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| Orbital Ensemble will be playing songs from their new Contínua album at Sonic Boom on June 30th. |
Contínua is the second full-length by Orbital Ensemble, out now via the Toronto-based label We Are Busy Bodies, pushing the group’s neotropical psychedelic sound into more ambitious and collaborative territory. Written and produced by Toronto-based, Brazilian native multi-instrumentalist Felipe Sena with co-writers Artu Bastos and Dan McLay, the album features expansive arrangements and special guests on vocals, strings and harp. Recorded primarily live off the floor with additional overdubs, the record captures the band's magnetic force while continuing their vision of blending Brazilian musical heritage with contemporary psychedelic and jazz exploration.
The album was recorded during an intensive four day session in August 2025 at Pine Island Studio, an isolated studio on Stoney Lake in Ontario. The ten compositions were tracked live as a six piece ensemble, mirroring Orbital’s touring formation and allowing the music’s energy and interaction to unfold naturally. The session featured Jon Catanus on drums, Ana Higuera on percussion, Dan Mclay on bass, Felipe Sena and Artu Bastos on guitars, and Jakob Leeson on saxophone. The recordings were developed further in Toronto with additional layers including flute and saxophones by Mei Akanuma, vocals by Daniela Longaray, string arrangements by Jessica Deustch, vocals and percussion by Cajú Collective, and harp by Rachel Kitchlew recorded in the UK.
Released worldwide with supporting seven-inch singles produced by Cajú Collective, Contínua marks the next chapter in Orbital Ensemble’s evolution. Across its ten tracks, the album explores themes of resilience, presence, saudade, forgiveness, and spiritual protection while expanding the project’s sonic palette between cosmic jazz melodies and dense psychedelic sound.
You can get a copy of Orbital Ensemble's new Contínua album via Bandcamp right here. See 'em live in Toronto at Sonic Boom tonight (Tuesday, June 30) at 6 pm. It's free! Check out the video for "Atende o Telefone" below.
1. Resiliência 06:27
2. Deusas 04:51
3. Razão 03:58
4. Doomscroll 03:50
5. Invocada 02:32
6. Atende o Telefone 03:52
7. Triha 05:41
8. Perdoar 04:07
9. Diatônica 03:16
10. 7 Ervas 04:13
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| "Covered" – curated by Richard Marsella – features updates of Nash The Slash tunes by Ian Blurton, Eiyn Sof and Renaldo M will be out on March 10th. |
Nash the Slash—born Jeff Plewman—stood alone in the Canadian music landscape. Known for his electric violin, mandolin, haunting synths, and trademark mummy-like stage attire, Nash became a cult icon whose influence extended far beyond Canadian borders. His genre-defying approach—part art-punk, part avant-garde, part cinematic minimalism—left an indelible mark on artists working in experimental, electronic, industrial, prog, and underground rock. From his early days with FM to his boundary-breaking solo work, Nash championed independence, integrity, and fearless weirdness long before these values became a rallying cry for DIY musicians everywhere.
Covered features a bold lineup of contributors, including Renaldo M (Brian Poole of Renaldo & The Loaf), Ian Burton’s Future Now, Eiyn Sof, and many other world-class experimental artists—each offering a unique interpretation that expands Nash’s sonic universe while remaining rooted in his unmistakable creative spirit.
The album can be considered a companion piece to the film Nash the Slash Rises Again! by Side Three Media.
Photos by Paul Till. Album artwork by Matthew Daley.
Writes curator Richard Marsella:
"When I learned that Side Three Media were working on the documentary film "Nash the Slash Rises Again!," it inspired me to want to make a complimentary tribute album with an eclectic group of musicians from around the world. I love the artistry and interpretations of Nash's music reflected on this compilation. It takes Nash and rethinks his original vision. Buckle up: this recording honours one of the great underground Canadian innovators, Nash the Slash, who has always been a great source of inspiration for so many of us.
