October/November 2020

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October / November 2020 Stylus Magazine

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2 Stylus Magazine October / November 2020

OCT/NOV 31 NO. 5 2020VOL

Production Team Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gil Carroll

editor@stylusmagazine.ca

On the Cover ALLAN LORDE is a Winnipeg-based illustrator and graphic designer. Picture your crustiest garage rock single colliding head-on with a DJ Premier beat somewhere in the west end, and you’ll get a good idea of what his visual style is like. Go to allanlorde.com to see if that description is correct.

Assistant Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . Jen Doerksen

assistanteditor@stylusmagazine.ca Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kelly Campbell

design@stylusmagazine.ca Cover Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allan Lorde Advertising Contact . . . . . . . . Rob Schmidt

manager@ckuw.ca Print by JRS Print Services . . . 204-232-3558

Contributors Nigel Webber

Margaret Banka

Keeley Braunstein-Black

John Iverson

Olivier LaRoche

Mark Teague

Isabella Soares

Lily O’Donnell

Myles Tiessen Daniel Kussy Graeme Houssin

Grace Hrabi Simeon Rusnak Bronwyn Fong

Stylus is published bi–monthly by CKUW 95.9 FM, with a circulation of 2,500. Stylus serves as the program guide to 95.9FM CKUW and will reflect the many musical communities it supports within Winnipeg and beyond. Stylus strives to provide coverage of music that is not normally written about in the mainstream media. Stylus acts as a vehicle for the work of new writers, photographers and artists, including members of the University of Winnipeg, of CKUW and of the Winnipeg community at large. Stylus reserves the right to refuse to print material, specifically, that of a racist, homophobic or sexist nature. All submissions may be edited and become the property of Stylus. All opinions expressed in Stylus are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors.

Contributions in the form of articles, reviews, letters, photos and graphics are welcome and should be sent with contact information to:

Stylus Magazine Bulman Student Centre, University of Winnipeg 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3B 2E9 Phone: 204-786-9785, Fax: 204-783-7080 Writing submissions: editor@stylusmagazine.ca Graphics submissions: design@stylusmagazine.ca www.stylusmagazine.ca

Table of Contents Winnipeg State of Mind: Top 100 Winnipeg Hip Hop Songs . . . . . . . . . . . .02 CKUW Program Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Album Reviews: Jamboree, Baseball Hero, KAINA, and more . . . . . . . . . . . 14 CKUWho: You Can’t Hide From God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Features Artist Interview: Leith Ross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

No Fun Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Diaphanie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

An Interview with Matt McLean of Mellifera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

08 09 10 10

A Canadian Classical Master Composer: Michael Conway Baker . . . . . . . . . . 12

Love Letter Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Contributions will be accepted in the body of an email. No attachments please. All submissions may be edited and become the property of Stylus. Unauthorized reproduction of any portion of Stylus is strongly discouraged without the express written consent of the editors.

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October / November 2020 Stylus Magazine

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Winnipeg State of Mind: NIGEL WEBBER

Top 100 Winnipeg Hip-Hop Songs

“Success is a gift, I hope you enjoy your present” B-Flat Earlier this year a group of writers from Manitoba’s most prominent newspaper compiled a list of the best songs to ever come out of this city and province. Of the 150 songs those writers chose, only five were rap songs. Winnipeg hip-hop deserves more than just 3% of a list. We deserve our own fucking list: The Top 100 Winnipeg Hip-Hop Songs, according to myself alone.

As I actively dig into the history of Winnipeg hip-hop music for my forthcoming book, Gritty City: An Oral History of Winnipeg Hip-Hop Music, I know the hard work and dedication that generations of rappers, producers, DJs have put into this city. Let this list prove that there is an extensive and proud history of hip-hop music from right here in Winnipeg. Let it also serve as a tool for the younger generation: follow the roadmap I have provided here, learn your history, listen to those who have come before you. There’s no longer an excuse for not knowing.

The Top 100 is very much informed by the research and interviews I’ve done for Gritty City, including with many of the artists featured below.

I’ve presented the list in chronological order to illustrate that each song, each album is standing on the shoulders of the music that came before it. No top ten’s here. But there are bangers, bars, singing, boom-bap, trap, love songs, posse cuts, deep digs, classics and story tracks; a flavour for every rap fan.

In order to qualify at least one of the major contributors to the song had to have been living in Winnipeg at the time of the recording or release. For example, while I love the album Nothing Is Cool by mcenroe and Birdapres, it was not eligible because even though both rappers lived in Winnipeg at different times, they were living in Vancouver at the time of that record.

While this list attempts to be comprehensive, early Winnipeg rap was often not recorded or released. As influential and important as they are to the evolution of Winnipeg hip-hop, I can’t include early groups like the Vicious Three and Hard Edge Posse on the Top 100 because they never released any music officially. I am also aware of albums that exist, but I have not been able to track them down.

So, if you’ve got that Last Crew album or the Black Alien Brother tape, holla at me.

“Main Street” - J-Style, DJ Bunny, Avon T Released in 1988 as a video single.

Winnipeg’s hip-hop scene slowly built itself up over the course of the 1980s, with DJ Bunny playing a big part in that development. It took until 1988 to get the first official recording of Winnipeg rap with the video for “Main Street” by J-Style featuring DJ Bunny on back-up vocals and scratches and Avon T on the guitar. While the video was submitted to Much Music, it only ever received airplay on VPW’s “Spotlight” hosted by DJ Bunny, Avon T and Mr. Cee. J-Style, better known as rock ‘n roller Jay Willman, raps about the street-level devastation of

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Main St. circa the late 1980s. The video helps paint a picture of Winnipeg’s Main St. that has largely disappeared under the thumb of gentrification.

“Jus’ Talkin’” - State of Mind Released in 1992 on the Jus’ Talkin’ cassingle.

Winnipeg’s first physical release of rap music came in the form of State of Mind’s 1992 cassingle for “Jus’ Talkin’” with the remix “Street Talking” on the B-side. The songs were produced and released

by LRN Records, who ended up scamming the young group out of grant money awarded to make the project. The resulting beat sounds somewhat dated to modern ears and was even out of step with contemporaneous sounds. Despite not having a very hip-hop beat, rapper Chris Knight (MC Escalade) really demonstrates why he is still acknowledged as one of the top rappers of that era. The songs subject matter addresses the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict and the ensuing uprising in LA almost in real time, the cassette came out less than six months later.

“Space Pt. III” - Farm Fresh Released in 1994 on The Space EP Winnipeg had a strong hip-hop scene already, but it took three dudes from Brandon to come in and blow it all up in the mid-’90s. Farm Fresh’s 1994 The Space EP is Winnipeg’s first independent tape release, with everything from production to manufacturing happening within the group of Roddy Rod the Microphone God (mcenroe), Boba Phat tha Bootie Hunta (DJ Hunnicutt) and the Perpetual Rhyme Machine (Pip Skid). The Space EP also marks the beginning of a long Winnipeg tradition of rapping about off-the-wall, non-typical topics for rap songs, in this case being abducted by aliens.

“Ruff Draft” - Mood Ruff ft. Roddy Rod Released in 1995 on Maxim With Farm Fresh leading the way, the newly formed label of Peanuts & Corn put out their next group, Mood Ruff. The duo of Dazol the Daydream Fiend (Odario Williams) and Spitz the Microphone Hitta (DJ Dow Jones) released Maxim in early ‘95, produced entirely by mcenroe. Generally a fairly light and fun record, “Ruff Draft” keeps that theme but centres it around the concept of needing to come up with a song for a show that’s in two days.

The song also marks the first instance of mcenroe giving away a hot beat to a group he’s producing, with the one condition that he gets to rap on it.

“Ill Compositions” - Different Shades of Black Released in 1995 on Next School Pioneers Different Shades of Black (Shadez) became another early-era P&C group after being connected through Odario, putting out their first release in 1995. On Next School Pioneers Shadez is the original lineup of Scuskotch (Len Bowen), Mista Christy (Bigg Casino), and Marvellous, who is Len Bowen’s cousin.

Mista Christy’s voice is immediately reminiscent of Boot Camp Clik style New York rap, something that didn’t really exist in Winnipeg at the time. Len Bowen, who wanted to be a rapper in elementary

school, is a natural over mcenroe’s boom-bap beats.

“Wet Dreams” - Twisted Spirits Released in 1995 on Wet Dreams Twisted Spirits is for the true heads. Originally, Frek Sho and Twisted Spirits were two separate groups within the same clique, before merging under the name Frek Sho. But the original Twisted lineup of Gruf, The Gallivanting Spoof and Mocean (Ismaila Alfa) were a tremendous trio. Over Frek Sho producer Sunil’s beats, Gruf is rapping in the same flow he still uses (now perfected), and Ismaila shows off why he should always be in the conversation for Winnipeg’s best all-time rapper.

“Roll Model” - Frek Sho Released in 1995 on Uncivilized Even in 1995 Frek Sho had the most inventive concepts for their songs. Based around some clever wordplay, “Roll Model” is a very creative back and forth duet between Sun Lo (Sunil) and Shazzam (Micill Shazzam Write). The two rapper’s voices complement each other so well that the call and response style only helps to weave together the stories of robbing people (or rolling them).

“Oh” - Farm Fresh Released in 1995 on Crazy Friction Farm Fresh’s second effort, 1995’s Crazy Friction, came only 10 months after The Space EP yet there’s a huge leap in all aspects, from the beats and the concepts to the quality of production. The standout track on the album is “Oh” which features some of DJ Hunnicutt’s best early scratching and ended up being something of a live hit over the years.

“Braggin’ & Boastin’” - Mood Ruff ft. Mista Christy Released in 1996 on Fluid Mood Ruff ’s second album Fluid marked the end of the group’s time with P&C as they moved on and established their own label, Slo Coach. mcenroe delivers a sick beat and Mista Christy lends his impeccable voice and flow to this solid track.

“Patience” - Frek Sho Released in 1996 on Sho & Tell The song that changed it all. The black and white video for “Patience,” with the group out on Winnipeg’s streets in the dead of winter fighting each other for camera time, was the first video from Winnipeg to be played on Much Music. The ensuing 12” of the song was also the city’s first rap vinyl and marks the merger of Twisted Spirits and Frek Sho into simply Frek Sho. The song itself has many memorable moments, from Ismaila’s Mood Ruff diss, to Gumball’s memorable lines of “Jesus only knew I wore Adidas as a fetus,” to Sunil and Sheldon rapping simultaneous verses. In terms of historical importance for local rap songs, this song is top two and it’s not two.

“Comatose” - Frek Sho Released in 1996 on Sho & Tell Although often forgotten in the conversation of

Frek Sho, Gumball is an incredibly important part of Winnipeg rap history. The designer of the famous Frek Sho logo and often an early ghostwriter for other group members, Gumball gets his first solo song with “Comatose.” An eerie track based off of a true story in Gumball’s life, “Comatose” shows his rapping skills can equally match his writing skills.

“NFL” - Mocean Released in 1997 on Mocean Following the Wu-Tang playbook, riding a high after “Patience” Frek Sho put out a solo album for Mocean (Ismaila) rather than another crew album.

Winnipeg’s first rap CD, Mocean is probably the most complete Winnipeg rap album of the ‘90s.

