident but Seefeel brought many more elements to it. They were definitely the most psychedelic and head-fucking of all the so-called shoegazer bands.

Song and Rhythm
I do tend to lean quite heavily on '70s art-rock, especially a lot of the German stuff (in spirit and also, some of those records have great sounds). Kraftwerk demonstrated that you could do a band totally electronically -- what a liberating notion that was! I named one of my songs “Morgenspaziergang” after the Kraftwerk song because it basically was about a morning walk. It doesn't sound as idyllic as Kraftwerk, but...

Picnicboy came out of having certain realizations about music and culture and certain particular fascinations with it. Things like: '70s art-rock is the greatest music ever (yes, it has its flaws). The marriage of that sort of ambition and virtuosity and the whole punk idea of reinventing yourself has resulted in what I consider to be the most exciting music of the last decade or so. Performance I don't know if it was a reaction against what I was doing in Christiana... I mean, I'm still interested in short songs, I'm still playing live, but I'm not too interested in standing there -- I'm not a showman and I know it. I can't just stand there and be a pop-idol kinda guy singing these pre-recorded songs. So I've learned how to play the guitar parts after the fact, so it's fun for me -- I get to learn the songs twice. I get to see the songs inside and out.

Content
There are certain ideas that keep popping up in my mind -- one is that a lot of music of the kind I'm describing (read: art-rock) is made by young people with lots of time on their hands. They're young and they're pretty and they have all these resources at their disposal to make their music with.

I write a lot of the lyrics on my lunch hour so it's very informed by the whole idea of work and having to work and being in a large city that you don't really enjoy being in a lot of the time. I noticed with the lyrics I was writing in Christiana that there was no sex, no violence and no humour... and I really wanted to bring those issues into play. Sex and violence are so important -- they embody the ideas of perpetuating the species and that sometimes violence is necessary in order to preserve yourself.

No matter how music is made (computer-generated or not) there still has to be a human heart, no matter how sad or twisted or tortured or unrepentantly happy it is at any given time.

PONY DA LOOK

WAVELENGTH 219 -- Sunday June 27, 12pm

Purveyors of: British things made cooler by not being completely British
www.ponydalook.cjb.net

Local band Pony da Look's Temple Bates -- who was living in Winnipeg at the time of this interview -- says the long-distance song writing process since the band went on hiatus last fall was an interesting one. There is a sordid tale that deals with at least three defective pawn-shop tape decks in attempts to transfer her four-track demos to cassettes for the rest of the band. The women of Pony Da Look -- and their very long list of all-around-arts-accomplishments impress Randy Ray, who tried desperately to electronically extrapolate the collective answers of a band that haven't seen each other, let alone played together, in over eight months.

How many drummers have you had?
Catherine Stockhausen: I usually date guitar players.
Temple Bates: Rebecca has been our only drummer from the start and she's still kicking as much ass as ever -- more even!

Describe Pony da Look's ideal date (with who, where, activities, etc.):
Rebecca Mendoza: With my boyfriend at the beach -- popsicles, ghetto blaster, swimming, badminton, drive-in movie. Shediac, NB.
Amy Bowles: A man with extraordinarily large hands. He smiles wide and excitedly and plays instruments of all kinds. We sit in the open air at night while he plays and we watch every known insect that flies and glows but doesn't bite.
CS: My ideal date would be having a laugh with Owen Wilson, and maybe some smooching too.

What are the best/worst things about:
Toronto?
CS: No lakes to swim in (I'm a Halifax girl).
RM: Easy to cycle/all bikes are stolen.

Montreal?
CS: I don't speak French.
RM: Pretty city/too fashion forward--where are the ball caps?

Winnipeg?
TB: Winnipeg blew in the winter, but it was especially good for song writing. My apartment was so quiet that I could hear songs in my head all day and night...
RM: Good dancers/cold.
CS: I hear it's damn cold.

What is Pony da Look's favourite: Colour?
RM: Walls: Seafoam Green. Cotton: Brown. Spandex or Suede: Teal.
AB: Purple (it always has been).
CS: My favourite colour is purple.