"I had the honour of working with Nash a few times in my career, notably as a special guest artist in my Parade of Noises 2002, where we played Musical Red Rover with a group of 700 grade four students in my hometown of Brampton, Ontario. "Red Rover, Red Rover....we call Nash the Slash over..." are a string of words we'll never forget. Nash the Slash is an artist I shall never forget, always pushing the boundaries and just going for it. I'm super proud to share this project with such an incredible lineup, including Renaldo M (Brian Poole from Renaldo & The Loaf), Ian Blurton, Eiyn Sof and so many other world class weirdos. Special thanks to Colin Brunton, Gary Topp, Klanggalerie and We Are Busy Bodies for helping make this project a reality."
You can pre-order a copy of Nash The Slash: Covered and preview two songs via Bandcamp right here. Check Nash The Slash performing his version of FM's "Phasors On Stun" along with two interviews following the tracklisting below.
Various Artists – Nash The Slash: Covered
Lightmares - In A Glass Eyes
Eiyn Sof - Animal Magnetism
Dearly Beloved - Shock Treatment
Alex Wroten - RSVP
Alan Beeson - Life in Loch Ness
Renaldo M - Vincent's Crows
Ian Blurton - Phasors on Stun
Ronley Teper - Wolf
Nolan Cook's Nifnar - Citizen
Brian Ruryk - Masquerade
Barnyard Drama - Wait For You
Kitzler - Reactor No. 2
Rebecca Hennessy - Children of the Night
Andrew Noseworthy - Womble
Frank Pahl - Pilgrim's Lament
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| Check out the video and a performance of "Daydreams" off Orbital Ensemble's impressive "Orbital" debut out now. |
Here's the scoop...
Written and produced by Sena, the album features Lazar Miric on flute and saxophones, and renowned Brazilian percussionist M. Takara on two tracks.
These early collaborators were the first extensions of the ensemble, as the album is prologue to the live experience, setting the stage for the larger Toronto-based live Orbital Ensemble — an eight-piece Toronto-based live band, which brings the album’s neotropical psychedelic sound to life with drums, Brazilian percussion, bass, guitar, sax/flute, acoustic guitar, keys, and vibraphone.
Released under We Are Busy Bodies worldwide and Balaclava Records in South America, "Orbital" blends vintage Brazilian influences with modern psychedelic and jazz elements, drawing inspiration from artists such as Clube da Esquina, Azymuth, Meta Metá, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Khruangbin, and Badbadnotgood. Watch the video for "Daydreams" followed by a live-in-the-studio performance below.
Get a copy of the Orbital Ensemble's "Orbital" debut from Bandcamp right here. There's a listening party for "Orbital" at 915 Dupont on Thursday (July 3) with a DJ set from We Are Busy Bodies main man Eric Warner at 7:30 pm, album playback at 8:15 pm, Cajú label DJ set at 9:15 pm, Local Dish label DJ set 10:15 pm.
“There’s just something about psychedelic jazz from Canada. From Badge Époque Ensemble to Cosmic Range, and the majority of the Idée Fixe catalog, the country’s got a lock on the lysergic end of the jazz spectrum. Add a new name to the register with Orbital Ensemble.” – Raven Sings The Blues
“Sena knows how to smoothly mix Latin, African, the closely related Caribbean rhythms and spacy jazz rock into a sound that we will hopefully hear from many more times in the future. More than promising, this relaxed listening trip full of pleasant surprises” – Jazzism (NL)
“Toronto’s latest jazz masters…soaked in the sweet sounds of Brazilian jazz and soul, with occasional hints of psychedelia, too.” Far Out Magazine
Credits
Composed and Engineered by Felipe Sena
Drums, bass, guitars, keys, percussion by Felipe Sena
Flutes and saxophones by Lazar Miric
Additional Rhodes on Daydreams by Lazar Miric
Percussion and bells on Maré and Portal by M. Takara
Recorded at The Root Down, Toronto
Mixed by Roberto Kramer and Felipe Sena
Mastered by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel
Cover artwork by George Gilles
Design by Felipe Sena
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| Lammping's nutty idea of recording a hip hop album with Bloodshot Bill rockin' the mic works way better than you might expect. Check the clips. |
Lammping is a Toronto-based psych project led by composer/producer Mikhail Galkin and drummer Jay Anderson. Galkin has a diverse background, having produced for hip-hop legends like J-Live, Boldy James, and People Under The Stairs, as well as releasing a critically acclaimed solo album as DJ Alibi and working as a film/tv composer. Anderson is a seasoned figure in the Toronto indie scene, playing in bands such as Badge Epoque Ensemble, Biblical, ROY and many others. The two first connected after seeing each other perform in different projects and bonding over their shared love for '90s New York hip-hop, skate videos, DIY culture, Beach Boy harmonies and everything in between. The project was born from their desire to create music without limitations - driven by a spirit of exploration, embracing all kinds of genres, sounds, and influences under the Lammping umbrella. The result is a uniquely eclectic project where anything goes, as long as it feels true to their creative instincts. The live version of the band is a 5-piece, with Toronto musicians Colm Hinds, Scott Hannigan and Matt Aldred lending their talents on vocals, guitar and bass.