“NFL” was recorded right before the album was finished and is included as a bonus track, but it has one of the most clever concepts on the album.

“NFL” here stands for “No Fakes Live” but Mocean still transfers the football analogy to rap battling.

Coupled with a hot beat and some well-placed Method Man samples, this is a banger.

“No Hooks” - Mood Ruff Released in 1998 on the No Hooks 12” Mood Ruff made their first beat on their own and decided to make a video out of it. Shot largely at the Corefest ‘97, “No Hooks” is a bass-heavy headnodder and a fun video to boot. The track also made it onto Mood Ruff ’s first 12” vinyl. The group would quickly follow-up the “No Hooks” video with visuals for “Maintain,” both released on the 1999 album night.life.types.

“Focus” - mcenroe ft. The Gallivanting Spoof Released in 1998 on the ethics ep The only track with raps by just mcenroe and The Gallivanting Spoof, the two managers/label heads of Peanuts & Corn and Vagrant Hobby (Frek Sho) respectively. Get two rap business guys on a song and they rap about, well, the business of rap. This cut, off of mcenroe’s debut solo effort the ethics ep, buried any notions of a lingering Frek Sho and P&C beef stemming from an incident at the Pyramid in September ‘95.

“Comprehension” - Shadez ov Blac Released in 1998 on Comprehension Fresh off a name change, Shadez ov Blac (Different Shades of Black) joined the growing movement of Winnipeg rap groups self-releasing music videos with “Comprehension.” Submitted to Much Music, the video got into the regular rotation, elevating the group’s status nationally. As early member Marvellous dropped out of the picture, Eclipse (Bad Mannaz) rejoined the group in time to get on the “Comprehension” song and video, while the duo of Mista Christy and Len Bowen continued to hold it down.

“The Law” - Fermented Reptile Released in 1999 on Let’s Just Call You Quits Fermented Reptile (Gruf and Pip Skid) were so far ahead of their time, we’re only just catching up twenty years later. “The Law” is an unbelievably brilliant concept song about the violent power of authority and police. Easily the high bar for political rap to come out of Winnipeg, Fermented Reptile helped Peanuts & Corn reach a lot more ears than it might have otherwise. Shout out to the “Glengarry Glen Ross” sample at the beginning.

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“Thin Line” - Fermented Reptile Released in 1999 on Let’s Just Call You Quits A solo Pip Skid track off the Fermented album, “Thin Line” is a personal favourite. The smartest concept song on this whole list, “Thin Line” takes on the perspective of a conservative, casually racist, suburban-dwelling capitalist. Once you hear Pip’s character lay bare the brutally honest perspective of suburbia’s mindset, you can’t go back to looking at subdivisions the same. When shitty conservative politicians (aka the Brian’s) make shitty decisions you can’t understand, listen to this song and imagine it’s what they’re thinking.

“Music Appreciation” - Park-Like Setting Released in 2000 on School Day 2, Garbage Day 4 Park-Like Setting is a post-Farm Fresh DJ Hunnicutt and mcenroe with a young John Smith (Bazooka Joe), before his solo career. The group, along with Fermented Reptile, made up the Break Bread crew, yet another name for the Peanuts & Corn camp. mcenroe claims that when he raps about rap it doesn’t age well, but “Music Appreciation” gives a glimpse at the politics of rap beef in that era.

“Blood, Sweat and Tears” - Bonafide Released in 2000 as a video single Around since 1995, Bonafide finally put out music for the public with the video for “Blood, Sweat and Tears” in 2000. The group would go through many lineup changes over the years but this song features Lazarus on the opening verse, First Born on the second verse, the hook and the beat, and FINI on the third verse. The emotional video and track talks about the loss of close family members and the associated grief and trauma. Bonafide is often forgotten in the conversation of local rap, but they are vitally important to the development of Winnipeg rap.

“Life of the Party” - Frek Sho Released in 2000 on People in Your Neighbourhood A personal favourite, this Sunil solo track is really two short songs in one. The first part is a hilarious parody of “Rapper’s Delight” but instead of chicken tasting like wood, it’s really terrible weed. The second part is a light jab at the crossover of R&B and rap in clubs in the late ‘90s. The ability to parody songs in such a creative way shows just how brilliant Sunil is not only at beats but at concepts and rhymes. People was Sunil’s last project with Frek Sho, he moved to India shortly after and became a massive success under the name Ishq Bector.

“Why” - Moonshine Kru Released in 2000 on Intastella What a hot beat. Moonshine Kru were one of the many groups that started coming up in Winnipeg’s rap scene in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. Coproduced by a young K-Rup (Rup Monsta), “Why” delivers a track that could still knock right now. Jah D’s, a Frek Sho affiliate who also appears on the Mocean album, brings the patois flavour and drops some knowledge.

“Great Seasons Hurt” - Yy, The Gumshoe Strut & DJ General Gyst Released in 2000 on Milch & Allegra The first official release from both the Gumshoe Strut and Yy comes on the Milch & Allegra album.

Indie rap at its finest, “Great Seasons Hurt” has a devastatingly amazing piano/guitar lick that carries the song. Their voices complementing each other, the duet chorus urges the listener to pay closer attention to the nature around us. This album, originally produced with hand-drawn cassette sleeves, also helped spark the second wave of independent releases in Winnipeg rap brought on

by Gumshoe’s Your Brother Records.

“The Plants” - Gruf Released in 2001 on Druidry “Ever tried attaching a lie detector to a philodendron?” Who knew you could write a superhot rap song about the consciousness of plant life?

Gruf is a singular rapper not only in Winnipeg but the world, no one else is choosing to rap about these subjects. Gruf really needs to be taught in the schools. Also, big props to mcenroe for hooking up the wild bassline on top of an even wilder beat.

“Uncivilized” - Frek Sho Released in 2000 on People in Your Neighbourhood Frek Sho were the best rap group to come out of Winnipeg. The long-awaited full crew CD, People in Your Neighbourhood is a piece of art, almost every song is worthy of being on this list. The concepts are brilliant and original but none more so than the opening track “Uncivilized.” Taking the concept of a posse cut to unmatched heights, seven rappers exchange lines to tell the story of a colonization mission, truly an unrivaled song in the history of Canadian rap. Almost more of a short play set to a rap beat, Frek Sho set the tone early for their opus record.

“Copsoup” - Your Brother in My BackPack Released in 2001 on Factory Seconds Your Brother in My BackPack was a supergroup before any of the members had really made a name for themselves. Made up of rappers Yy, John Smith (Bazooka Joe), Satchel Paige (Nestor Wynrush or Ness), and The Gumshoe Strut, “Copsoup” is one of the few officially released YBIMBP songs, making it that much more intriguing. The whole song touches on experiences with police but Ness has the most interesting verse, including a name drop of Amadou Diallo. Feels like it’s time for a reunion record.

“Accept or Sin” - The Gallivanting Spoof Released in 2001 on Factory Seconds Despite being on a P&C compilation, this is the only available solo song from Frek Sho rapper/ manager The Gallivanting Spoof. There were plans for an EP that never materialized but this track makes you wish there was more out there. mcenroe’s eerie production and local legend DJ Grasshopper’s

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elite scratches provide a vibrant backdrop for Spoof to paint a vivid picture of growing up and living in the world of organized Catholicism.

“20 Minute City” - Frek Sho Released in 2002 on Papercuts No other beat on this list hits as hard as “20 Minute City.” DJ Kutdown’s debut song with Frek Sho, the duet between The Gallivanting Spoof and Shazzam has brilliant references, name dropping Richard Dent, the Golden Boy and Mocean. While many solo albums would come in the following years, “Papercuts” is, to date, the last album of new Frek Sho songs. Maybe not the last ever, though.

“Indifference” - The Gumshoe Strut Released in 2002 on Clock/Works The Gumshoe Strut’s first solo album Clock/ Works showed him as a Winnipeg rap triple threat handling the rapping, producing and running of his label, Your Brother Records. Distributed by Peanuts & Corn, Gumshoe stayed on the fringes of the P&C crew while establishing his own strong brand of Prairie hip-hop throughout the 2000s.

“Take as You Will” - Yy ft. The Gumshoe Strut Released in 2003 on Hold the Fort Down Yy’s first solo album Hold the Fort Down shows the Portage-la-Prairie rapper already well developed.

“Take as You Will,” which features and is produced

by The Gumshoe Strut, is a form of hip-hop journalism. Integrating the racist views of people on the streets of Winnipeg, the song explores prejudicial views against Indigenous people by white settlers. The song samples Shazzam on the Fermented Reptile track “Crimes Against Humanity,” connecting it to another important local rap song that touches on similar issues.

“L.A.’s Law” - dead can’t bounce Released in 2003 on I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghost The Prairie rap connection is strong. DCB members Ira Lee, Def3 and DJ Kutdown rep Regina, Saskatoon and Thunder Bay but Winnipeg was briefly home for the short-lived Frek Sho-affiliated group. Saskatoon and Winnipeg rap have always had a strong connection and the dead can’t bounce record is seamless melding of the Prairie rap style into one cohesive project.

“Enida Watts” - Satchel Paige Released in 2003 on Guy, I’m From Here What an amazing ode to youthful summertime lovin’. Satchel Paige (Nestor Wynrush) teamed up with The Gumshoe Strut for the now hardto-find album Guy, I’m From Here. Facing legal consequences from the estate of the great Negro League baseball player, the album is no longer available online and remains a hard to find gem. Hit me up if you still need to hear it because this is one of the best Winnipeg hip-hop albums of the early 2000s.

“It’s All About” - The Gumshoe Strut ft. Grubbs Released in 2003 on Let’s Get Dangerous Double EP The Gumshoe Strut provided a lot of opportunities for up and coming rappers in the mid-2000s. An early appearance of Grubbs (Rob Crooks) only helps illustrate the fact that the rappers in this era were all connected to each other, and Gumshoe remained a force.

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“On A Trip” - Dialog Released in 2003 on Clinically Depressed Dialog was an important member of the Winnipeg hip-hop scene through the ‘90s and 2000s. Mostly a DJ, Dialog was also DJ Stress’ partner on the very early rap radio show The Stress Files. A long time UMFM DJ, Dialog also had history as a rapper, being a member of the ‘90s group Shady Acres, before he released his solo album Clinically Depressed in 2003. Despite such a dark album title, “On A Trip” is a jazzy number about a psychedelic mushroom trip.

“Withdrawl” - Sound Barriers Released in 2005 on Sound Barriers Gruf has collaborated with a lot of producers. But none of them were also Canadian DMC Champion turntablist DJ Brace. In his first full album as a producer, Brace’s beats give Gruf the room to weave his brilliant narratives. “Withdrawl” is a painfully honest look at consumer capitalism, with Gruf ironically rapping about how great it would be to be rich. The song ends with the beat dropping and Gruf, dripping with sarcasm, chants the phrase “I want money, so much money!”

“Man (Trusted by Millions)” - Micill Shazzam Write ft. Gruf Released in 2004 on Micill Shazzam Write This personal favourite is on repeat. Micill Shazzam Write from Frek Sho released his only solo album in 2004 shortly before leaving Winnipeg for Toronto. The Kutdown produced beat for “Man” has an ethereal chanting sample and a reverb heavy yet sparse bass line over some slapping drums. The Frek Sho rapper commonly known as Shazzam really has two personas: Shazzam, the wild side; and Micill Write, the conscious side. “Man (Trusted

by Millions)” is absolutely the Micill Write persona with the striking opening lyrics of, “my blood runs back / to slave ships and great warriors.” Fellow Frek Sho member Gruf stops by to drop some knowledge of his own.

