Speaker Face

As for the band’s single “Work Friends,” Freeman comments, “‘Work Friends’ speaks to the masks we wear in the workplace. Forced relationships playing out in environments unnaturally curated to make us our most productive. This track is a covert dance party for the freak hiding behind a tightly buttoned shirt and uncomfortable shoes. The tension built through the verse gives way to warmth and understanding in the chorus as layers of voice and violin sweep our thoughts to our deepest friendships.”

“The violin is a very unique element in this genre of music,” Freeman says. “I approach it primarily as a groove instrument. I love the pulse and foundation it canPhoto credit: Jen Squires create.”

Speaker Face Melds Violins, Speaker Face is the band formed by Trent Freeman and Eric

Cellos, Electronics For A Wright of the JUNO award-winning band, The Fretless. Joining them in Speaker Face is vocalist Ruby Groovy Folktronic Sound That Randall. Together the three of them create an atmosphere production layered with the lush sounds of Defines Genre’s Future; Trio’s piano, electronic beats, violin, and strings, which comes as no surprise since Freeman and Wright were members of the traditional Irish folk

Groundbreaking “Crescent” band, The Fretless. Wright is a cellist in The Fretless and also provides the bass for Speaker Face. In addition to that Wright also helps to put together By Troy Wilson “‘Phosphorescence’ is a complicated the songs with a Hip-Hop inspiration to them. Canadian award winning indie love song for the West Coast of British electronic band, Speaker Face has just Columbia,” says Trent Freeman of Speaker “My inspirations are mostly derived released their new groundbreaking album, Face. “While we feel so welcomed by the from a hip-hop sensibility,” Eric Wright says Crescent. Speaker Face’s new album marries land and connected to the nature where I of the hypnotic beats he contributes to the their electronic sounds along with violins and grew up, many people were displaced to album. “I’ve been making beats since I was cellos to create an all-new sound for them. allow our presence. ‘Phosphorescence’ is a 13-years-old. 2PAC, Dr. Dre, and Wu-Tang The band had already released a sneak thank you letter to those who were here long Clan were on repeat. For this album, I preview to the album in the form of their first before us, specifically the Malchosen and the sampled crate vinyl for kick sounds and single, “Phosphorescence,” which has K’omoks first nations, and the early 1900s merged those with my own samples. The received quite a lot of attention. Japanese settlers, who were interned during sampled vinyl with the liveliness of the WWII. We hope to see this beautiful natural samples creates the soundscape.” place through their eyes.” Rounding off the sound of Speaker Freeman continues, “‘Phos- Face is vocalist Ruby Randall with her sultry phorescence’ was recorded at our voice and engaging delivery. Trent Freeman home studio in Toronto. We love all tells us that in most cases, they recorded her the tactile hammer sounds of the voice three times and they were “mixed all Rhodes and the fingers plucking the around your head so it feels like you’re violin, we wanted to have them swimming in the ocean of her vocals.” “I’m present and tickling the ears. so excited to share these Speaker Face tunes Capturing the violin part as a cascade with the world,” Randall adds. “Trent has of drips helped paint the West Coast poured himself into these songs and it has landscape. Ruby’s voice was been an honor to be able to bring my voice to recorded three different times in them.” unison and mixed all around your head, so it feels like you’re swim- Speaker Face’s new album Crescent is ming in the ocean of her voice. out now, so give it a listen soon. I think Working on this video with choreog- you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the new rapher Jade Whitney was a dream. sound that they are producing. Could this be She connected so well with the song a new form of ethereal hip-hop… only time and moves in such a descriptive way will tell. November 2020 • Rock and Blues International 39