Montreal Edition by DECOMPOZ MAGAZINE

DEFINE REFINE COMPOSE

Founders

Photographer

Romain Dupont Rachel Machalani

Mazda Alinia

Content Director Romain Dupont Creative & Marketing Director Rachel Machalani Design & Art Direction Edouard Coune Media Producers Sofia Rojas & Mazda Alinia Business Development Montreal Business Development Marketing & Web 3Heads Media

CONTRIBUTORS Interviewers & Writers Michael D’Alimonte Catherine Lareau Chris Perrin Kelly Stock Romel Bridgani Writers Sarah Carter Edward Ian Cibula Sara Kloepfer Andrea Kristensen Jordan Yeager Copy Editor Jordan Yeager Translators

Modeling Agency Dulcedo Model Management Hair Stylist Raphaël Marriage

A Special Thanks To: Andre Michalopoulos, Costa Ikonomidis, Benjamin Rochette, Betty Esperanza, Geneviève Ryan Martel, Adele Gendron, Virginie Tremblay, Charlie Dupont, Eric Chocron, Karim Rekik, Adam Vieira, Emily Robertson, Carlo De Luca, Danielle Decelles, Michael Campbell, Henry Ryan, Roxanne Desforges, Matt Dajer, Emily Went, 123 Klan, Daniel Esteban, Gabriel Aubry, Jean-William Prevost, Geneviève Boivin-Roussy, Pierre-Philippe Côté, Seïdou Dembélé (DAKKA), Gildas Awuye, Koku Awuye, Setiz, Nicolas Munn Rico, Alexis Froissart, Yan Cordeau, André Bathalon, Joelle Gargour, Dina Habib, Mélanie Brenda, Mathieu Trepanier, Alexandre Brassard, Nicolas Radeschi, Jesse Herbert, Bryan Beyung, Fonki Yav, Jimmy Salibi, Jay Machalani, Jean-François Clément, Thomas Pigeon, Anne Machanaud, Didier Yvon, Georgia Dakalis, Nicolas Francoeur. Much Love to our Brand Ambassadors: Jessica Goulet, Corinne Dupont, Yves Dupont, Micheline Chikhani, Charles Machalani, Catherine Lareau, Charlie Dupont, Henri-Charles Machalani, Grace Chikhani, Erwann Bodiou, Kelly Stock, Afrolympic travel agency, Matthieu Corompt, Arnaud Véléat, Georgia Dakalis, Ioannis Zevgolis. Cover Illustration Edouard Coune Headquarters 417 rue Saint-Nicolas, Suite 300 Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2P4, Canada

Danielle Poirier Perry Bisaro

decompoz.com

Editorial Photographer

ads@decompoz.com

Yan Bleney

Videographer Mazda Alinia

For Any Inquiries

SOULFUL URBANITY DYDH........................................................... 8 STATION 16................................................10 SHE SERPENT............................................12 FONKI YAV ................................................16

GENEVIEVEBOIVIN-ROUSSY PIERRE-PHILLIPPE CÔTÉ..........................20 RYAN PLAYGROUND.................................28 BRYAN BEYUNG ......................................35 NEW REGIME ............................................38 ELEMENTAKIZA . ......................................46

KANDLE.....................................................48 BORO.........................................................50 RAISED BY WOLVES..................................53 DAKKA.......................................................56

28 68

LNDMRK....................................................60

BUSINESS AVANT-GARDISTE JIM LE BARBIER..........................................65 OOPSMARK................................................68 SKATEBOARD FOR HOPE..........................71 YMNA.........................................................74 JAY MACHALANI........................................78 I CAN GO WITHOUT..................................81

HEART CITY APPAREL...............................82 LEARNING BIRD........................................84

DARING WISEMEN OUI SURF...................................................87 JEAN-WILLIAM PREVOST..........................90