“Rocketship” - Mood Ruff Released in 2005 on I Do My Own Stunts Mood Ruff ’s swansong is likely the most commercial sounding rap song on this list. But if it slaps, it slaps.

Ending the twelve-year Mood Ruff run after I Do My Own Stunts, Odario went on to form Grand Analog while Spitz reinvented himself as DJ Dow Jones.

“Kinship of the Down and Out” - John Smith Released in 2004 on Pinky’s Laundromat The Winnipeg Anthem. John Smith captures lightning in a bottle with “Kinship of the Down and Out.” Giving a voice to Winnipeg’s North End, Smitty is a rapper of the people and Jason Lapeyre’s video for the song remains an all-time classic. Pinky’s was the first time I heard Winnipeg street names shouted out the way Big L shouted out the names of his Harlem streets. “Y’all can sue me / for telling it truly.”

“No Time to Quit” - Team RezOfficial ft. Wab Released in 2004 on the original soundtrack to Stryker Originally in Alberta rap group War Party, Team RezOfficial rappers Hellnback and Tomislav collaborated with local rapper Wab for this banger featured on the soundtrack of Stryker.

“Expand Horizon” - Gruf Released in 2005 on Hopeless Recorded as an a cappella with the beat then built around Gruf ’s voice, “Expand Horizon” is producer mcenroe’s favourite Gruf song. Hard to argue that one. The beat alone defies simple explanation but coupled with Gruf ’s methodically melodic vocal cadence, the song becomes transcendent. “Until our eyes and our minds have enshrined the wisdom encompassed in the vastness of the ever-expanding horizon.” Yeah, teach it in schools.

“B-Boy D-Day” - Ismaila ft. Shazzam Released in 2005 on Mark of the Zebra 2005 marks the end of an era in Winnipeg, with numerous classic groups calling it a day. None perhaps more devastating than the long-timecoming dissolution of Frek Sho and their label Vagrant Hobby. Ismaila’s Mark of the Zebra closes out that chapter with a taste of what would come later in Magnum KI. “B-Boy D-Day” is an old school banger that gives Ismaila and Shazzam a chance to show what they do best.

“My Ex-Girl” - Farm Fresh Released in 2005 on Time is Running Out Known as a great scratcher and an elite party-rocker, DJ Hunnicutt jumps out from behind the decks for “My Ex Girl,” released on the Farm Fresh reunion record Time Is Running Out. A clever play on words, the title actually refers to Hunnicutt’s Red River Ex date. Re-released on a 7” earlier this year with Hunnicutt’s other rapping song “Betamax,” “My Ex Girl” is a fun ode to summer lovin’.

“Eight Bars Each” - Park-Like Setting ft.

Birdapres, Gruf, Cadence Weapon, Evil, Pip Skid & Satchill Paige. Released in 2005 on Craftsmen Who doesn’t love a good posse cut? With three rappers (mcenroe, John Smith and the recently joined Yy) already in Park-Like Setting, why not just have six other rappers on for “Eight Bars Each”?

Nestor Wynrush, here credited as Satchill Paige, has the best verse. Also, a young Cadence Weapon makes an appearance.

“I Ain’t Lazy” - John Smith, Pip Skid & Skratch Bastid Released in 2005 on Taking Care of Business The duo of John Smith and Pip Skid, who had previously collaborated as the Hip-Hop Wieners, connect with a young Skratch Bastid for Taking Care of Business and the lead single “I Ain’t Lazy.” A fun video by director Jason Lapeyre shows all the (potential) activities that the trio could get up to.

Oh yeah, and Skratch Bastid is a monster on the scratches.

“Next Door” - Turn the Gun ft. Fermented Reptile Released in 2005 on Rap Day The Turn the Gun album is a special one, an updated and much darker, grimier Milch & Allegra.

Yy and Gumshoe Strut are joined by DJ Kutdown on the scratches with Gumshoe producing the whole album. “Next Door” would have already been a glimpse into the underside of Winnipeg urban living but the Fermented Reptile feature and the combined energy of Pip Skid’s anger and Gruf ’s bigger-picture-view elevates the song to new heights.

“The Art of Murder” - Grubbs Released in 2006 on Plague City After a couple of self-produced bedroom albums, Grubbs (Rob Crooks) put out his debut album on DJ Kutdown’s relatively new Foultone Records.

Mostly co-produced by Grubbs and Kutdown (credited as Khela) Plague City is an incredibly dark record, with “The Art of Murder” being no exception.

“Get Familiar” - Shadez ft. Odario Released in 2006 on Every Dollar Counts The final Shadez (Shadez ov Blac) group album, Every Dollar Counts, was ahead of its time. While Len Bowen would continue his rap career, sadly, Bigg Casino would largely retire from rapping following this album, but his strong voice lives on.

Odario and Shadez would remain tight through the years, showing up on each other’s tracks consistently.

“Northern Hospitality” - Big Bear ft. Wab & Wordsworth Released in 2006 on Bear Back We got a slapper here. Deep Cave head Big Bear held it down for Winnipeg rap in years when not a lot of other people were and he deserves a lot of respect for that. “Northern Hospitality” is the first time on this list where a local artist brings in a bigger name out of town artist, in this case Wordsworth.

Wab also hops on and drops a hot feature on the first verse.

“Love” - Bonafide Released in 2006 on Chilly City Productions All eras of Bonafide are represented on this one song. FINI had begun bringing in new members Fenom, Shomario Gunz and AK, but original member Lazarus still gets a chance to rip it up despite mostly being the groups manager before leaving the group altogether. Without a doubt, Fenom is a singular figure in the history of Winnipeg rap. Self-described as “the Lauryn Hill of Winnipeg,” Fenom is a woman who can rap and sing with equal strength. This era of Bonafide could stand up to any group, though they are sadly underrecorded. Recorded likely in 2003, this song didn’t get released until a few years later.

“Game Tight” - Bonafide Released in 2006 on Chilly City Productions Fenom again brings the fire on her verse. Another later era Bonafide member was Shomario Gunz, a name mentioned in hushed tones when brought up in interviews. More than a mysterious figure, Shomario has now completely dropped off the map.

But for those years with Bonafide, as the hook for “Game Tight” proves, Shomario was among the best rappers in Winnipeg. FINI (originally from Brooklyn) told me that Memphis Bleek heard a tape of Shomario and insisted on working with him, a collaboration we can sadly only dream about.

“Small Town Boys” - Grand Analog ft. Len Bowen and Biggs Released in 2007 on Calligraffiti Coming out of the ashes of Mood Ruff, Odario started Grand Analog, a live instrument, multigenre group that split time between Winnipeg and Toronto. However, “Small Town Boys” brings that OG energy with a minimal beat and dope features from Len and Biggs from Shadez. Odario, by this point a Toronto resident, always had an interesting perspective on life in Winnipeg.

“Anytime” - John Smith Released in 2007 on Growing Pains A personal favourite from the John Smith catalogue, “Anytime” is the rapper now known as Bazooka Joe just ripping bars. The song comes on the Growing www.ckuw.ca/stylus

Pains album which marks a transition between the heyday of Peanuts & Corn in the early 2000s and the largely inactive years of the 2010s. As McEnroe’s production sound transitioned, John Smith delivers what is probably his most all-around solid record.

“Heat” - Fresh IE Released in 2008 on Lockjaw Fresh IE is a Winnipeg rap OG. Long before being a Grammy-nominated Christian rapper, Fresh IE was one of the city’s hottest dancers and up-andcoming rappers. By 2008’s Lockjaw, Fresh IE was already well-established as one of Winnipeg’s most successful rappers ever, a vaunted place in which the very humble Fresh IE still finds himself.

Released in 2010 on Skid Row Skid Row is my personal favourite Pip Skid record.

Pip’s cement mixer voice and Kutdown’s top notch production make it a highlight of that era. While the obvious song choice off that record would be the lead single “Tens of Dollars,” I enjoy subverting convention. With an interesting, high-budget video and a banging beat, “Tens of Dollars” is a good track but I personally prefer the low-budget Mike Maryniuk video for “I Never Knew.” Pip’s only record on Foultone also begins his collaboration with Rob Crooks, who co-wrote “I Never Knew” and coexecutive produced the record with Kutdown.

“Garbage Hill” - Nestor Wynrush Released in 2009 on Trinnipeg!78 The rapper formerly known as Satchel Paige settled on the name Nestor Wynrush for the Trinnipeg!78 album. What’s not to love about a good Winnipegcentric song? Wynrush is one of Winnipeg hiphop’s premiere storytellers and certainly the best at weaving in recognizable names and locations into a very personal story.

“Eyes on Fire” - Magnum KI Released in 2010 on Magnum KI Foultone was on fire in 2010. Magnum KI combined the talents of Ismaila, DJ Kutdown and Rob Crooks (and later Fenom). Ismaila’s shows off some vocal range on “Eyes on Fire,” going from an incredible rap flow in the verses, to some really strong singing in the hook. There’s a fully completed but never-released Magnum KI album with Fenom in the lineup, a tragedy that none of our ears have heard it.

“Badass Shorty (remix)” - Brooklyn ft. Jon-C & Charlie Fettah Released in 2009 on Mind of a Heatbag A pre-Winnipeg’s Most collab from the Heatbag Records crew, Boogey the Beat produced this clubready remix for Brooklyn’s first solo album. The eventual Winnipeg’s Most trio show their respective strengths on “Badass Shorty” but Brooklyn’s flow, voice and presence on the mic are what helped make him a super star in Winnipeg rap.

“Euthanized Herbs” - Royal-T & DJ Kutdown Released in 2010 on Royal-T & DJ Kutdown Oh, did we mention DJ Kutdown is a monster on the beats? Thunder Bay native Royal T (RIP) was most known for his double time flow, which is featured heavily on this Foultone and Deep Cave album. But on “Euthanized Herbs” T raps with a more syncopated flow over an absolute beast of a Kutdown beat. Thunder Bay representing in Winnipeg.

“Frankenstein” - Rob Crooks Released in 2009 on Science is Magical Rob Crooks is the best rap government name since Reggie Noble. Previously rapping under Grubbs, Crooks wisely switched to his real name for the concept album Science is Magical. Crooks, a notorious battle rapper, pulls no punches and goes all out on “Frankenstein,” with his flow rising to impossibly complex levels. Important to note that Crooks produced this whole project, adding him to the sub-list of rappers/producers represented on the Top 100.

“Backroads” - Yy Released in 2010 on Tape it Back Together Not necessarily the most prolific, Yy has quietly and consistently put out some really amazing records throughout his career. 2010’s Tape It Back Together is an all-around solid effort with several songs getting the video treatment from mcenroe. But a personal favourite remains “Backroads” a simple but beautiful ode to the gravel veins that connect rural Manitoba.

Shouting out small Manitoba towns like New York rappers shout out their blocks, Yy gives Gladstone, Elie and Dauphin their moment of recognition.