Lammping, the genre-defying psych-rock project from Toronto, is set to release four unique albums over the next year, each showcasing the eclectic range of influences and talents of its founders, Mikhail Galkin and Jay Anderson. A collaboration with Montreal's Bloodshot Bill kicks off the series with a psychedelic, sample-driven freak-out that’s as unpredictable as it is fun, blending Lammping’s DIY spirit with Bloodshot Bill’s singular style.
Get a copy of Lammping's surprisingly dope "Never Never" collaboration with Bloodshot Bill via Bandcamp right here. Check out the video for title track followed by the catchy "Won't Back Down" along with "One and Own" below.
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| Check out "Jack Parsons Blues" off guitarist Gwenifer Raymond's forthcoming album "Last Night I Heard The Dog Star Bark" |
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| Christo Graham's "Clown Riot" was inspired by the strange-but-true events surrounding Toronto's clown riot of 1855. |
Writes Eric Warner of We Are Busy Bodies...
From the brilliant mind of Christo Graham comes the rock opera Clown Riot, out today on all streaming services. Clown Riot tells the true story of a riot that occurred in 1855 in Toronto. Clowns were involved. While some of the details may have lost to time, the lore lives on and was expertly turned into a 90-minute theatrical piece that will soon grace stages.
The origins of Clown Riot started many years ago and we’re happy to play a very tiny part in sharing the album. Christo is a true talent. We’re big fans and believers. He will have another album out in the fall and his first US tour dates announcing soon as well. For now, immerse yourself in the world of Clown Riot, and if you live in or near Toronto come see him at The Cameron House (408 Queen St. West) on Monday (June 2) at 9 pm.
For fans of Tommy, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Little Shop of Horrors, and well constructed musical narratives.
Check out Christo Graham's "Clown Riot" recording available digitally from We Are Busy Bodies via Bandcamp right here here.
For more information on the Clown Riot rock opera: https://clownriot.ca
Watch the Clown Riot preview clip below. Read more about the actual clown riots which began in a Toronto brothel on King St. near Jarvis back in 1855 on the Heritage Toronto site right here.
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| Ian Blurton, Jay Anderson and their UWUW pals will be performing as part of We Are Busy Bodies 20 Fest tonight. Photo: T. Costa |
Tonight will mark the debut of studio project turned 11-piece live band UWUW featuring luminaries from Toronto’s vibrant music community. Led by Jay Anderson and Ian Blurton, the band includes Chris Cummings, Nick Sewell, Andrew Scott, Drew Smith, and others. I’ve known and/or seen each of the aforementioned play in bands for over two decades in some instances, longer than We Are Busy Bodies has been around. This show is not to be missed.... maybe even a T2 cover! Find out more about UWUW's self-titled debut album from 2022 right here.
Lo-fi soul singer Aladean Kheroufi opens the show tonight. We Are Busy Bodies issued his debut full-length in mid-2024, which is nearly sold out.
Doors at 8pm. Tickets are $26.77 and available online right here and at the door. Listen to "Scattered Ashes" by UWUW followed by Aladean Kheroufi's video for "Now & Forever" below.
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| We Are Busy Bodies will be recirculating Montreal's sought-after Collège André-Grasset album "1001 est Crémazie" from 1975. |
Here's the scoop from We Are Busy Bodies mainman Eric Warner...