P R E F A C E A TRIBUTE TO THE WORLD’S URBAN CULTURE CURATORS

Each city has its charm, style and vibe; these elements cultivate aspiring artists, musicians, designers and entrepreneurs. And although the “underground” industry varies from one community to another, all distinctive tribes have their own fragrance, making them the best damn one, THEIR URBANITY, they still share some similar compositions. Urbanity, as it is defined, refers to the personality traits associated with cities and urban areas. Decompoz is all about unveiling the “citified” people with soul that distorts the conventional in order to evoke and inspire moods and ideas. The mission is to emphasize the essence of the communities, breaking down borders and segmentation to create a perfect blend of our universe’s values, rhythms and trends. In our first edition, you will find exclusive heart-to-heart interviews with Montreal’s urban culture curators.

We cover celebrity actor Geneviève Boivin-Roussy and her life partner, music producer and solo artist Pierre-Philippe Côté (Pilou) as the Power Couple, street artists Bryan Beyung and Fonki Yav, rising rock band She Serpent, the highly embraced recording artist and music producer Ryan Playground, fashion influencers Atelier New Regime, art curators LNDMRK (founders of Mural Festival) and silkscreen shop turned into trend-setting art gallery, as well as many other pieces on several first-movers, innovators, creative and inspiring people. There are so many incredible talents and so little time to put them all into one edition. We hope this issue will open up many doors to keep putting the light on the inspiring souls of every community! We are so thankful to all the talented people who helped us create our first issue. We hope you enjoy each and every page.

Rachel & Romain Co-Founders

STATION 16 FROM SILKSCREEN PRINT SHOP TO WORLD FAMOUS ART GALLERY Interview with co-owners Emily Robertson & Adam Vieira

Art galleries, to the average person, can be somewhat intimidating. Whether they be an upscale gallery in Old Montreal or a more hip venue found in the Mile End, most art galleries have an air that you need to “understand” modern art to enter and explore. A casual and cool atmosphere is far from what most people experience when walking into an art gallery. But that’s not how Station 16 operates. A perfect fit for The Main, Station 16 is Montreal’s modern art gallery that breaks the mold. Walking up St. Laurent from Sherbrooke, you’ve undoubtedly passed by Station 16. Housed in the same building complex as LNDMRK, and so at the

heart of the Mural Festival, Station 16 is filled to the brim with engaging works of art one can check out straight from the street whenever the gallery is open. And that’s what may set Station 16 apart from so many other galleries: its ability to engage the public, even those unfamiliar with the world of modern art. Always brimming with vibrant energy, Station 16 owes its continued success to its passionate staff. Co-owners and co-directors Emily Robertson and Adam Vieira, together with Station 16’s owner Carlo De Luca, have grown the company from a standalone print shop to an internationally recognized art gallery. With a focus

on evocative artistic works typically passed over by “traditional” galleries, Station 16 has showcased artists from Montreal and around the world, while always ensuring to make each exhibition or show easily accessible to the public. Originally, Station 16 was solely a silkscreen print shop, the name itself actually being a reference to the largest silk screening machine the company had, which was comprised of 16 different stations. But even then, Station 16 was committed to pushing the boundaries of artistic conventions. Inspired by Montreal’s urban art scene, the Station 16 team decided to collaborate with the city’s street and graf-

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fiti artists to create and sell limited edition silk prints that were entirely unique. A service unavailable in Montreal, and Canada at-large, the Station 16 Printshop created its own niche within the city’s art scene, as well as a strong foundation that has led to the gallery’s success. Still in operation, the Station 16 Print Shop continues its tradition of experimental silk prints. The 6-colour silkscreen (made using 3D puff ink) by Polish Crotchet-artist Olek and the vintage Ouija board-inspired print by Montreal’s XRAY are but two examples of many, available in the gallery’s online store. Already featuring a variety of Canadian and international artists through their silk prints, it was a natural progression for Station 16 to open a gallery. Wanting to be right in the middle of the creative energy that takes over St. Laurent during the MURAL Festival, Station 16 chose their current location, and the Station 16 Gallery (or Creative HQ) has been a cultural staple in Montreal ever since. Continuing its own legacy of doing things a bit differently, the Station 16 Gallery operates with a sense of dynamism unseen in most modern art galleries. Breaking away from the stereotypical gallery model, Station 16 doesn’t seem intimidating or feel inaccessible. Quite the opposite, actually, as the team seeks to engage the public with new artistic exhibitions every month, daily Instagram posts, and a genial vibe that makes people feel welcome.