“Last Word” - Wab Kinew ft. Tinsel Korey Released in 2009 on Live by the Drum Don’t ever forget that Wab Kinew was one of the most promising hip-hop artists out of Winnipeg in the mid to late 2000’s. Off his acclaimed album, Live by the Drum, the track “Last Word,” shows that Wab is one of the best storytelling rappers on this list.

While his verses are good, it’s the chorus by Tinsel Korey that really elevates the song to the next level.

“Bikes” - Birdapres ft. Pip Skid & Speed Dial 7 Released in 2010 on Catch An L Birdapres, originally from B.C., did have a stint of living in Winnipeg, which includes 2010’s Catch An L. Released on Marathon of Dope, this fun track features two of the labels co-founders, Pip Skid and Speed Dial 7, who is from Kortrijk, Belgium.

Although initially just a rapper, Birdapres starts producing around this era, making him yet another rapper/producer on this list.

“On My Own” - Nereo II Released in 2009 on Foulplay Nereo II is an artist with the brush and on the mic.

Now primarily known as a mural artist, for a period Nereo was ripping up mics as a Foultone affiliate and member of the group Sleeping Giants. Released on a 2009 Foultone sampler, “On My Own” shows off Nereo’s prowess with the pen. Lyrics addressing solitude and alienation from one’s family hit home the more you listen to this Nas-inspired track.

“I Never Knew” - Pip Skid

“Winnipeg” - Abstract Artform ft. Fashawn Released in 2010 on His Story in the Making Oh yeah, we’ve got catchy tunes. Another example of a local rapper bringing in an out of town artist for a feature. In this case it’s Abstract Artform (now performing under the name Shea) bringing in Fashawn from California to drop the first verse and chorus on this foot-tapper.

“Gully Is as Gully Does” - NWO ft. Jon-C Released in 2010 on NWO NWO was the Winnipeg supergroup. At the PHOTOS BYput BNB STUDIOS height of both of theirALL efforts, NWO together

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the Deep Cave crew and the group Dead *ndians.

Over P-Nut’s hardcore beats, the album of posse cuts features nothing but bars. Highlights on this track include Royal-T’s unbelievable flow and Jon-C crushing the feature.

“All That I Know” - Winnipeg’s Most Released in 2011 on Goodfellaz Winnipeg’s Most were a force of nature. “All That I Know” is the most successful single song in the history of Winnipeg rap music, with over 4.5 million YouTube views as the evidence. Stuey Kubrick’s video of Winnipeg’s North End is a gritty, realistic glimpse at the dark side of Winnipeg’s streets which Winnipeg’s Most documented with such accuracy.

and the city’s beloved hockey team.

“I Ain’t a Rapper, I’m a DJ” - Pip Skid ft. DJ Bunny Released in 2012 on People Are The Worst Huge props to Pip Skid for giving DJ Bunny a feature. Winnipeg’s OG of OG’s, DJ Bunny updates a verse he used to rap on the VPW show “Spotlight” which he co-hosted along with Avon T and Mr. Cee. Pip gives respect to Bunny, mentioning that DJ Hunnicutt used to tape “Spotlight” so they could watch it again and again. Pip’s verse here references past moments in his career, including a true story during Fermented Reptile where he and a few others were chased from the Albert by a group of Nazi skinheads.

“Tangerine” - Bubblz Released in 2013 as a video single Heatbag Records co-founder and Hoop Hoprz owner Bubblz doesn’t rap often but when he does, he drops a banger like “Tangerine.” With a heavy West Coast, Bay Area influence, “Tangerine” gives Bubblz a chance to show off his hype G-funk flow.

“Buckle Up” - Brooklyn ft. Rup Monsta & Zeek Illa Released in 2013 on Our Inner Demons Produced by Rup Monsta, featuring Rup and Zeek Illa, this late era Brooklyn track is introspective and inspiring. Brooklyn’s raw verse about his struggles with addiction and abusive relationships only hits harder with his tragic passing only a few years later in 2015. Brooklyn’s music keeps him alive forever but his absence in the Winnipeg hip-hop scene will always be felt. RIP. “Streetz” - KiDD Kane ft. Cypha Diaz Released in 2013 on New KiDD from Tha Block Ever wonder what Three Six Mafia would have sounded like if they grew up in Winnipeg? KiDD KANE, Cypha Diaz and the absolute slapper of “Streetz” have your answer. Extremely heavy and grimy beats, slowed down vocals and a whole lot of drug and violence talk? When history comes knocking, let them know that KiDD KANE invented the sub-genre Dirty North.

“Winnipeg Boy” - Winnipeg’s Most Released in 2011 on Goodfellaz Sampling yourself to make a grimy hardcore beat?

Check. Jon-C showing off his rough growl of a voice while rapping about street shit? Check. Brooklyn repping Winnipeg harder than anyone else while changing up his flow seamlessly? Check. Charlie Fettah rapping double time? Check. Don’t mess around with the Winnipeg’s Most catalogue, it’ll fuck you up.

“The Sleep” - P-Nutty Goldust Released in 2011 on Night of the Creeps Winnipeg horrorcore at its finest. P-Nut from the group Dead *ndians is a very important rapper/ producer in the history of Winnipeg rap. Deep Cave filled so many holes as far as rap subgenres go and P-Nut was behind most of the production.

“Make Dollars” - Lev Released in 2011 on One Hand Washes the Other Another Deep Cave rapper with a sick solo album in the early 2010s, Lev brings the Prairie G-Funk vibe with “Make Dollars.” There’s not another album like this one in the Winnipeg rap catalogue.

“New Generation” - The Happy Unfortunate Released in 2011 on No Time to Sleep Perhaps best known as the first group of rapper Malcolm-Jay, The Happy Unfortunate held down the underground rap scene in Winnipeg through their many years. A fun, backpack style rap song, it’s hard not to nod along to the chorus of “New Generation.”

“Peg City Boi” - Brakada Released in 2011 as a video single The long running group Brakada, consisting of brothers Mikal and Lahcing, dropped their biggest track with “Peg City Boi” back in 2011. Released right around when the Winnipeg Jets had returned to town, the track is a celebration of living in the 204

06 Stylus Magazine October / November 2020

“They Said” - The Lytics ft. Len Bowen Released in 2012 on They Told Me The Lytics second album, They Told Me, is the long-running group’s undisputed opus. Even with hit after hit on the album, “They Said” is an alltime personal favourite. The Lytics main rappers, Ashy (Anthony OKS), Andrew O, and Munga, all drop sick verses. But it’s B-Flat’s production that really defines the Lytics sound. Here it is ethereal and dreamy, a feeling matched perfectly in the song’s video. Often taking a backseat in the rapping department, B-Flat jumps on the track and drops some knowledge, including the quote that opens this entire article. The video version only includes the verses from the group but check the album version of a feature verse by Winnipeg legend Len Bowen from the Shadez.

“Flatline” - Young Kidd Released in 2012 on From Dreams to Reality There are great beats on this list, but none of them is “Flatline.” Now known as YK the Mayor, Young Kidd was the hottest thing out of Winnipeg in the early 2010s and on “Flatline” he shows exactly why, on the versatility of his flow alone.

“Cigarettes” - Birdapres & Rob Crooks ft. Pip Skid Released in 2013 on Argyle In an era when underground hip-hop locally began to take a dip, Argyle was a highlight. The collaborative project between Rob Crooks and Birdapres, produced by Crooks, is a concept album about high school. This may be the last album that Crooks actually raps on and he raps his ass off. Also, Pip Skid, who was on a lot of features around this time, raps about dropping out of high school (true story).

“Snakes & Ladders” - Sleeping Giants Released in 2014 as a video single The duo of Nereo II and Illicit never released a full-length album, but Sleeping Giants were a live staple for many years. Thankfully this video exists to capture the boom-bap poetic rap of Sleeping Giants. Illicit now goes by Brendan Grey, the rapper in Super Duty Tough Work, and Nereo II is a successful visual artist and muralist. This would be a fun reunion to see happen.

“The Rise in My Descent” - Gruf Released in 2015 on Surface Area The Gumshoe Strut went into a bit of rap retirement, but he returned by producing this entire Gruf album. The beat for “The Rise in My Descent” is the perfect tapestry for Gruf to paint his amazing canvas of words and flow. Nobody raps like Gruf, his style defies explanation and the amount of times he can change up his cadence in a song is unparalleled. Did I mention that Gruf should be taught in schools?

“The People’s Champ” - A Tribe Called Red ft.

Hellnback Released in 2015 on Suplex While A Tribe Called Red is not a Winnipeg group, the featured rapper on this track, Hellnback has lived in the city for many years. Also, ATCR member 2oolman spent time in Winnipeg over the years. Over the typical, fast ATCR beat, Hellnback matches the song’s energy and represents for his fellow Indigenous people.

“Memoirs (Rearview)” - Len Bowen ft. Andrew O, Grand Analog & Seun Olagunju Released in 2016 on Goin’ Away Party Easily the song on this list that I’ve listened to the most, as I look for yet another word of wisdom from the legend Len Bowen. No one can rap in an emotional, elegiac way like Len, especially on this retrospective track about growing up in Central Winnipeg with his mother (“heard what Ma was saying / also what she wasn’t.”) The last verse from

Len is particularly poignant, opening with the lines, “You can’t change your life / hardest things to accept.” With Sean Olagunju on the hook and features by Andrew O from the Lytics and Odario from Grand Analog, “Memoirs” also does a call back to another track on this list “Small Town Boys.”

“Sheep” - 3Peat Released in 2016 on 3Peat 3Peat are an important group in the history of Winnipeg rap because they brought a fresh, younger energy to a scene that had begun to grow stale in the mid-2010s. The self-titled debut album from rappers E.GG, Dill the Giant and BBS Steve has a few strong group tracks, but “Sheep” is a personal favourite because of the message of antitrend following. Another rapper/producer (and DJ) is added to the list here with BBS Steve, who continues to make his name as one of the best producers in the city.

“Game of Dice” - E.GG Released in 2016 on Alverstone Coming hot on the heels of the 3Peat group album, E.GG drops the first solo project from the 3Peat/4th Quarter Records camp. Alverstone, named after E.GG’s childhood West End street, is a personal portrait of life growing up in an immigrant household on a rough side of town. Produced by underground stalwart Crabskull, “Game of Dice” is evidence that E.GG is in the top tier of lyrical rappers to come out of Winnipeg. His soft-spoken but don’t-fuck-with-me mentality gives E.GG the feeling of a Winnipeg Nas. “Mind Spinnin’” - Cypha Diaz Released in 2016 as a video single Cypha Diaz (formerly Lu Cypha) is an underrated local rapper, coming out of Moonshine Kru and continuing a working relationship with Rup Monsta while still making his own name. “Mind Spinnin’” partners Cypha’s hardcore rap energy with the solid production and scratching of DJ Kutdown, who here samples the later Star Wars films for some added flavour.

“Bake & Shark” - Nestor Wynrush ft. Birdapres, Bad Mannaz, Len Bowen, Yy & DJ Brace Released in 2017 as a single An all-star track. Hard to say who has the best verse here, honestly. Competition makes good rappers even better evidently. Having World DMC Online Champion DJ Brace on the cuts makes it extra funky. Coming as part of a run of singles released by Nestor Wynrush through the mid-2010s, “Bake & Shark” proves the older guys can still bring it.