I’m working backwards a bit on label release announcements, but here’s a really unique release that we’ve been working on for some time in partnership with the original Montreal high school that wrote and recorded the 1001 est Crémazie album…just 50 years later.
This release took a lot of research to have come together, and will be celebrated in April with a special anniversary concert at the school on the re-release date (April 25). The album now includes bilingual liner notes from the teacher behind the album, explaining how it all came to be. The reissue will be on streaming services in April, but for now, you can listen to the two originals and pre-order the album right here: https://1001estcremazie.bandcamp.com/album/1001-est-cr-mazie
Picture it: 1975, a concert imagined, produced and brought to the stage by a flock of middle-schoolers who wanted to make music to echo the sounds of jazz and rock, generally uninhibited - and deeply anchored in their time.
The “Rocking Grass” show created quite an event, filling the Collège André Grasset auditorium to capacity: “We had to squeeze everyone who didn't have room into the auditorium, into the corridors and right up to the main entrance!” A success as unexpected as it was resounding, under the stunned gaze of several hundred spectators, spellbound by the orchestra.
Fast forward a few weeks and the “Rocking Grass” becomes the “Phono Grass” as they team up with colleagues from Collège Edouard-Monpetit to invest in the college's studios and immortalize the aptly named 1001 est Crémazie.
“This record reflects the spirit of an era, the birth of modern Quebec, a renewed vitality,” recalls the producer, ‘the echoes of a Quiet Revolution, which was still rumbling and trying to be heard.’ It was therefore in phase with this pivotal moment in the Quebec ecosystem - which de-compartmentalized the school system and gave birth to the Cégeps - that 1001 est Crémazie was born.”
This album is a bit of a mishmash of amateur enthusiasm, of course, but even more so, a cultural and social effervescence that frees itself from standards and leaves room for experimentation and a hitherto unsuspected creative dazzle. This has certainly contributed to the professional development of almost half of the personnel who took part in the recording of the album.
The album includes two original compositions, “Le roi muffé” and the highly acclaimed “Bright Moments”, driven by an unusual combination of piano and conga, which found its way onto the Canadian Racer compilation, a jazz reference in the early 2000s. DJs and/or hip-hop aficionados were quick to appropriate and sample the percussive drum and conga solo into the skeletons of a few danceable tracks that set the mood on dance floors.
Now, fifty years and a few upside-down existences later, 1001 est Crémazie, originally printed in a run of 500 copies (now coveted by the most discerning collectors), has been given a facelift to offer itself to the public, much to the delight of the main man involved: “May you get all the pleasure out of this long game that they had recording it!” he says, just before interrupting the conversation to join a dinner party of friends in the company of former colleagues and students. “That's the power of music. Friendships that are nurtured and aged like fine wine!”
Thank you Stéfane Campbell for the liner notes and interviewing, Steve Lewin for the art restoration, Noah Mintz for remastering, and John Kong for the encouragement, and of course the school for being into the project. Check out "Bright Moments" below.
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| The Broken Shoes album by Almon Memela's Soweto, which I stumbled onto a few decades ago, has just been reissued by Toronto's We Are Busy Bodies. |
Here's the scoop...
As a longtime fan of Fela Kuti's Afrobeat sound, by the early 80s, I was already searching for other West African artists working a similar groove. Some of the stuff coming out of Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal that was turning up used in Toronto record shops by artists like King Sunny Ade, C.K. Mann, Sir Victor Uwaifo, Xalam, K. Frimpong, Étoile de Dakar and A.B. Crentsil's Super Sweet Talks was interesting but not really the sort of stuff I was after. It was probably around 1986 that I came across the Broken Shoes album that looked intriguing. The blocky outlined "college sweatshirt" font and cover image of a haphazard pile of well-worn footwear wasn't giving much away. Was "Broken Shoes" the band name or the album title? As I flipped it over, trying to discern who were the musicians involved or at least where they were from, the store owner shouted from across the room, "that's some kinda African thing. Don't ask me who's on it – the guy who sold it to me didn't even know – but it sounded O.K. so I bought it."
