By Bryen Dunn

Image - Bryen Dunn

They’re neither little, nor girls, but Toronto’s Little Girls are starting to create a big buzz on the indie scene. What began as a side project on a whim has quickly morphed into recognizable stature with accolades from leading international music aficionados, and opening slots alongside reputable headliners, such as Monotonix. Lead by the druid vocalist Josh McIntyre, they are yet another Toronto sensation from a city that seemingly breeds sonic youth.

McIntyre mentions listening to No Age and gaining inspiration from the raw sounds they were creating, and decided why not. From there he dug back a few years further and took a liking to the lo-fi predecessors, Artery, and chose to put his own spin on their tune “Heinz”. All of the recordings on their debut release “Concepts” were done at night at a home studio in his basement.

McIntyre is also a member of the Pirate/Rock duo, from which he took a short hiatus to put together the initial recordings for what would become Little Girls. The quirkly name was chosen because it would most likely keep his identity unknown, which apparently was not the case. He cites his influences as 70’s/80’s no-wave/post-punk/hip-hop, and there are obvious comparisons to Joy Division, Jesus and the Mary Chain, and Wire. The distorted sounds give a somewhat haunting, yet soothing massage to the ear drums. Plug in, lie back, and enjoy. When listening to the infectious lead single and video “Youth Tunes”, it’s nearly impossible to tell this was recorded in 2009, and not 1979.

The rest of the band consists Andrew Wilson on guitar, Joseph Roth on bass, and Anthony Gerace on drums. Catch them live on tour with You Say Party We Say Die and various guests. November dates include Windsor (18th), Waterloo (19th), Toronto (20th), Sudbury (21st), Winnipeg (25th), Saskatoon (26th), Edmonton (27th), Calgary (28th)

More Info - www.paperbagrecords.com, www.myspace.com/littlelittlegirls

Free Download - www.paperbagrecords.com/mp3s/LittleGirls-Heinz_Artery_Cover.mp3

Other Listens - www.myspace.com/arterysheffield, www.myspace.com/nonoage, www.myspace.com/pirateslashrock

Youth Tunes Live Video Recordings

Horseshoe Tavern - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPojJvHju-Q

Sonic Boom - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtrhgtFCyW4

By Mikhail Saavedra

When I think about Everything That’s Fly I think of something smooth yet fun. A sound anchored by the strength and silky voice of Pearl, their lovely chanteuse. Everything  That’s Fly is actually a trio of 3 old high school friends who have always shared a passion for music, Pearl, Pig & ear2ear are the names this crew are known as and we sat down with two of them to get a better sense of what they are all about on the eve of the release of their brand new album “…And She Smiled Back”. I sat down with the charming and refreshingly straight forward Pearl and ear2ear to get a sense of the present and future of Everything That’s Fly.

By Heidy Morales

Reel Asian’s Centrepiece Presentation: Red Heroine was a very popular screening at this year’s festival. This silent film from 1929 tells the story of Yun Mei, a young woman whose village has been destroyed and whose family has been killed by the military. She is saved by a taoist hermit, who helps train her in the art of hand and sword fighting. Now, if this isn’t enough to hook you in… there is more. The film’s presentation was accompanied by a new live score by the Devil Music Ensemble(DME).

BASICS #16 (Nov / Dec 2009)
by Derek Rosin

This November 1st, Nepal’s Maoist revolutionaries initiated a new mass movement aimed at bringing down the current government in Nepal. This potentially history-making movement is unfolding as we go to press.

The Maoists of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) began their rise to power and influence in 1996 by initiating a decade-long armed rebellion they called the “People’s War”. Starting off small, the Maoist movement was able to strengthen and grow by relying on and leading mostly-poor Nepali peasants to fight and overthrow the forces of government in the countryside, then represented by an absolute monarchy. In their place, they began constructing a new society by taking steps to end gender and caste oppression, introducing forms of popular democratic government, and providing for people’s basics needs like health care and education.

In November 2006, the UCPN(M) decided to end one phase of the revolution by signing a peace treaty with the country’s mainstream political parties – who for their own particular reasons could no longer tolerate the monarchist system.

As part of this agreement, an election was held for a Constituent Assembly to decide on the new structure of Nepalese government and society. In the April 2008 vote, Maoists emerged as the biggest and most influential party. This shocked nearly everyone except the Maoists themselves, who knew the huge support they had been building throughout Nepal. In May 2008, the monarchy was abolished. Shortly after that, Prachanda, leader of the UCPN(M), was elected Prime Minister.