“Emails” - Dill the Giant ft. Ari IQ Released in 2017 as a video single Another 3Peat solo track, Dill the Giant masters the chill yet street vibe on “Emails,” with rapper Ari IQ dropping a sick feature. BBS Steve shows his versatility behind the producing decks with this slower, spacier beat.

“Unforgiven” - Malcolm-Jay ft. CJ the Grey Released in 2017 on The Enemy Within Malcolm-Jay has quietly been one of the most prolific rap artists out of Winnipeg in the last decade. Producing as well as rapping, Malcolm-Jay also works hard to include less-heard and up and coming voices in the local scene. On “Unforgiven”

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VAGINA WITCHCRAFT PARK THEATRE “Prayers for My Dawgs” - Myazwe the raw talent of young CJ AT theTHE Grey is featured JULY 10 alongside Malcolm’s double time flow.

Released in 2019 on Things I Never Said Winnipeg’s most successful new rap artist, Myazwe, “Lights” - HAVS ft. LOA is from the South Side of Winnipeg and reps it Released in 2018 on Distortion harder than anyone else ever has. Listening to Definitely in the new school of hip-hop and heavily Myazwe, you really think that there is no ceiling, he infused with R&B vibes, HAVS drops a banger can go as far as he wants with such a strong work with “Lights,” a track about shitty relationships. ethic. “Prayers for My Dawgs” is an introspective Saskatchewan/Winnipeg artist LOA drops in for a track but it remains a personal favourite. “Can’t even dope second verse. imagine coming in second place,” is Myazwe in a sentence.

“Resurrection” - Charlie Fettah & Crabskull Released in 2018 on Fettuccine Pharaoh “Nobody Loyal” - YSN Fab Charlie Fettah returned after several years of laying Released in 2019 on Made 4 More low with The Fettuccine Pharaoh, a collab project YSN Fab is giving everybody a run for their money. with producer Crabskull. Over Crab’s eerie and The young South Side Winnipeg rapper is gaining ominous beats, Fettah raps a raw picture about his quite a following, but it all started with “Nobody past, his ‘comeback’ and why it’s important for him Loyal” in Pascal Beatz’s basement in St. Vital. While to keep making music. “I got demons in my rearview Fab works with many producers, his best work is / I ain’t letting ‘em in.” with Pascal and nothing touches this first track that they recorded together. Definitely expect to hear the “Phasez” - FC Coconut ft. E.GG name YSN Fab again.

Released in 2018 on Slopoke Originally from Istanbul, FC Coconut has been “Never Back Down” - Kairo & Hoopaloop a staple in the underground Winnipeg hip-hop Released in 2019 as a single community for a few years. 2018’s Slopoke is mostly Kairo doesn’t necessarily get enough attention a beat tape but also features some Winnipeg’s best as he deserves but he is one of Winnipeg’s best rappers, including E.GG who consistently has some underground rappers. Frequently addressing issues of the best lyrics to ever come out of Winnipeg. of racism and police brutality in his music, “Never Back Down” touches on some of the darker sides of “Hold On” - The Lytics living in Winnipeg over a hard-slapping Hoopaloop Released in 2018 on Float On beat.

The Lytics just keep doing what they’re best at: dropping feel-good bangers that make you think. “Not A Terrorist” - The OB Perfecting their sound over so many years has led to Released in 2019 on Never Ever Ville the group’s voices meshing in a way that only helps Coming out of the Studio 393 rap programs, The to complement the positive vibes of their music. OB is continuing the very long and very proud B-Flat’s production again takes the driver’s seat but Winnipeg tradition of making weird rap music that the opening verses by Ashy (Anthony OKS) and doesn’t sound like anybody else. Producing and Munga set the pace for the rest of the track. rapping, The OB comes with an important track, split into three separate parts, that deals with the “GWAP” - 3Peat ft. 2oolman personal effects of racism and The OB’s interactions Released in 2018 as a video single with cops.

A Tribe Called Red producer 2oolman teamed up with young legends 3Peat for this high-energy head“42” - Nestor Wynrush nodder. BBS Steve rocks the hook and lets us know Released in 2020 on Roxbury & Wooden Legs that he likes his sneakers scuffed. Dill the Giant A project a long time in the making, we are all goes hard, slowly speeding up his flow throughout richer for having heard Roxbury and Wooden Legs. his verse. E.GG brings a solid verse about the rap Connecting Jackie Robinson and Terry Fox through hustle life. The trio each bring their hottest cadence the number 42 (Robinson’s jersey number and the and show that lyrics aren’t dead in modern hip-hop. number of kilometres Fox ran in a day), Nestor Later released on 3Peat 2 in 2019.

Wynrush tells his own story about being both Black and an amputee in a way that can connect with “FTP” - Super Duty Tough Work anyone who listens. “Don’t you put me in a box / Released in 2019 on Studies in Grey label me on what I’m not / I’m almost out of control Fuck ‘em. “But it’s not just the cops / it’s trickle / I’m trying to keep control.” down corruption, this shit is rotten from the top.”

Super Duty Tough Work was nominated for a “Dutty Forces” - Mooki Polaris Prize for Studies in Grey which means that Released in 2020 on Mooki Tape self-important rich-ass music industry people in Mooki is bringing a much-needed new energy to Toronto had to listen to this song at least once. A the current rap scene. A member of the 4th Quarter moral victory.

Records family with 3Peat, Charlie Fettah and Ed Riley, Mooki collab-ed with BBS Steve for Mooki “Optimist” - Sir Louie ft. Khalil Tape. Like so many before him, Mooki originally Released in 2019 as a video single comes from the breakdancing world but on “Dutty Sir Louie is a second-generation Winnipeg hipForces,” he tells a personal story in a subdued voice, hop artist up on the come up. At the forefront of a the kind that makes you lean in to hear it better. clique of promising young artists, including featured rapper Khalil, Sir Louie and the 4eighn World camp are certainly names to watch for in the 2020s.

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Above all other emotions, Leith Ross is feeling curious. Last month they released their first-ever single “Everyone I’ve Never Met” on Winnipegbased label Birthday Cake ahead of their debut album in October.

“I’m so excited to see how it hits people’s brains!”

Leith says over the phone from their hometown of Manotick, Ontario. “I’m really, really fascinated in what parts are going to hit home, or if they’re going to feel similar things to me, or if it’s going to spark something completely different.”

Growing up in Manotick, a conservative town near Ottawa with a 4,500-or-so population, Leith often felt at odds with themself. Without much in the way of IRL queer role models and a lack of 2SLGBTQ+ representation in the media, Leith found it difficult to understand and express their own identity.

“It’s so taboo that I didn’t really know what was happening, and I didn’t know what it meant, and I didn’t have any words or language for it,” said Leith.

“I was very much in this little world and didn’t have any access to anything outside of it.

Then, in the middle of one of Leith’s “good YouTube browses in the early days,” the algorithm gifted them a music video starring two women in love.

“It was this huge moment for me where I was like, ‘this can be beautiful and happy and gentle and normal,’” Leith says. “Ever since then, I’ve wanted to be that for another person. I’ve wanted to be the sound that can accompany someone through a huge moment in their life, because it was so helpful for me when I was young.”

And they’re off to a good start: “Everyone I’ve Never Met” is suspiciously resonant during COVID-19. On the track, they lament the little interactions with strangers they’ve missed out on by staying home all day on a screen, ordering books online, shipping groceries to their front door, the works – an anthem for self-isolated loneliness.

Yet “Everyone I’ve Never Met,” and the whole of Motherwell, was written nearly a year ago, and recorded back in December of 2019 as a project for college.

Recording an EP was Leith’s final project for their Jazz Voice degree at Toronto’s Humber College.

After a fruitful rehearsal with their bandmates just two weeks before the final recording session (during which they were set to record only three tracks), Leith changed plans last minute and elected to record the entire eight-track record live-off-thefloor.

Four hours later, Motherwell was complete.

“I’d even turned in a little assignment thing, detailing the plan for the session, and I had to change it last minute!” Leith recalls. “It was very spontaneous.”

Post-recording, they sent the album to a new friend: Joey Landreth, half of JUNO Awardwinning outfit The Bros. Landreth, co-owner of Birthday Cake, and “angel on Earth,” as described by Leith.

A few days later, Joey called over FaceTime, offering to sign Leith and release Motherwell through the label.

“As soon as Leith started singing I was moved to tears,” Joey said in Leith’s biography, provided by

Birthday Cake. “There is an incredible honesty in their singing and writing that I find so refreshing.

To listen to Leith’s music is like being a fly on the wall in their head and heart. You get a vivid picture of who they are and what they’re about.”

The album, Leith says, is a narrative, tracking a “very, very hard time” in Leith’s life. The songs appear on the record in chronological order, as they were written; “Everyone I’ve Never Met” is the opening track.

“It’s kind of this story of a bit of a deterioration, and then rediscovering what it is about all this that I want to stick around for,” Leith says.

Above all, Leith hopes listeners are left feeling a little less lonely with “Everyone I’ve Never Met,” and Motherwell at large.

“I have had this little analogy in my brain since I was little,” Leith says. “Whenever I listen to a song and I’m going through something, and the song is talking about what I’m going through or something similar, I always feel like I have this little blue line going from my chest, to whoever wrote it, to everyone else who’s also experiencing that thing. It makes me feel very not alone.

“That would be the ideal emotion – making someone feel like they’re understood by someone they don’t know.”

Motherwell is set to release on October 16.

LEITH ROSS GRAEME HOUSSIN PHOTO: BRONWYN FONG

08 Stylus Magazine October / November 2020

Original Warehouse Door/ Membrane Absorber Curtain

Studio A

No Fun Club:

A Tour of the Freshest Face on the Winnipeg Recording Studio Scene WORDS & PHOTOS: MARGARET BANKA Unless you are a musician or work with sound, chances are that the recording studio is as intriguing a place to your imagination as it is to mine. For us mere mortals, recording studios are a deep chamber of mystery where art somehow becomes encapsulated, mastered, and shared with the rest of the world.

Stepping into the nondescript brick building that houses No Fun Club, I am met by Rob (owner) and Riley (studio manager/engineer). I put on my mask, and things really start to feel like Phantom of the Paradise. Hey, that’s one cool thing about COVID, I guess. Disguised and socially distanced, I happily accept the role of ingenue seeking enlightenment in the world of recording arts.

Rob’s tour of his dream-come-true studio starts at the two full suite dorms. He is quick to point out an important detail in my education: “The recording studio model is a terrible business model”.

Noted (later, I read the Reddit thread, “Opening a recording studio, good or bad financial decision.”)

Rob’s solution is to build not one, but two studios that maximize activity. The accommodations pin No Fun Club as a destination for out-of-town artists, producers, and recording engineers. Riley later confirms my hunch: this is an exceptional space, in RIley and Rob in Studio B

Winnipeg and beyond: “The reach of the studio is substantial, because of the size of the project.”

As we meander through Studio B Studios B and A, I am introduced to the basic formula of a recording studio: a control room, filled with recording and mixing equipment; a live room, with instruments, membrane absorbers, and ambience; and a dead room (not spooky). These two rooms allow engineers to isolate sound and play with reflection and intimacy. An abundance of windows maintains sightlines between artists and engineers, and I am told this is conducive to experimentation and also keeps things fun!