On the back there were no band members depicted just six tiny sleeve images advertising some other records available in the same series including the "Pele Pele" album by Philip Tabane's Malombo and the Michaelangelo and Woolmark National Jazz Festival 1976. Above there were just two side-long songs listed: "Broken Shoes" time stamped 15:30 and "Pelican City" clocking in at 15:20 which was a promising sign in itself since many of Fela Kuti's best albums were two-trackers.
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| Almon Memela |
Although both the sleeve and vinyl were in pristine shape, the lack of recording info other than the release date oddly listed as MCMLXXVI, the label being Highway Soul distributed by WEA Records and the production and composition credits attributed to Almon Memela made the asking price seem like a bit too much of a risk back then. Not that the record was hugely expensive, I just had no idea what it sounded like. Remember, this was long before the Internet when many dealers priced records according to out-dated Goldmine price guide or simply added a reasonable profit margin to what they paid for them based on the relative rarity and current desirability of the item. It was a very different from today's racket where some store owners will consult Discogs to determine the pay out value for used records coming in through the door based on the lowest price ever paid for scratched up sleeveless copy and then mark them up to the Canadian dollar equivalent of the top price ever paid in Paris, Tokyo, Dubai or Zurich. Since I couldn't simply "google it," I'd need to hear the record first. But having seen the notoriously crusty store owner turn down many such requests from curious customers before, I knew it was going to be easier said than done.
"I know you don't like to do this," I started, "but I was wondering if you could..." Before I could finish, he snapped "I'm not going to play a whole song – there's only two and they're both over 15 minutes long!" So I suggested, "how about a quick needle drop in the middle of either side?" After grousing about how the majority of customers who ask to hear what a record sounds like never actually end up buying the record in question, he relented and played a few revolutions before raising the tone arm again. "Good enough?" he growled and then took another look for the credits and added "It's actually better than I thought." The brief passage I heard had a propulsive mid-70s groove and a solid horn arrangement. No cheesy synths, annoying vocals or corny French production moves which was a huge relief. "Yep," I smiled, "good enough for me, I'll take it."
At the time, there was scant little information available in North America concerning smaller production South African releases from the mid-70s. For many years following, I had no idea that the "Broken Shoes" mastermind Almon Memela, was the Soweto-based guitar ace behind Almon's Jazz Eight, A.M. Stragglers and the classic "Funky Africa" album from 1975. Apparently Memela cut both horn-backed studio jams for the Broken Shoes album with members of the hard swingin' house band from Soweto's Pelican Club but good luck to anyone living outside of Jo'burg trying to track down who they were.When Memela's "Funky Africa" album was reissued by Toronto's We Are Busy Bodies, I rang up the label boss Eric Warner and suggested he consider re-releasing Memela's mysterious "Broken Shoes" follow-up since no one else in the business of recirculating rare and funky African artifacts from the 70s had shown any interest.
For a long time, vintage jazz and funk records coming out of South Africa weren't seen as cool as those from West Africa by many collectors from Europe and North America. Perhaps the numerous poorly curated "world beat" comps of the mid-80s focusing on Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Johnny Clegg & Savuka left a bad impression. For whatever reason, it really wasn't until around 2010 when Strut Records started their multi-volume Next Stop... Soweto series and Matsuli Music reissued Dick Khoza's "Chapita" album that things started changing.
Maybe now, in 2024, the time is finally right for a rethink of Memela's mid-70s work. I guess we'll see. I'm happy to report that there's a new We Are Busy Bodies label reissue of the "Broken Shoes" album by Soweto – sweetly remastered from the original master tapes by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel Mastering – now available via Bandcamp that you can get right here. You'd better act fast however, there were only 500 copies pressed and many of them have sold since the November 15th release date. Have a listen below.
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| Stefan Gnyś pressed up only 12 acetate copies of his Horizoning album in 1969 which will finally be getting wider circulation on Nov 15. |
Here's the scoop from We Are Busy Bodies' Eric Warner...
This release project is anything but linear.
After quitting my job at MySpace and backpacking around Europe, I began a post-graduate degree at Humber College where I met Stefan Gnys daughter. You’d potentially think this is where the story automatically turns into where the album comes together, but for that add another 14 or so years. I learned about Stefan’s music through music editor and all around knowledgeable person Tim Perlich several years ago. Originally destined for reissue on another label, this incredibly rare album recorded in 1969 is set for re-release on November 15. I’m not sure if I can officially call this a reissue because it was never released in the first place.