By Mikhail Saavedra

How do you even begin to define the uniqueness of a film festival/media showcase/art exhibition like Alucine? The quick answer is that you probably cannot, and  that lack of a quick and easy definition insinuates depth and the unique richness of Alucine. There are clearly high ambitions behind the creators and organizers of this festival,  which you begin to notice it with the high quality of their media handouts, their Berlin-like guides, the ultra sharp and friendly staff/volunteers who made our visit perhaps one of the easiest ones in this year full of festivals. Alucine surprisingly lasts 3 full weeks during a time when most festivals seem to be going back to basics due the damage the economic downturn has caused.

What I found refreshing as well was the sheer energy and creativity in the way they use their resources and how unwilling the Alucine troupe seems to want to compromise their dreams of a diverse and grand festival. I spoke to the intense yet jovial executive director Sinara Rozo to get a sense of what Alucine is all about.

Sinara Rozo to the right and yours truly (with paint on my face) left

Sinara can you give us a bit of an overview of Alucine?

H! I am Sinara Roso I am the executive director an co-founder of Alucine Latin Media Festival, we began this project with Jorge Lozano back in 1995 when I came to Toronto. It was a by-annual event until 1999 when we were able to secure funds to operate thanks to the support of the different councils for the arts. We then started doing this annually. We are now celebrating our 10th year right now and we could not be happier! Now we are going big by extending the festival for 3 full weeks.

Sinara Rozo

Well we rely a lot in our community and our volunteers, and we are very committed and stubborn people because it has been really challenging, in fact we have almost the same funds, actually and in fact, we have lost some, but we went bigger because wanted to celebrate our 10th anniversary with a bang and we decided that nothing would stop us. Alucine grew from a 3 day event to a week event into a 10 day film and new media film festival, and then onto a very diverse and flexible festival. This time around we are doing 3 weeks because there is so much talent, a lot of films, video installations and people that we wanted to pay homage to. But how are we doing it? We are exhausted but we make it happen, it may be by virtue of a magic wand!

I sense a lot of passion involved in this, whether it be the volunteers or yourself. In an ideal world what are you hoping the people attending get from Alucine?

Well first of all we are hoping that everyone notices that there is a lot of Latino-Canadian talent. We want to be a window, a platform to connect all these artists on a national and international level. Secondly, we have a “Global Panorama ” films and installations where we bring people from all over the planet, which allows us to put our local people in a wider context. We need to always ask ourselves Who am I here? What am I doing in Canada? What am I doing in this continent? And who am I as an artist in this whole global era? That is the intention of the international program: to basically questions your own role as an artist.

Andres Garcia de la Rota

We also managed to speak to Colombian artist Andres Garcia de la Rota whose video installation “Magdalena River” caught our eye immediately this is what he had to say:

Tell me a bit about your intriguing piece?

Well I am from Bogota Colombia. Well my work speaks or better yet it is an investigation on the memory of the “Magdalena River”. It is the most important river in Colombia which the Spanish Conquistadores used to try to find El Dorado. The river is very important as well in terms of newer history as much of what happened back then is repeating itself.

How has the reception to your work been thus far?

This work has been incredibly important to me. When I originally went to the river I had a different concept that had more to do with the current situation of the farmers and fisherman there, but that all changed once I got to see the reality of the place after a big flood. I am hoping that when people look at this they will find that they are not merely looking at nature but that nature is looking back at you. It is very important to me as it earned me the National Art Prize in Colombia as well. I come from a country with a lot of violence in it and artists are trying to represent this violence in a very direct way. I prefer to not speak about violence but to showcase the ruins of what is left behind it by it.

Would you say that your work is ultimately optimistic or merely a reflection of the reality you faced?

I would have to say that my work is ultimately the poetry of a catastrophe…

"Magdalena River"

For more information on Alucine and all of its wonderful diversity please visit www.alucinefestival.com for a full listing of all the events in the next 3 weeks! We will bring you further coverage in the weeks to come!

By Jennifer Finjan

When I think of Chris McKean’s (aka DJ irGO) contribution to the Toronto house music scene, it begins in the early 2000’s. While the masses were humping and bumping at mainstream Top 40 clubs; an eclectic underground house-music scene was emerging under their unsuspecting noses.

Pure house music lovers were turning up at NASA Dance Pub and clubs like Element and System Sound Bar to support house music, and to experience the thrill of knowing everyone around them was there for the same reason. The DJs were the boys-next-door (and the occasional girl) with a real love and respect for house music and its fans. That’s where I first saw irGO spin. What stood out to me then and now, is his love and legitimate understanding of house music in its purist form. Not only does he enjoy being behind the decks, he is a true supporter of the house-music scene, and has fostered so many other DJ’s to get out there and spread the house music gospel.

To this day, a great vibe is guaranteed if irGO is behind the decks. Not only does IrGO continue to gain an impressive fan base, he has many friends and supporters that have, and will continue to follow him throughout his career.

irGO has had the opportunity to perform at events hosting Steve Lawler, John Creamer, Stephane K, David Morales, Satoshi Tomiie, and Hector Romero, to name a few.