Handsome salvaged wood lines the walls and flooring through the space. Rob tells me that it all came from petting a horse. Not as a thank-you for being a good horse-petter, but because next to the horse was an old tobacco barn (this was in Kentucky) that its owner was about to torch to the ground. Horrified, Rob offered his life in exchange, but the farmer graciously told him that if he could ship it to Canada, it was his. And so he did, all 120,000 pounds of three-hundred year old red oak and pine. He found a portable sawmill and built the interior of the studio out of it. Pretty cool (I once built a picture frame out of popsicle sticks).

I spy a giant cassette tape coffee table, and a candle chandelier of baroque taste hanging overtop of some very twenty-first century equipment. The vintage furniture, restored antique lamps, and oriental carpets fill No Fun Club with eclectic touches of old time splendour refitted for a modern studio.

Repurposing appears to be the order of the day here: “I tried to breathe new life into as many things as possible,” explains Rob. The old warehouse

Studio B’s live room

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door hangs beside us in Studio B, concealing more membrane absorbers and offering yet another way to experiment with sound reflection. Later Riley tells me that the spirit of recyclage applies to recording tape as well: “Normally if a band wants to record on tape, a reel of two inch tape is about five hundred dollars, and it’s only a couple minutes of music. If you wanted to record an album, you might need more than a couple of those.” Ouch. Instead, No Fun will reuse their pile of tape, which does not affect sound quality and is more economical for artists. It’s just one special feature for Riley, along with the Studer A827 24-track tape machine in each studio, a prime piece of recording equipment.

After the tour I think about the shroud of mystery that hangs over the recording world; it turns out that it’s not completely unreal. Rob and Riley both encountered a measure of difficulty trying to break into the scene. “The arts and music scene in Winnipeg is amazing, but people are also protective. I wanted to push through that,” says Rob, “from day one, our intent has been to make it feel like it’s a space for everyone.”

With a mentorship program in the works, Riley cites their inclusive and collaborative approach as what sets No Fun Club apart from other studios.

“We wanted to be able to give the knowledge away to people who are passionate, and do whatever we can to make it work with them. It shouldn’t always be the same people, we want to let everyone have a chance. Just because someone doesn’t have ten years of experience in engineering, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have a valuable perspective.”

So there you have it, two studios worth of recording equipment, immeasurable potential and heart, and no phantom (and it was very fun!) While Rob and Riley plan to be open and operating by November, they are currently taking bookings for all your future recording endeavours.

Studio B

October / November 2020 Stylus Magazine

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Diaphanie

ISABELLA SOARES

PHOTO: SIMEON RUSNAK

The rise of the Covid-19 pandemic has affected people in various ways, especially in the arts/entertainment scene. With tours cancelled and album releases postponed, musicians were challenged to innovate their way of creating music and promoting themselves. While many would say that their experience under quarantine has been far from positive, there are others who were able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. To singer-songwriter Heather Thomas, these months in isolation gave birth to a new music identity that was free from genre restrictions and remotely collaborative. The musician, formerly under the name ATLAAS, has chatted with Stylus Magazine about the wake of her new persona called Diaphanie, and how quarantine made her reevaluate the next

steps in her career.

After having a tour booked and cancelled consecutively, Diaphanie emerged as a breath of fresh air during a time where inspiration was running dry and music was becoming rather systematic to Heather Thomas. “Right before COVID happened, I had a whole tour planned. Obviously things changed and it made me re-evaluate what I wanted out of my career and where I was headed.”

Diaphanie’s first single, “Something Better” is a soothing acoustic guitar-led track that was created in a place just as cozy as its sound. The singer revealed to Stylus, “I wrote this whole song in my bed with a little BETA 58A mic and it was completely remote.

I am excited to go into my own “little cave”, making something and showing it to others.”

An Interview with Matt McLean of Mellifera

recording studio business. “he is an incredible audio engineer guy. He’s done work for Folk Fest, he does Fringe Festival, he’s been to Australia doing Fringe Festivals there, he’s done everything you can imagine. You know the band Jamboree? He did the audio for them when they played their gig over there.”

“I am working on other songs. They are almost there. They are a little bit harder mentally. In the studio it’s hard because you have to do it again, you have to do it again and again. It’s easy to get in your head with that kinda stuff and doubt yourself.”

Matt finds the creative process both “stressful and exciting”.

He plans to release things in pieces, staggering the releases, “squeeze the life out of it”. Next he plans to release a video, then another single, followed by another video, “with an eventual EP release”. It’s going to be a stop motion type video.

“I have contacted this person, who I think is one of the most wonderful artists in all of Manitoba and she is @yeetarts on Instagram. Shea from Yeetarts, I think she’s at the U of M. She’s going to animate parts of it”. The release is tentatively set for sometime late September.

Matt credits getting noticed at a time when mostly everything is online and the opportunity

KEELEY BRAUNSTEIN-BLACK Mellifera released their first single, “Laid Plains,” on Spotify in August. They are: Matt McLean as guitarist, singer and front man, along with his bandmates Thomas McKie on drums, Sam Ripat on bass, and Davis Kos-Whicer as lead guitarist and singer.

The single was written by Matt. He describes his creative process as “watching the TV and fiddling around with the guitar, and then if I like something I pause it and then go into voice memos and make some weird vocal thing, like a Humm or a nanana. Flesh it out and build it. Once all of the music is done; my first song is very chill, just guitar and vocals and everything gets added on later. The guitar is the cornerstone and everything else comes up after. That song was fun. The lyrics came easily to me. Which is not usually a thing for me! I like writing music but lyrics are hard for me”.

Matt McLean and Mellifera were recorded by Matt’s friend Brian Hiebert, an audio engineer.

Hiebert is in the mist of establishing his own

10 Stylus Magazine October / November 2020

Not only was the song made in an isolated environment, but the music video as well. The visually peculiar looking video was shot in a field with only five people involved in the making of it.

The basic concept behind it was to feature a normal day in Diaphanie’s life, from spreading peanut butter onto bread during breakfast to taking an air bubble shower, adding a couple bits and twists to add onto the aesthetic.

Now, if you think the rest of the music will sound like “Something Better,” I must admit that you are utterly mistaken. The whole idea behind Diaphanie is to ultimately release songs that are genre defying and less systematic. While briefly reminiscing on her previous work, Heather was candid when saying that she would like to be more focused in “doing”, rather than conforming to others expectations. “I am really proud of what I have done. With Diaphanie, I have a sense of total freedom in comparison to my other projects in which I felt constrained to a certain idea of myself.”

The singer-songwriter went on to say that she also won’t be dropping an album or putting out concerts any time soon. Instead, she will be releasing a couple other singles and potentially some performance videos alongside them. Her next single, the fun and pop-driven “Crossfaded”, will come out in October and she hinted on what the song will be about. “My song “Crossfaded” is about getting overwhelmed by life and falling back on some unhealthy coping mechanisms.”

Fearless of sticking to a particular sound and expressing feelings in a way that is relatable no matter the way you perceive it, Diaphanie is ground-breaking and the perfect soundtrack to kick off the fall season. As we wait to listen to her versatile tunes that will be coming our way during the next months without any rush, it is safe to say that each track will have a life of its own, and made in a very tranquil and polished manner. Diaphanie’s single “Something Better” is available on streaming services, and it is ready for you to add it into your playlist.

for gigs is limited to his marketing degree from Red River College. “It’s all about building relationships with people and creating engagement” says Matt.

He exchanged an artist in Denmark, @laminacea, a marketing plan for their artistic business for the art for the single. “I was like just do your thing and she did and it was absolutely insane.”

Mellifera played their first live show recently. “It was at Osborne Underground. It was super wild.

We opened for Jared Adams, and Mario & Maria.

We had two weeks to rehearse everything and it was absolutely stressful but great.”

Currently Matt has started #CoveringMB, where Manitoban musicians are encouraged to cover each other’s songs on a video or livestream. Currently he is doing one cover every two weeks, performing covers of local musicians and bands live from his music shed. Matt is encouraging other musicians to participate. He says “it’s an open platform for other artists to participate. It would be a thing where it’s inclusive and anyone can do it.”

Matt’s favourite local artist is Micah Erenberg, “He is dope. He’s so sick. He’s a funny dude.” #CoveringMB

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October / November 2020 Stylus Magazine

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DEPARTMENT 13

AMPLIFIED RADIO

MODERN JAZZ TODAY

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A Canadian Classical Master Composer: Michael Conway Baker JOHN IVERSON I first became acquainted with the music of Canadian composer Michael Conway Baker many years ago after reading an interesting magazine article about him. In this article, they described his music as tonal, melodic and romantic. The article so piqued my interest that I had to hear this music for myself, and upon first listen, I became a devoted fan.

His music was beautiful, melodious, evocative and passionate — elements of a true master of classical music.

Therefore it seemed logical when I began broadcasting my radio program over the airwaves of CKUW that Michael Conway Baker’s music be an integral part of my classical programming.

Listeners needed to be enlightened about this remarkable composer, and I was determined to do what I could to facilitate that process. Then, as my program was approaching its fifth anniversary, I decided that in celebration of this milestone I would inaugurate a new program theme, one that was truly Canadian. My first thought was to incorporate the music of Michael Conway Baker. So I boldly decided to contact Michael and ask him if he would consider creating a theme for my program, and to my delight he willingly accepted. After some consultation he suggested that the ‘Buttons’ theme from his “Cinderella: Frozen in Time” score would make a great opening theme for my show, and I wholeheartedly agreed. After Michael did the production work the new theme was unveiled on my fifth anniversary show, and this theme has opened each and every Shades of Classics program since then. Needless to say airing Michael’s music was great for my program and my listeners, but it also spawned a friendship with this wonderful composer!

With this collaboration came an increased desire to meet the extraordinary man behind this

12 Stylus Magazine October / November 2020

PHOTO: WWW.MICHAELCONWAYBAKER.COM outstanding music. On an invitation from Michael and his wife Penny, we were thrilled to make a journey to the west coast. Michael picked us up in downtown Vancouver and toured us around the city, and it was easy to understand how the scenic vistas of this beautiful locale have inspired him musically.

I had mentioned to Michael prior to our trip that we wanted to see the “Heron Monument,” which he had been commissioned to score a dedication piece for, and so we also visited this striking sculpture in West Vancouver. From there we headed for Treetop Lane, the charming Conway Baker home in the beautiful mountains of North Vancouver. We now had an opportunity to become better acquainted, and to get a real sense of what the life of a composer is like.

Imagine yourself in the eighteenth century visiting the home of a musical genius like Mozart, and you can easily envision just what this felt like! Michael previewed the scores that he was currently working on, and scores that he had recently completed. He also screened some videos that he wrote music for, including parts of the Cinderella video, and treated us to some spirited improv. What a visual and emotional treat this truly was for us! And perusing the awards area in the Conway Baker home reveals just how distinguished a composer Michael is among his numerous awards, he has won a Juno and several Genies, and has been honoured with the Order of British Columbia. He has also been inducted into the British Columbia Entertainment Hall of Fame.