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Stefan Gnyś – Horizoning (LP/Digital - out November 15)
Stefan Gnyś (pronounced G’neesh) recorded what would have been his first album Horizoning, at Heidebrecht Recording Services in St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada on April 21st 1969. Ten tracks were cut in a day-long session that Stefan had perfected over the previous 12 months, with the songs Horizoning and English Oaks having been inspired by a trip to the UK and Europe during the eventful summer of 1968. Twelve acetate copies were ordered, of which Stefan kept two, the rest given to family or sold at gigs. Subsequently, 300 copies of a self-financed vinyl 45 pairing Horizoning and Evangeline were pressed by RCA Custom Record Division and duly sent to radio and sold at concerts, which went down extremely well and led to more live dates. Needless to say the 45 soon sold out but this was as far as his recorded legacy went, as in 1970 Stefan went to university, then got married and started a family while he embarked on a life-long career as a teacher. Music however remained a constant in his life.
Remembers Stefan...
"On the recording of these 10 songs in 1969, there were only two players: myself and a good friend, David Van Duzen. I did the vocals and rhythm guitar, but with a personally developed picking style that was distinctive and apart from straight strumming.
"By the time David was in his early 20s in 1969, he was already an accomplished musician—a guitarist extraordinaire! He played lead and was a vocalist in rock groups playing the popular hits of the time. When it came to his amazing solos, he could play his electric guitar behind his back, behind his head and even play the strings with his teeth! Dave was also a talented bass player who added a wonderful lower register to my songs. He also sang harmony in the chorus of ‘Evangeline’.
"We recorded in a small, well-equipped studio called Heidebrecht Recording Service in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. The recording engineer was also the owner. All ten songs were laid down in one day (April 21, 1969) with David adding his guitar licks and bass runs on separate tracks."
You can pre-order the long overdue proper release of the Horizoning album by Stefan Gnyś via Bandcamp right here. Listen to a few tracks below.
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| Scottish-Canadian animator Norman McLaren has a selection of the electronic music composed for his films released as "Rythmetic" by We Are Busy Bodies. |
2LP/CD/Digital - out November 29
Pioneering Scottish-Canadian animator Norman McLaren (1914-1987) - creator of seminal short films Dots, Neighbours, Synchromy and many more - is remembered in this first ever release of his soundtrack works, self-composed from the 1940’s to 1970’s and forecasting the following half-century of electronic music.
Norman McLaren was once described by composer, music theorist, and mathematician Milton Babbitt as “the first electronic musician.” In addition to his pioneering work in animation, the electronic soundtracks McLaren created for his own films employ astonishing foresight and a characteristically precise methodology. They also crystallize boundless creativity, wit and whimsy, and illuminative brilliance into a unique insight to his remarkable mind, with or without visual accompaniment.
Rythmetic: The Compositions of Norman McLaren marks the first time his soundtracks have been released on record, carefully curated from his most important film works, hours of archival tapes, and multiple versions of the same key compositions. The 13 tracks represent an essential overview of McLaren as a composer, in neat dovetail with McLaren the filmmaker. Both are crucial figures in the respective developments of their fields, opening doors to a future that might not have existed without McLaren.
As an animator, McLaren was renowned for utilising or inventing techniques at their very vanguard and shaping to his needs the rudimentary technology of the era. Many of these techniques and technological adaptations, developed at the National Film Board of Canada over the 1940’s and 50’s, would eventually become adopted into standard practice for animation. He also blazed new trails for soundtrack composition: having heard the glue of spliced film reel produce sound as it passed through his equipment, he began meticulously applying his own cuts and notches to the tape and measuring the frequency values of the tones these striations would emit. Over years of refinement, he created a series of cards to correspond to eight octaves of musical notes, frequency by frequency, and to recruit these cards to compose his soundtracks. It was a way to maintain total creative control and freedom over his own work - every single frame would be processed “the McLaren way”.