What music did you listen to when you were young?
My musical roots stem from rock and roll, jazz, reggae, and…well….even Celtic. I was an 80’s child so I was pretty much exposed to whatever my parents liked. The Guess, Who, The Beatles, Psychedelic Furs, and Duran Duran, to name a few. Not to mention Triumph and Def Leppard as I began to get into my teens. I guess the Celtic music came from the British side of my parent’s family. Oh yeah…..I also played the recorder as a child, and participated in an air-band in the basement of our house. How could I forget that?!

How did you first get in the electronic music business?
LOL….here goes. I lived in Guelph for about 6 years, and finally left once school was complete. A handful of friends had moved to the west end of Toronto (High Park), so I joined them. That was in about 1998. We started frequenting Industry Night Club around the time that Armand Van Helden’s “You Don’t Know Me” became a hit. Well, we were all hooked. Eventually, buying mixed tapes and CD’s just wasn’t enough for me. I ended up buying all of my equipment in early 2000 at a place on St. Clair Ave. West. LOL from a guy that would only accept cash for the equipment! How sketchy is that?! But I did it. The rest is history I guess. The past nine years have involved a lot of very hard work. It’s totally been worth it though. I wouldn’t give up those experiences for anything! P.S. I still have my original Technics 1200MK2’s, and they’re in amazing shape.

Where did the name Irgo come from?
Many have asked this of me. I usually get “What the hell is an Irgo?” LOL. I actually don’t like to tell many people this. A few know, and that’s as far as I’ll take it. It’s just unique and has stuck over the years I guess. I’m just happy I’ve been able to keep it, as many dj’s tend to change their names over the years.

Tell me about your first dj gig?
It was actually fantastic!! I used to party a lot at NASA (Queen St. W), and once I got into spinning records, I approached the two owners about dropping some tunes on a Wednesday night. They agreed, and we had a blast! Thank God the owners had some savvy on the sound system as it was very user-friendly. Thursdays were a little painful though. I didn’t think far ahead enough to take that day off. Man….silly me.

How would you best describe your sound?
It’s house music. Period! I love it. I try not to cloud over my taste in music with trying to find some obscure mid-genre that maybe someone has never heard of. I love house music, and that’s what I play.

Has your sound changed over the years?
Like many dj’s, it’s taken years to develop this sound. It’s actually still evolving. Just ask my friends! It’s a really hard thing to do (classify yourself as playing one genre of music). The popularity of genres changes so much, and it’s easy to drift between them. I’ll admit I did it over the years, but in the past few, I’ve really concentrated on being unique. I remember listening to an interview with Paolo Mojo one year and wondering why he said that he NEVER listens to other people’s sets and performances. I was like, “then how the hell is the guy gonna get any tracks?!” Well I learned that was actually a really creative thing to do. Now I don’t really go out to events much anymore, with the hopes of maintaining my own sound.

What are you up to these days? Any exciting projects?
Man….where to start. Well, I’m trying to brand all of my events with the house genre. It’s tough though. I’ve been fortunate to develop relationships with great people over the years. They’ve helped me with my branding by providing the proper venues, dj’s, and of course, the PEOPLE with whom to party!! The people make or break the vibe man. So, on that note, we just finished a party with Jimpster (Freerange Records – UK) on November 7th at Footwork Bar & Afterhours. The vibe was amazing as we pounded the place with house music. So our plans from here are to continue with this calibre of music, and build our brand moving into 2010. I can’t elaborate on any events right now as they’re still in the works.

What artists do you admire and have any had a strong influence on you?
Jimpster, Shur-I-Kan, Scope, Milton Jackson, Manuel Tur, Luke Fair, Max Graham, DJ Yellow……man the list goes on over the years. I loved Peace Division before they went all tech-weird-minimal.

What are you listening to now?
Right now the sounds coming out of the Freerange Records, Urbantorque, Mild Pitch, and Tsuba labels are just amazing!! They’re pushing the sort of underground house sound that just resonates with me right now.

Can you recall a particularly memorable set/night?
Ummm, yeah! This past November 7th that we did with Jimpster. I had an early set, which allowed me to do some great mixing of classic house tracks with new. Track of the night for me was: Zwicker “Dragonfly feat. Billy Oden (Soultourist rmx)”. Jimpster took the evening to an entirely different level. He was having so much fun with the crowd that he was dancing with hands in the air on several occasions. He really knew how to entertain Footwork on the 7th. I won’t forget that event as long as I live.

Where would you like to spin that you haven’t already?
I’d like to spin in Chicago sometime. When I think about how much of the house music roots are from that scene, it gives me goose bumps. I’d love to play in a 400-500 person venue there where everyone’s inhibitions and expectations are thrown off the dance floor. That would be a true club experience that I would cherish forever.