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After interviewing Robertson and Vieira in person, it’s easy to recognize just how Station 16 is able to operate as such an unconventional gallery. These are two business partners who are also friends. Playful jokes and authentic compliments were shared between the two throughout the interview, both always making sure to point out the amazing qualities of their partner Carlo De Luca. As a team, the three share passion for art that shows in their professional endeavors and extends throughout the gallery. That’s perhaps the defining feature of the Station 16 Gallery: how the entire staff truly wants to create a conversation between art and all types of people, rather than just art critics or buyers. No strict sense of formality runs throughout Station 16, as the team strives to make the featured artwork approachable and engaging, even prompting people to take pictures and ask questions. What Robertson, Vieira, and the entire staff want is for everyone to be passionate about art, not solely artwork found in a gallery setting, but also the artistic creations that can be found throughout the city of Montreal.

words_MICHAEL D’ALIMONTE photos_SOFIA ROJAS

SHE SERPENT

There’s something for every music fan in the impressive sound of She Serpent: a unique band with a haunting, singular voice.

INTERVIEW WITH MÉLANIE BRENDA, MATHIEU TRÉPANIER, ALEXANDRE BRASSARD, NICOLAS RADESCHI

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Mélanie Brenda is the charismatic vocalist of post-punk band She Serpent. Hers is the captivating voice carried by friends and bandmates Mathieu (guitar), Nicolas (bass), and Alexandre (drums). She Serpent offers up a layered sound that subtly draws on a variety of influences to craft something personal and distinctive. You might want to qualify their music as rock. But it would be too reductive to put a genre tag on a band that rejects it, while instead reminding us of sonic influences, textures and tones that you would most easily identify as psychedelic, goth and 90s. “I like that people usually have a hard time describing the band. The fact that they can’t categorize or label us, and that we’ve each been able to bring our own influences to the group to create something unique, means we’re doing something right,” says Brenda. Music has been a part of life, be it a hobby or a profession, for everyone in the group since they were teenagers. And it was that shared passion that eventually brought them together in 2014. “Mathieu and Nicolas were living together at the time. I went to a barbecue at their place and they started to jam at some point. That’s when I thought we might really fit and it could work. I’d already been looking for musicians to play with for the last three to four years, and I could see the potential. I got in touch with them over Facebook a week later and asked if they would be interested.”

Sometimes when musicians get together, there’s an immediate chemistry and collaboration that occurs spontaneously. An improvised note becomes a few bars, then a melody. Vocals are added and minor adjustments are made. It’s an organic process that leads to natural results, and it’s something that can only happen in an open and trusting environment. “We found our sound without really having to talk about it. The chemistry we have really helps and we’re able to piece it together along the way. We sort of let ourselves go and it always works out. It’s not a free jazz experiment or anything, but we do give ourselves a lot of space,” the singer explains. LEAVE YOUR EXPECTATIONS AT THE DOOR They’re still considered a young band, but the energy each member brings to the songs creates an almost casually authentic sound that grabs you right from the first few bars. The music is dark and dynamic, and quickly has people up off their feet. The choice to sing in English came naturally early on, and the band stayed true to themselves throughout the creative process, which comes across in Brenda’s transcendent lyrics. “I write what I’m feeling. But people should take what they want from [it]. It means one thing for me, but it can mean something completely different to someone else, and that’s great,” she explains.