“He could have used a synthesiser,” writes long-term assistant, friend, and filmmaker of McLaren documentaries Don McWilliams, also at the National Film Board, “but he had his own method and he stuck with it.” John Cage was an ardent fan, inviting McLaren to his infamous downtown NYC socials and once even writing to McLaren to beg a recommendation for his recruitment at the National Film Board.
Unsurprisingly, McLaren was musically capable and aware throughout his career. He was an inquisitive listener, often drawn to rhythmic expression found outside western music, and he collected records for both reference and enjoyment. West African and Chinese music were particular pleasures, as well as the gypsy jigs that in his youth had informed his own practice as a violin player.
The opening piece to this compilation, “Now Is The Time”, is crafted from trilling, birdsong arpeggiations of dulcet high frequency tones that chatter and warble in scattered dialogue. Accompanying the clouds, multiple suns, and dancing figures of the film, the soundtrack is alive with joy and wonderment. Next, “Rythmetic”, soundtracking McLaren’s famed numeric sequence visualisation, pitters and patters with the types of glitching rhythms so coveted by contemporary electronic music almost a century later. Even from these first pieces alone, it is readily apparent that McLaren could not have achieved the effect he desired with scored instrumentation. The “McLaren way”, so crucial to his process, is as much foundational to his soundtracks as it is to the films themselves.
Despite his acclaim and recognition within the world of film and animation - he won an Oscar, a Palme d’Or, is a favourite of George Lucas’, and is recorded in UNESCO’s cultural heritage archives (none of which interested him) - Norman McLaren is not a Walt Disney, Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, or an Ub Iwerks. His work is unflinchingly outré. Seeking out experimental, innovative, and unconventional modes of storytelling, his creative expression went even deeper than pioneering methodology and a prolific output, becoming part of the man himself as his working hours in the studio became longer and longer as his career blossomed. Even his straightest films are decidedly odd at their core, revealing not only a playful and joyously childlike sense of humour, but also the perpetual pursuit of perfection that fuelled his filmmaking throughout his life.
A gay man, McLaren also resisted the normative social structures of the day in his personal life, acutely aware of the legal implications of his relationship with lifelong partner and fellow NFB director Guy Glover. He also remains revered as the most generous and trusting of teachers, bringing under his wing young or inexperienced filmmakers in whom he saw passion and promise. His second protegee George Dunning, who went on to produce Yellow Submarine for the Beatles, had only recently graduated when McLaren brought him to work in the NFB studios.
Towards the end of McLaren’s career, McWilliams asked him how he perceived his own legacy; how Norman McLaren would be remembered in a hundred years’ time. “A filmmaker who made some interesting films,” was his reply. Modest, funny, wise, and yet knowingly sly. An answer most McLaren.
We Are Busy Bodies and our friends Phantom Limb in the UK have spent the past several years working on this release project in close association with the National Film Board of Canada. The album features an in-depth essay by James Vella built off of interviews with McLaren’s assistant, Don McWilliams.
You can pre-order a copy of Norman McLaren's Rythmetic compilation via Bandcamp right here. Watch the animated video clips for "Synchromy" from 1971 and "Rythmetic" from 1956 following the tracklisting below.
Rythmetic: The Compositions of Norman McLaren
1. Now Is The Time
2. Rythmetic
3. Neighbours
4. Synchromy
5. Unreleased Composition (1945-1946)
6. Dots
7. Loops
8. Mosaic
9. Unreleased Composition (c. 1945)
10. Unreleased Composition (1945-1948)
11. Unreleased Composition (1969)
12. Unreleased Composition (1964-1965)
13. Opening Speech
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| Toronto's We Are Busy Bodies are recirculating the Alex Express album by The Cliffs feat. saxophone great Mankunku Ngozi. |
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| Basil Kirchin & John Coleman's rare 1966 recording w/ Jimmy Page has been reissued by We Are Busy Bodies. Get it here. |
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| New Age Doom's Remix The Universe (Extended Edition) includes Ian Blurton's update of Lee Perry's "Conquer The Sin" |
We Are Busy Bodies has just released Remix The Universe (Extended Edition), a digital-only compendium of new perspectives on The Upsetter’s final collaborative album, 2021’s acclaimed Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Guide to the Universe by New Age Doom.