What do you think the future holds for electronic music in Toronto?
That’s actually a really hard question to answer. Toronto’s scene is an ever-evolving entity. I see two things happening to Toronto’s scene in the upcoming years:

• The mainstream will continue to follow the “hot” genre of the moment. That seems to be what makes clubs money. Although I can’t wait to see what happens when Happy Hardcore becomes the mainstream. LOL!!!!
• An underground movement will really start to (re)generate momentum. Events that aren’t mainstream and are more about the music and vibe will garner more recognition, and really take Toronto by storm in the 100 – 200 person capacity venues. I hope I can contribute to this.

Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?
Locally, I’ll continue to work with Raquel Richards and Scenester Magazine. We’re going on about a 3-year working relationship and it seems to be working well. I hope to expand my relationship with groups such as BringTheBeats. We have a similar love for music!
Internationally, I’ll continue to work with producers from labels that push that underground house scene. It needs more work here in Toronto, and I hope I can be a primary contributor to it. The future in Toronto is going to be very exciting.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?
Eat, sleep, drink beer, and spend as much time relaxing with my wife, Jen.

By Jennifer Finjan

Behind every success you will find a woman who possesses intelligence; charisma; perseverance; high energy; and a willingness to help others. Add a dash of wicked personal style and you have Miss Raquel Richards. Miss Raquel is creator and editor-in-chief of Scenester Magazine (a popular online magazine catering to Canada’s electronic music scene); co-founder and host of Scenester Radio; and Electronica’s host VJ on bpm:tv. Miss Raquel has perfected the formula of hit’em on several mediums with a message and she has our attention.

By Allison Hall

After about 5 years of dying my hair black, I took the plunge and had my hair bleached out. It’s only been a week, but it’s been a huge adjustment. Every time that I glance in the mirror, my immediate reaction is to rear back in shock…I really can’t believe that the person that’s staring back at me IS me!

In my life, I’ve had my hair pretty much every color imaginable. Whether I was 12 and coloring it with Jell-O and Kool-Aid, or 17 and lightening it with Frost & Glow, I’ve always been a huge fan of changing it up. I have naturally medium brown hair and for whatever reason, I’ve always preferred my hair black, blue black to be exact. But like I said, I like to change it up and seeing as how I have super short hair right now, I figured that this was as good a time as any to try to emulate one of my favourite styles of all time…Mia Farrow’s Vidal Sasoon hair in Rosemary’s Baby.

By Mandy Van Deven
Originally published in Rh Reality Check

Written by a feminist academic who had the (dis)pleasure of deliberately being “the other woman” in an ongoing affair, Cheating on the Sisterhood: Infidelity and Feminism explores Lauren Rosewarne’s personal struggles as a willing participant in an illicit relationship that resulted in another woman’s devastation, as well as her own. It is a political look at the motivations that fuel situations of betrayal and the justifications one provides oneself from the inside.

Since Rosewarne uses her own life as a jumping off point, the book is tinged with melodrama and a lack of adequate distance for dispassionate observation, which certainly makes Cheating on the Sisterhood a more interesting read. Researchers are often told to strive for objectivity in their work; however, Rosewarne tossed convention aside in an attempt to engage the reader in her meanderings on depictions of infidelity in popular culture, the ways women hurt and compete with other women, feminist rationalizations that allow for denial of culpability, how the role of “the other woman” reinforces traditional gender roles, the impact of consumer culture on relationships, and why infidelity is an exercise in sadism, masochism, and misogyny.

Artist: Achim Zeman

UPART CONTEMPORARY ART FAIR

Gladstone Hotel

1214 Queen St West

October 22nd- October 25th 2009

2009 Rooms of Wonder

Achim Zeman, an artist from Cologne Germany has taken over the main room on the second floor of the Gladstone Hotel

Achim likes to find out everything about the space he is working in. He analyzes the architecture, empathizes with it and begins to think and feel out a colored pattern which will create an illusion of movement.

He has covered the walls in a second skin that takes us into a different dimension.

Bright lime green squares burst off the walls and onto the ceiling altering our vision.  I feel like a kid in one of those circus rooms where everything is tilted the optical illusion is powerful and I find my self feeling a little disoriented.

This color treatment gives us the opportunity to view the atmosphere and architecture of this space in a whole new way allowing your eye to go beyond the walls and follow the design as it  overflows the surface of the Gladstone and goes outside the corners of this space.

This is only the beginning of  a myriad of other rooms and installations that must be seen to be believed.

Curated by  Lausberg Contemporary Gallery Toronto/Düsseldorf
www.galerie-lausberg.com
www.achimzeman.de