credit_MARC-ETIENNE MONGRAIN SOULFUL URBANITY

The band is immersed in the local scene, and it’s obvious at their shows that that’s where they’re at home—and where you’re most likely to find them. There’s no easy way to describe the energy of their sets; they’re the opposite of the procrastinating artist unable to take a sound from studio to stage. She Serpent lives and breathes the live scene, and it’s the sum of their parts that transports the listener: slick bass licks, booming drums and deep, brooding vocals. “We focus on that live moment and we bring a raw energy to our shows. It means a lot to us,” says Brenda, adding a moment later, “At our shows, what you see is what you get.” Their infectious energy has earned them supporters and opened doors in Montreal’s rock scene. So far, their word-of-mouth, less-is-more “promotional strategy” has paid off with sold out shows, and they’re only gaining fans. “Our first show was jam-packed and we hadn’t even said much about it. We didn’t put any songs out for a year after that, but the shows were still full, even with nothing up online. I liked it; the only place people could hear us was live, onstage.” Judging by the few songs the band has already recorded, their work in the studio looks promising. We’re looking forward — impatiently — to a release late this year or early in 2016. photos_SOFIA ROJAS words_CATHERINE LAREAU translation_PERRY BISARO

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FONKI YAV TRANSLATING HIS COLOURS FROM GRAFFITI ART TO HEARTWARMING CANVASES

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Whether he’s working on a canvas or on a brick wall, Fonki Yav is an inspired artist with no boundaries. One cannot limit or box his artistic parameters; quite the contrary is evident. Fonki Yav is a passionate artist whose talent is both versatile and unstoppable. His vast array of styles and techniques makes him a multidisciplinary master. Being a world traveller and deeply passionate individual led him to various encounters, lending themselves to fuel and nourish his artistic spirit further still. With Fonki, the sky is definitely the limit. His artistic endeavours come to life with such vivacity and vivid colours, which are a direct testimony to his deeply

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reflective and profoundly sensitive humanitarian personality. Fonki shares that he has chosen concrete as his canvas to express his talent. His art unmistakably reveals much more than meets the eye, reflecting a bold authenticity. SCHOOLING WITH BOMBS Some of Fonki’s fondest memories are of doodling figures and scribbling around the house he grew up in. He states, “I have always loved drawing, and was so driven to do so that I just drew wherever I was; often, that was on the floor, leading my mother to chase me in desperation.”

First and foremost, Fonki found himself fascinated by comics, and soon the discovery of graffiti became a veritable revolution. Because of his boundless passion for colour, graffiti opened up an incredibly vast universe for Fonki; pressing on a paint canister and releasing a wonderful expression of colour led him to the forging and expression of his personality and ultimately became a way of life for the young artist. He tagged by dancing with colour; for Fonki, tagging was synonymous with breathing, and this is when Fonki really became Fonki. Lettering permitted him to further explore new forms and compositions. As he became more familiar with the dynamics and effects of lettering, he progressed from

RYAN PLAYGROUND

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K A N D L E

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Burning Bright: Another Light for Montreal Nights words_EDWARD IAN CIBULA photos_JOSE ENRIQUE MONTES HERNANDEZ