The original version of Remix The Universe – released back in January – featured reimagined versions of the Lee Perry recordings by artists from the post-hardcore, experimental hip hop, indie rock, EDM and ambient spheres. From the dancefloor-ready groove of South Africa’s BLK JKS, to the head-banging fuzz-dub of Quicksand, and Nick Reinhart’s experimental exploration, the 12-track vinyl album, presented as one continuous set, sizzles across 44 minutes of new music. The newly expanded digital version adds five more tracks, including "Conquer The Sin (Repenter's Version)" contributed by Ian Blurton.
Check out the entire Remix The Universe (Extended Edition) on Bandcamp right here.
You can catch Ian Blurton's Future Now at The Bovine in Toronto with Bonnie Trash and Sex Cat on April 8th.
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| Check out "Staircase To The End Of The Night" from Ian Blurton & Jay Anderson's UWUW debut album out now. |
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| You can get a copy of UWUW's self-titled debut album via Bandcamp right here. Note: Fancy turntable not included. |
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| Lammping's Jay Anderson & Mikhail Galkin chat about their Stars We Lost EP with Colton Gee on the Desert Tiger Podcast below. |
Lammping is a psychedelic rock band based out of Toronto, founded by singer/songwriter Mikhail Galkin and drummer Jay Anderson. Meeting at a concert where Jay's and Mikhail's previous bands were sharing the bill, they quickly connected over their musical tastes, drawing on their love of everything from mid-90's boom-bap to Tropicalia and library music.
The band was started as an attempt to bring the various musical influences and ideas together under a psych-rock umbrella, expanding the possibilities of heavy music. The band's demo led to a vinyl release of the debut LP on Nasoni Records in 2020 and their sophomore album "Flashjacks" in 2021 on Echodelic Records, both albums drawing critical praise.
The foundation of Lammping's sound is rooted in Jay Anderson's heavy drumming and Mikhail Galkin's melodic riffs, but with the addition of samples, drum machines, and a variety of instrumentation, the band's sonic palate is just as indebted to Stereolab, De La Soul and Kraftwerk as it is to Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer and Sleep.
Lammping's new EP, Stars We Lost is out now on vinyl and digitally from We Are Busy Bodies which you can get via Bandcamp right here. Watch Jay and Mikhail's podcast interview following the audio clip for "Golem of Garbage Hill" below.
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| Saxophonist/bandleader Rex Williams' album Ubok Aka Inue contains the classic Nigerian groover "Psychedelic Shoes" |
Here's the scoop...
We Are Busy Bodies is excited to announce our next release out March 4 on vinyl. Originally released in 1976, Ubok Aka Inua is the fifth album by legendary Nigerian saxophonist and band leader, Etubom Rex Williams.
The album features Psychedelic Shoes and One Woman Is Enough Trouble, both heard on countless funk and soul compilations. Restored from the original tapes and vinyl copies by Noah Mintz with artwork restored and recreated by Steve Lewin.
"Etubom Rex Williams occupies the genuine space of legend of Nigerian Highlife. His incredible professionalism, vast body of work and huge personality, established him as a veritable force of the genre quite early in his career. A case quite similar to another teenage prodigy of Highlife Music, Sir Victor Uwaifo. However any accolades he earned were well deserved and based on a platform of hard graft and genuine love for his art. He like Uwaifo, straddles the Inter-generational gap between the old masters of Highlife such as Bobby Benson, E.C.Arinze, Inyang Henshaw, Dr Victor Olaiya etc and the latter generation of Eddy Okweddy, Orlando Owoh, Tunji Oyelana, Eric Akaeze, Osayomore Joseph et al." - Ed Keazor, Music in Africa
Pre-order a copy We Are Busy Bodies limited edition reissue of Etubom Rex Williams' Ubok Aka Inua album via Bandcamp right here. Listen to "Psychedelic Shoes" below.
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| Check out "Holy Dub" off New Age Doom's new album Lee 'Scratch' Perry's Guide To The Universe out now. |
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| "Don't Keep Me Guessin'" is off the Ten Easy Pieces album from Dany Laj & The Looks out June 11. Pre-order it right here. |