Among Michael Conway Baker’s finest works are “Through the Lions’ Gate”, “Vancouver Variations”, and “Pacific Suite”, breathtaking pictorial trips through the Vancouver area. Also of note is his magnificent Piano Concerto that won him and pianist Robert Silverman a Juno Award, and the romantic Symphony No. 1. Among his many

scores for television is music for the CBC series “A Planet for the Taking”, and among his film credits is music for “The Grey Fox”. And not to be missed is the aforementioned “Cinderella: Frozen in Time”, a score written for Dorothy Hamill’s Ice Capades show. But there are so many more wonderful scores to explore in this composer’s opus that includes ballet music, chamber music, orchestral works, choral works, and even pop tunes.

Throughout his career Michael has defied the establishment that insists that classical music should be atonal and inaccessible, instead choosing to create music that is discernible and will touch the hearts of listeners. And in the above mentioned magazine article Michael stated that “I don’t try to cut myself off from the past…”, and to this day he maintains that same conviction. His advice to young composers is to “participate in your art with integrity”. He is a remarkable man, and he has stayed true to where his heart lies. His music will touch your heart and soul, and open your eyes to a world of classical music that you thought was left behind long ago!

Website: www.michaelconwaybaker.com

ISABELLA SOARES

Jazz band, show choir, and musical theatre seem to be the extra-curricular activities that we all participate in high school, but end up getting into a whole other business when enrolling in university.

Yet, they can also be just the beginning for talented individuals to connect with one another, play a couple tunes, and create an unbreakable bond. This statement couldn’t be more truthful about local band Love Letter Writers, formed by Nathaniel Muir (vocals,) Carter LaFleche (bass/vocals,) Aidan Clarke (drums,) Adam Yarish (guitar,) and Ben Schmidt (guitar.) Stylus Mag had the chance to speak with all of the band members about their early days, upcoming album, and how their musical influences made them grow and develop on stage.

This group goes way back to junior/senior years, when Nathaniel decided to put on a show alongside friends Aidan and Carter for an event called Apex Dance at Westwood Collegiate. At the time, they were known as Dissonance, a name that changed twice before they settled on their current identity.

When asked about the origin of this name, vocalist Nathaniel Muir revealed: “I wrote a song for us called ‘Love Letter Writer…’ Basically all of our songs are love letters, and Carter and I thought of calling ourselves Love Letter Writers, but Aidan said “no”. Eventually the name grew on everybody.”

With only two songs available on streaming platforms, the early 2000s-like funky bop “Tangerine” and the catchy indie rock track “Crazy Daisy”, the band has more coming our way as they are set to release their first album this October.

Carter LaFleche shared a couple details about what we can expect from this debut project, “Our album Arona, which will be available on October

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PHOTO PROVIDED BY LOVE LETTER WRITERS

23rd, has seven songs that were made as an ode to the people who made us what we are today.” The album title Arona, means colorful in Hawaiian, and it will feature a blend of sounds they call “pop runk” (mixture of pop, rock and funk).

One of their highlights this past year was playing for the first time at The Park Theatre. The show was described as incredibly energetic and it was the first experience guitar player Ben Schmidt had playing with the group to a live audience. “It was a lot bigger than I thought it would be. We were expecting about 50 people to show up and there were over 100!”

Despite having a couple shows booked after this event, everything was eventually canceled due to the COVID-19 shutdown. The band spent months without interacting face to face due to quarantine, but the time apart was filled with productivity. “A lot of good things came out of it, Nathaniel and Aidan had a lot more time off because they had lost their jobs due to COVID. They had time to record some concepts and we recorded them later after phase two or three, when we went back to the studio.”

(LaFleche) Yet, the thought of having to go live again on a restructured format that accommodates social distancing measures gives them mixed feelings.

Drummer Aidan Clarke explained, “It’s hard for us because most of our band feeds off of the energy from the audience, so it’s really hard to play when everybody has to social distance, but we are definitely going to plan something very soon.”

Lastly, when reminiscing about the group’s growth and development on stage throughout the years, each member revealed what changed for them and

who they looked up to during this process. Names such as Robert Plant, Alex Turner, Flea and Paul McCartney came up as some of the band members’ primary influences when evolving from Jazz Band and Musical Theatre to their live performances together. Adam Yarish, one of the latest additions to the group, said: “It’s pretty new for me honestly.

I have only done one show with these guys, and before that the only live experience I had was filling in for my dad’s band playing keyboards in the back, so I didn’t really have to worry too much about stage presence”.

As we wait for this highly anticipated album release that will probably bring some lively and upbeat tunes, as well as attend their upcoming shows, Love Letter Writers will focus on engaging with fans and sharing more about themselves through their social media. The band has plans to release a couple videos online to promote their new music, so make sure to keep a close eye on them to not miss any of the fun.

October / November 2020 Stylus Magazine

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Local Spotlight consciousness, but even this style is short-lived. Track three surprises with eighties heavy synth and shoegazey vocals. The next relies on keyboard melody and understated Morrisey lyrics, and the rest similarly refuse to follow any discernible thematic link.

This is not to say that the EP feels disjointed (although the introduction of auto-tune in “Pick Your Brain” was a bit too far afield for my taste), Jamboree’s ability to showcase their JAMBOREE diversity while preserving a pleasing ROOM flow is a talent unto itself. In a short 20 minutes Room exposes the spectrum In an age where music is engineered of sounds that the band has to make to ensure at least thirty seconds of use of. It is an impressive range fitting playtime – the necessary amount to be for the extensive catalogue they have paid out through Spotify – beginning released over the last couple of years, an album (even an EP) with a spoken and I look forward to watching their word track is risky, yet Jamboree’s growth and promising future. Mark Room pulls it off with unflinching Teague confidence.

“Distance” opens with an upbeat drum and bass hook that leads directly into monotone prose-poetry exploring notions of malaise, loneliness, and anxiety which foreshadow the motifs that ground the rest of the album.

It is difficult to maintain reasonable expectations when an album starts like this. Six songs of droning vocals make for a listening experience that isn’t exactly engaging, but the rest of Room turns out to be a string of denied expectations, and nothing if BASEBALL HERO not sonically diverse. Throughout the SALVATION MOUNTAIN next five songs, Jamboree eschews many major genre classifications and I don’t think any new, quarantine pulls influence from a range of bands released music has made me as spanning decades. The second track nostalgic for late nights spent dancing “Change” is a nineties power-pop than this EP. I can close my eyes and powerhouse akin to early Weezer, see myself, dancing, arms wrapped discussing the discomfort of self- around my friends, smiling. Baseball

Hero has brought me back to a time I had almost forgotten and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Baseball Hero released their newest EP, Salvation Mountain, on September 2nd, 2020. The EP is really beautiful. It is named after the infamous “Salvation Mountain” in Slab City, Southern California, with a photograph of the iconic art piece as the album art.

The album is a mixture of happy and sad music that could emanate from the Mountain. It’s the perfect accompaniment to this weird period of endless quarantine. The songs are a space for venting, as well as finding new peace and normalcy despite the limitations of our new world. It feels like the art we all needed that expresses how we feel being isolated from each other all over.

Most of the songs start slow and gentle with really soft vocals, then eventually get loud and rowdy.

The instruments clash and collide symbiotically. It works as carefully orchestrated and intertwined chaos.

It feels like the inner screams and turmoils of a quarantine day. A day that starts out normal and easy, then clashes and collides, and then carries on and moves wonderfully. The songs are nostalgic, sad, dreamy, a mix of reality and inner turmoil, all while being very fast and irresistibly danceable.

The longest song on the album, “Modern Death/Wish it Was” seems to speak on this new adjustment we are dealing with. A new reconfiguriguration of life as we know it. The song works wonderfully for small scale life changes, as well the mass changes we are seeing today. The lyrics preach for escaping, “when I was

a little kid I dreamt I could climb a set of stairs into the sky,” with the intense, fast paced instrumentals.

The song ends with what may be the mantra of 2020, “Lean into the feeling that nothing is the same, though I wish it was.” The song ends with an echoing of “I wish it was”. It feels sad but relieving in the optimism and upbeat style of the instruments. The song and the lyrics are cathartic, as they are a conjuring and release of the overbearing stress and panic of the times.

The album’s title track is a wonderful coming together of forces that switch from loud to mellow. It leaves the listeners swaying slowly to suddenly flailing. It’s a beautiful song, with the lyrics, “Let’s gather on Salvation Mountain, Before the Rapture takes us.” The song is a wonderfully joyous call for coming together in these especially apocalyptic times. The song, and the album completely, reminds us of the silver linings, the happiness underlying the bleakness of the times.

Baseball Hero’s new EP is exceptionally poignant and a great quarantine listen. It’s sure to parallel some of your own anxieties. It might even make you feel some sense of transcendence from the uncertainties of the future. Hopefully, one day soon, we can all be gathered again in a dark room to hear this album live and loud.

There won’t be a dancing restriction and we can move and sway together, rejoicing, singing along to “Salvation Mountain”. Lily O’Donnell

KAINA (pronounced Kah-e-na), is an exploration into the struggles the artist has faced growing up as a firstgeneration Latina, born and raised in the United States. Her Venezuelan and Guatemalan background influences not only her musical styles but also her lyrics, which are honest and hopeful, keeping the listener open to the reality of her life experience throughout.

KAINA’s previous EP releases, Sweet ASL in 2016 and 4U in 2018 were KAINA musically similar but did not have the NEXT TO THE SUN same openness lurking in the lyrics.

Compared to Next To The Sun, those Next To The Sun, the latest release EPs feel like the artist was just dipping from Chicago-based musician her toes in the water to see who was

listening before really opening up about who she is.

The album starts with “House.”

The track builds gradually, using different reverbs and effects, putting the listener in a trance of anticipation before a single word has been sung.

We hear a voice humming, inviting us to come closer. Finally, an ethereal voice invites the listener to know her struggles. The opening line “You with your walls, you’re so proud / You stay so happy keeping all us out” is such a poignant first hand account of what so many people feel not just in the U.S., but universally. “All this divide, it ain’t so healthy / There’s room for plenty,”

she summarizes in the chorus. The song sets the tone for the album in its honesty, but it also sets the listener up to know the lyrics are going to be introspective.

My stand-outs on the album are “What’s A Girl” (delivered in a style reminiscent of Fiona Apple) and “Joei,” which opens with a conversation between (presumably) KAINA and a child about having a crush on someone and keeping it a secret if they don’t feel the same way before KAINA’s voice asks “Am I a secret?” I love the perspective shift from the secret keeper to the sudden realization that all of us could be someone else’s secret. The

Ulteriors

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closing track, “Green,” is my favourite on the album. The beat is irresistible as she sings about all of the people who came before her, and the line “But know me for my truth” really sums up the album. As KAINA said in an interview with Pitchfork, “you can’t be a vessel for good if you’re not being honest.” Grace Hrabi

SEN MORIMOTO SEN MORIMOTO On his self-titled sophomore album, multi-instrumentalist Sen Morimoto offers a slick fusion of jazz-rap and soulful art-pop, mixing in various elements from across the musical genre spectrum along the way. The Chicago artist’s background of saxophone is made clear right away, on the opening track “Love, Money Pt. 2,” as well as his knack for a funkier sound, like on the track “Deep Down.” The guitar and keyboard sounds differ on nearly every song, making for a genuinely engaging sound that remains hard to pin down.