If life begets art, then Montreal is very much alive and well. With a rich history of blending languages and artistic styles alike, Montreal has produced some of the most vital music in Canada. The city built tile by mosaic tile now has a new voice to boast about in the form of transplanted singer-songwriter Kandle Osbourne. Originally a native of Victoria, British Columbia, Kandle has traded rainy day Northwestern solitude for the ever churning maelstrom that is Montreal. After first sparking her dreams of musicianship in teenage efforts such as The Blue Violets, Kandle has come into her own as a frontwoman touring today under the moniker Kandle and the Krooks. She cites Montreal’s active artistic scene as one of her main motivators to make the move eastward. With lyrical depth that belies her age (she’s only 24), Kandle is posed to conquer some as of yet undefined corners of the rock music scene. We can say “undefined” because her album In Flames manages to touch on a few different subgenres without allowing itself to fit any given mold. From slow, melodic, blues-tinged rifts to Bayou-inflected lyrics, Kandle’s In Flames commits only to soulful depth at the lyrical level; it offers Kandle’s fans a more polished look at her unique sound and shows off her improvement as a songwriter. Dirty guitar sounds thrummed or carefully picked out give way to hauntingly simple keyboards and a voice that presents both youth and age at once. Alternating between tones that are mournful, hopeful and defiant, like Montreal, In Flames refuses to be defined by any single marker; the music is an expansive melange both in terms of instrumental sound and lyrical content. The beauty of taking on introspective lovelorn lyrics, even at an early age, puts Kandle into a group of female Montreal artists willing to track down the difficult bits in life and turn these into expressive art. Considering this puts her into the company of the Melissa auf der Maurs, Régine Chassagnes (Arcade Fire) and Béatrice Martin (Coeur de Pirate), who all took their hard hitting music from Montreal out to greater audiences. While Kandle has yet to approach the comfortable showmanship these women already possess, her lyrical talent for self-expression signals that the breakthrough could be forthcoming. Another feature of Kandle’s song writing that makes her a perfect participant in the Montreal music scene is her ability to weave socially conscious messages without losing the artistry of the music. Songs such as “It’s Not Up to Me” show this young singer is about much more than her own experience. Likewise, her self-admitted pressure to perform her best at Osheaga and other live events in Montreal indicates how important audience connection is for Kandle. In a city where person to person interaction drives social scenes and never stops, it’s easy for us to believe that Kandle will continue to find inspiration to keep us rocking well into the night.

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READY FOR TAKE OFF JAY MACHALANI Founder of KOLAB

At just 22, Jay is the head of the Kolab project, an innovative collaborative platform that allows both real-time communication through video, audio, and chat, project management, and tools for students. The platform was created not only to organize all their classes in digital binders but also to do homework, share documents and work with classmates directly within Kolab. The program eliminates the use of printed documents and notebooks in the hopes of encouraging school boards to take on this ecofriendly path and integrate Kolab within their course outlines.

words_ROMEL BRIDGANI photos_SOFIA ROJAS

For the last three years, Jay has been working around the clock to create a state-of-the-art user interface on an easy-to-use platform. For Jay, nothing else matters. How does he break out of his super-charged schedule? He jumps out of a plane. Regularly.

DZ: Can you tell us a little about your background and education?

DZ: Can you explain more thoroughly what the project is all about?

JM: Well, I quit school at the CEGEP level. I am a self-taught developer and UX designer. I had no motivation back at school, mainly due to the teachers. I had a problem with one of them, a French teacher. He kicked me out of class for questioning his teaching and reviewing methods; that was pretty much the main indicator that made me realize that school was not really for me and that I would probably learn faster alone.

JM: The purpose of Kolab is to be an all-in-one tool for students. In other words, there’s no need for any other intermediaries! Think about it: between class notes, team work projects, class syllabuses, computer files, USBs, and inboxes - it’s incredibly messy! On another note, when working on team projects, or simply doing homework, students today communicate via chat, video or phone for questions, comments or to assign tasks. They also need to send files to each other, and these can get lost or misplaced.

DZ: How did Kolab come about? JM: I already had an ongoing project with a colleague that needed to be “reworked,” and we were running out of time and money. That’s when I had to make a decision: either I threw myself into the project full-time with all the risks that came with it, or I would have to find a side job to get the project running eventually, but with less risk. I just had that gut feeling that I shouldn’t take the “safe” road. I spoke to a relative of mine that had very high hopes for me, and he offered to invest in me under one condition: that I take the time to think of an innovative project that would help today’s society - the big idea that could make a difference. That’s when my Kolab project began.

Considering all the different mediums used to interact, classify and produce, a huge level of logistics and organization is necessary. That’s where Kolab comes in. It increases productivity and reduces time spent moving from one medium to another. It’s also designed to quickly store, find, and share all your work.

BUSINESS AVANT-GARDISTE

DARING WISEMEN

ISSUE 2

TORONTO