Animal? AB: All of the cat family (because they are soft and strong).
CS: Cats (boring but they're so cute)
RM: Pony, duh!

Season?
RM: Fall, for leaves and smell of wood stoves. I like spring for the smell of worms too.
CS: Summer.
AB: In the UK, summer and first snowfall. In Canada, autumn and first snowfall.

Four favourite bands somewhat like Pony da Look:
AB: The Stranglers, The Cure, Uriah Heap, Kraftwerk.

Four favourite bands seemingly nothing like Pony da Look:
AB: Kevin Ayers, Roy Wood, E.L.O, Vollrath.

What's so good about music?
AB: There's nothing else like it.
RM: Everyone loves some kind of music. Even two painters, a photographer/TV producer, and a dancer can make some pretty cool songs.

What are your upcoming plans?
CS: Remembering all my PDL parts.
TB: After an eight-month hiatus, we will be reuniting to record some demos and play several shows in Toronto and hopefully Montreal this summer. We're hoping to record a new album this fall.

MASIA ONE

WAVELENGTH 219 -- Sunday June 27, 11pm

Purveyors of: British things made cooler by not being completely British
www.ponydalook.cjb.net

Masia One's journey into hip-hop started with a marketplace in Singapore. Shopping with her mother one day, she found a Public Enemy tape in a store full of bootlegs. Enticed by the cover, she purchased it, along with Bananarama. She was in grade two. Soon Bananarama was ditched and more Public Enemy was sought after. Upon her family's move from Singapore to Vancouver, access to hip-hop music and culture was no longer a problem. Presently, she has an architecture degree from U of T, her father sends her articles about William Hung (of American Idol fame) for inspiration, and her mother still wants her to become a banker.

Do you plan to use your architecture degree? No, no. I would always get projects back with, “This is the most creative design for the building. Unfortunately your building will not stand up.” I'm horrible -- I fucking suck at math, but it would always be this beautiful design for the building... And I'm not a meticulous person. With architecture you have to be so detailed, with the scale, and if something's off then everything's screwed up, so yeah, I'm not too hot at that. [laughs]

Why do you feel that hip-hop is the best way to express yourself? I think, because I fell in love with it at a young age. And I started getting into hip-hop culture, and looking at graffiti, thinking, “Oh, that's so cool, I want to do that”, and I started doodling all over my sketch books. I think that I just like expressing myself in really bold ways, and with hip-hop, when you have graffiti, the lines are thick and bold, and the colours are just at you. Or emcee-ing, you're always fighting, and saying “I'm the best!” So I think it's just a very natural way for me to express myself.

Are you tired of people asking you what it's like to be a female emcee? Oh, hell yeah! Or, “What is it like to be a female Asian emcee?” That's my favourite question.

What gets you out of bed in the morning? Are you a self-motivated person? [laughs] I used to be, I think. Umm, my computer? Cause I know I have emails that I have to go check. Hold on, let me think about this one. [long pause] Maybe this means I don't get out of bed in the morning! No, if I do, it's usually because I'm a robot, and I know that I have a lot of work to do, so I just have to get up, and I'm on my computer... Or if I smell food being cooked downstairs. That works, too.
Andrew (one of her roommates): That's not so often.
Masia: No, it's not.

Do you have a trait that surprises people once they get to know you? In terms of performance, no one expects me to have a bigger voice than I have... When I perform, everyone likes to call me a spoken word artist. Or they think I'm going to sing about my room, or something... It seems like the expectation is, if you're female and in hip-hop, and you're Asian, you're supposed to be demure to a certain extent. They expect you to just talk about conscious things... No one really expects me to yell “Y'all mother fuckers are Diz Knee Land,” over and over again. But on a personal level, I don't know what surprises people about me. That I eat a lot? I win eating contests... My record is thirteen plates at the Mandarin, and six bowls of ice cream... I still felt sick after, but maybe it was more about my pride than me being able to eat a lot.