Guest vocals from NNAMDÏ, Joseph Chilliams, and others only add to the colourful nature of the record. The broad range of influences and varying sounds make for a dynamic listen, and Morimoto still manages to tie the record together with a certain cohesive moodiness that can be found on every track. This album will pull you into the artist’s mind, as if slipping into a dream.

The introspectiveness and vulnerability of the lyrics give the impression that Morimoto is an old friend, forging a bond between listener and artist from the first listen. From the nonchalant flows delivered on “Save” to the woeful desperation on the song “Woof,” there seems to be a grey cloud hanging over Sen and his music, that makes every joyful moment seem like an exception. This is not to the detriment of the album however, as it properly sets a tone for the record rather than leaving the listener guessing. The songs themselves are not always sad, but the general melancholy and tones of regret in Sen’s lyrics and voice give the impression that he is perhaps still healing, on a journey to being better, a quality reminiscent of Mac Miller’s later work. Though it may seem that the lyrics and the music tell different

stories, the contrasting sadness of Morimoto’s voice and subject matter, and the sheer beauty and colour of the instrumentals makes for a striking combination. Sen Morimoto proves that melancholy can be a vehicle for creativity and charm as it transitions to hope. Olivier LaRoche

LAND OF TALK INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS Indistinct Conversations, the latest release from Toronto’s Land of Talk seems, from the outset, to be the kind of dreamy folk album that typifies mid-afternoon festival stages in the hot sun. “Diaphanous,” the first track, is a fitting title to describe not only the song, but the overarching sound of the album. Yet, as the tracks maintain a pronounced lightness, the content begins to reveal a complexity that is not fully realized until the final songs.

Elizabeth Powell’s breathy vocals have a surprising range that she applies as the album turns to become more introspective, beginning with “Weight of that Weekend.” The song opens with what sounds to be an angry voicemail message, and steers the listener into considering the relationship between the term Indistinct Conversations and the themes of interpersonal disconnect that are explored throughout the album.

The last two songs – “Now you Want to Live in the Light” and “Indistinct Conversations” diverge from the rest, introducing elements of dissonance and resolution that pair well with the emergence of a more explicit lyrical frustration than was found in the preceding tracks. The final song begins with the sounds of wind through a telephone and relies on recorded small talk instead of sung vocals.

This choice dramatically changes the rest of the album, as it explores the juxtaposition of literal and figurative miscommunication found not only in dialogue, but also in inner monologue.

It compares the difficulty of communicating with others as well as with ourselves, and sheds new light on the earlier songs by exposing common troubles in expression.

Elizabeth Powell, through Land of Talk, takes a familiar and comforting

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pairing of folk-influenced guitar and warbling vocals and uses it to explore the nature of relationships and emotion. Indistinct Conversations, when experienced in its entirety, is an unexpected but timely meditation in an age of uncertainty. Mark Teague

of listening to the album all the way through, whether it’s on Spotify or from a vinyl LP, remains viable, an extremely underrated feature in today’s musical climate. Olivier LaRoche

LIÉ YOU WANT IT REAL

HEAPS WHAT IS HEAPS With their debut LP, Ontario band Heaps deliver a pleasantly crafted and versatile indie-rock sound. Very much a continuation of the indie-rock trends that defined the 2010’s, their sound lies somewhere between the music of Foster the People and that of The Killers. Endlessly catchy vocals and riffs define this record ensuring a foottapping experience during every listen.

Apart from the tasteful riffs, the guitar work manages to keep the familiar indie rock tone and shape, sometimes with heavier distortion, like at the end of the track “Softly,” that adds another dimension to the sound. The group also makes use of creative time signatures in some songs, such as on the closing track “Someday,” proving to be a feature that sets them apart from many other acts in the same vein who tend to stick to simpler rhythms. Similarly to the music of their contemporaries, the mood of many songs on What is Heaps are reminiscent of scenes from a coming-of-age film. That being said, the genuine tone of the vocals and lyrics gives a sense of “these guys are for real,” and eliminates the possibility of any Hollywood cheesiness that may accompany such a narrative. This narrative is not simply a sporadic moment across a few songs, either.

The entire album flows with a certain smoothness that uncovers a story told through their entire sound, beyond just the lyrics. There is also a certain versatility in their songwriting that allows for both a satisfying listen from front to back, and for songs that hold their own. This is an important feature, especially in the streaming age, where songs hold more weight on their own than ever. Many people tend to add only a few songs from an album to their playlists or library, and that may certainly be the case with What is Heaps. However, the option

Coming out of the ferocious Vancouver punk scene, Lié dives headfirst into a chaotic, exciting, and confident album, which brings the listener into a world of tight-knit thrash-punk, ushering you along an energetic journey. At the same time, you try and hold on for dear life.

Heavy bass lines drive many songs on You Want it Real, while the guitar and drums work symbiotically to produce an unconstrained yet simultaneously steady album. The band sounds as good as ever, and you can feel the creative compatibility between the band members as they effortlessly bounce between meticulously crafted tracks.

From the first track, “Digging in the Desert,” you can feel the band’s unrelenting power. Singing through impressionist metaphors, lead singer and bassist Ashlee Luk yells, “I’ve been wasting all my precious time digging, digging in the desert,” before yelling at the song’s antagonist, “You’re so righteous.” Lié don’t waste any time proclaiming their hostility towards a society so oppressive to those pushed furthest to the margins. A feeling of discontent and call for change run through the album and display the discharge of that rage in classic hardcore fashion.

You can feel that energy explicitly on “Bug.” The band bounces back and forth between sludgy metal riffs and fast-paced Anarcho-punk, further displaying their disillusionment toward society. At the same time, “You Got It” transports you to a vicious moshpit where you can practically feel the punches flying and taste the metallic flavor of blood running down from your broken nose. They might not be reinventing the wheel, but Lié shows precisely how great deliberate, voracious punk music can be. Myles Tiessen

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with obedience while the lead dons a captains hat and yellow gloves, presumably made from leather. Within the crowd lurks a handful of individuals donning the same masks who seek out those who have committed to faith to Dboy. Those who are deemed most worthy will receive a mask, and a nod welcoming them into the movement.

New Records in Human Power is the Welland, Ontario band’s debut full length delivery that can only be DBOY described as “Propaganda Punk.” It’s NEW RECORDS IN HUMAN POWER quite fitting that Daniel Romano produced this LP, an individual who To understand the overall nature of can match the mystery and nuance Dboy is to visually imagine (or if you displayed by Dboy within his own have the privilege, experience live) body of work. Within the first few a Dboy set.Two men in masks and heart racing tracks, the listener realizes red varsity jackets drape the stage that Dboy, or as they’re sometimes

know “The Order of the Dboy Scouts’ ‘ are merely a vessel for the Dboys, whatever or whomever they may be, to share their message within the masses. Abandoning their old lives in a search for new found glory, riding away on stallions chanting the four letters of their superior on “Performance Horses?” Only in the name of Dboy of course. “Dboy wants your money!” yells the Order on “Dboy Sells Out,”with fingers pointed directly at the listener as a propaganda poster is painted in front of them laying out the financial struggles that lie ahead without their financial contribution (you can give Dboy your money, generously, at Dboylove.com) The Order live and breath Dboy and wish to serve the Dboys across the globe

only by spreading the love of Dboy and only asking for the same in return.

“The Order of the Dboy Scouts” have so much so say and manage to say it all in 18 minutes. The abrupt and relentless nature is in front of you as quickly as it has passed, but once it has passed it never leaves the listener as they have the word of Dboy. As the final point of the “Dboy 13 Point Manifesto” (which can be found on Dboylove.com) reads; “DBOY is here and now.”

Daniel Kussy conformed to the message of Dboy while writing this review and struggled to finish it while wearing his mask. Daniel Kussy

ckuwho who? ?

Listen to: You Can’t Hide From God Sundays 1-2 PM MYLES TIESSEN “People have been loving the Lord for a long time, there’s always been a religious or gospel aspect of [music].” Expressed Dustin Derksen, host of You Can’t Hide From God on CKUW. After 5 years of running The Morning Shift on CKUW, which primarily focused on Blues music, Derksen left that show to start fresh, pursuing Gospel music, his passion.

“Usually the first question people ask after you tell them you run a Gospel show is, ‘Are you religious?’” With no current affiliation to any liturgical institution, Derksen is simply a fan of the music.

A typical crate-digger, Derksen has an affliction to finding music so rare it feels like the artists made only one copy of the record. “A lot of [the music on the show] are small pressings, they would have only made a hundred or two they would have sold at their churches or local towns, a lot of it is kind of forgotten about.” Partial to bands where musical proficiency comes second to emotional conviction, most of the music Derksen plays on You Can’t Hide From God has an amateurish quality. However, the spectral quality of music is where the most compelling and passionate songs are found.

When we talked, Derksen spoke with a slow and contemplative disposition. He chose his words carefully and remained aloof. As the conversation wore on, one thing became clear. Derksen is not doing a radio program for any vain pursuit. Derksen, above all, is there to exhilarate Gospel music and bring it to an unfamiliar crowd.

Finding new content. I don’t really like to play the same show twice. This is an hour-long show, with 20-30 songs. So, I guess finding new content I feel comfortable with to put on the air.

What’s been the most challenging part about running a radio show?

It depends. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn’t. A lot of people have cut their teeth in Gospel. Sam Cooke, for example, was in the Soul

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For Gospel music, a lot of it is only available on old records. There are a couple sources I go to every week online, where other people curate different Gospel music. There are different DJs, and I listen to other Gospel radio programs that are around. I’m always online, whether it be YouTube or different shows.

Stirrers, and then he went on to do Soul music.

Some people have released Gospel music and then recorded a Soul record under an alias because they didn’t want their church to know they were playing ‘the Devil’s music.’ So it did inspire a lot of other genres for sure. Any kind of new genre that comes out, there is always a Gospel [part to it]. It’s a kind of give and take. A lot of people will hear the word ‘Gospel music’ and will think it’s not for them, or they’re not religious. Some people just kinda write it off. When people hear I do a Gospel show, the first question is, ‘Are you religious?,’ which I am not.

I play Gospel music, but I don’t actively promote religion.

What are your inspirations for running the show and curating new music?

So what attracts you to Gospel music if it’s not the religious messages?

[Gospel music] is one of the only genres that hasn’t been documented a whole lot. Every Psych record has been studied to death, written about, and documented. But, I have dozens of Gospel records that have no hits when you Google it, nevermind videos or MP3s, not even any kind of written word online. Some of the bands aren’t as tight, and some of it is a little rough. The singing or the bands, even the recording, is rough, and I just think it’s really interesting… A lot of it is not polished, which is what I like.

The music itself, the variety, and the power. [With] the way they sing, you can tell they put their whole selves into it. It’s very emotional in a way. It’s very powerful, and you can tell.

Do you think Gospel music gets the credit it deserves?

You Can’t Hide From God broadcasts every Sunday from 1:00-2:00pm.

Where do you usually find that content?

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Well... I don’t want people to think I’m a religious nut or whatever. I just like finding new music and playing it. Most of what I play has probably never been heard on Winnipeg radio.

, We re here to hear.

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