Jean Derome, Guy Pelletier and Julien Grégoire will be closing the Évolutions concert series, this year dedicated to the flute, on Saturday October 25, 2008 at the Château Ramzey in Old Montréal. If you feel like hearing Derome earlier that afternoon, he will also be performing in duo alongside sound sculptures by Lyne Lapointe at the Galerie SBC. It’s a rare opportunity for fans to see Derome perform twice in one day!

On October 26, 2008, Damián Nisenson will celebrate his 50th birthday! He will be at the Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill along with Pierre Tanguay on drums and Jean Félix Mailloux on double bass. Come listen and celebrate with him!

Les Poules (“The chickens” or “chicks”?) have been playing together for more than a decade, yet their history goes back even further to Justine and Wondeur Bras. All three of these women are impressive musicians, composers and leaders in their own right and I always look forward to whatever they present to the Victo and Guelph Festivals, as well as that great AM Fest at The Stone last year. This is only the third disc by Les Poules, but it was well worth the wait. This disc is broken into six parts, Rencontre, Creatures, Feu, Renaissance, Beauté and Immortalité. Joane Hétu’s soft yet bizarre vocal sounds permeate the first section with delicate but eerie samples and samples floating in the air. This music is stark and ultra-subtle yet filled with suspense and carefully crafted sounds. It is as if another language or communication is trying to break through the bonds that separate us at times with well-selected non-verbal sounds. This is less about making music than it is about creating textures, setting scenes and telling a story. Diane Labrosse uses her sampler to expose fragmented melodies, diverse static sounds and assorted electronic kernels to keep an ongoing dialogue or story present. Joane Hétu often sounds like a ghost or skeleton mouthing or whispering sounds without using words. Each of the 24 parts conveys a slightly different terrain to view or bathe in. One part reminded me of the Residents Eskimo album. Danielle Palardy Roger shows an impressive amount of restraint, rarely if ever playing any beats, yet her playing breathes life into the flow. With more 180 releases in their ever-increasing catalogue, the Ambiances Magnétiques treasures chest continues to grow, evolve and surprise us time and again.

A collaboration between composer and guitarist Tim Brady and videographer Martin Messier, 24 Frames will see its world premiere at the Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur in Montréal on October 17 2008. Free!

A video installation by French filmmaker Dominique Blais starring trumpeter Gordon M Allen, Transposition (variations) will be presented at the Fonderie Darling from October 16 to December 7 2008. The opening will take place at the Fonderie Darling at 5pm on October 16.

Voici un paradoxe intéressant. La musique d’Antoine Berthiaume (de Montréal, guitariste à effets) et de MaryClare Brzytwa (de Cleveland, Ohio, flûtiste et manipulatrice d’effets informatisés) est généralement constituée d’éléments artificiels. On n’entend que très rarement les cordes de la guitare ou le souffle dans la flûte. C’est plutôt un magma sonore mouvant qui s’offre à nos oreilles sur cet album.

Et pourtant, cette musique est étonnamment vivante! Elle respire, elle bouge, elle est organique! La série d’improvisations à laquelle se sont livrés les deux musiciens se déploie comme des nuages d’ambiances, qui pourraient être comparées visuellement au mouvement magique d’un banc de poisson ou d’une nuée d’insectes: ça grouille dans tous les sens, on y entend plein de petits détails, mais c’est pourtant cette masse mouvante qui est passionnante et captivante à écouter.

On peut à la fois se concentrer sur l’aspect mécanique des séquences utilisées et sur la beauté des sons (After), mais c’est en prenant un pas de recul et en se laissant transporter par l’ensemble de ces éléments qu’on prend vraiment son pied.

Un seul morceau est plus acoustique. Berthiaume et Brzytwa s’y dévoilent de façon plus naturelle avec flûte réverbérée et accords de guitare sèche à effets. La seule exception qui nous transporte dans un monde mi-new age, mi-Sigur Rós, sur ce Bebe Donkey. Autrement, c’est une véritable navigation spatiale qui nous transporte. Belle réussite!