Every year, thousands of artists worldwide vie for a spot in the prestigious Red Bull Music Academy, a 5-week music production and performance clinic that offers 60 successful applicants a chance to experience a series of lectures, workshops, and performance opportunities, all designed to cultivate young musical talent. In advance of this year’s session in Paris, RBMA has invited 20 Canadian noisemakers to Montreal for Bass Camp, a companion event held over 4 days and 4 nights that includes lectures, studio collaborations, and performances by headliners like BadBadNotGood, Jacques Greene, and DJ Quik. Headliner showcases are open to the public, and tickets can be acquired here.
We tracked down some of the talented Canadians hand-picked for RBMA Bass Camp Montreal, and asked them a few questions about their creative process, what it means to be recognized on this level, and being Canadian. Get familiar now, because these artists are about to blow up. Let’s meet the class of RBMA Bass Camp Montreal 2015.
2nd Son
You might already know 2nd Son through his collaborative work with a l l i e, but if you’re not familiar with the atmospheric electro-soul vibes of Danny Jacques, now is a good time to dig into his catalogue. Having just released his debut First Light, the multi-instrumentalist and producer is already making a name for himself in Toronto.
What was your introduction to writing and producing music? What made you want to start?
I’ve played guitar obsessively since I was about 9 years old. My dad showed me how to play blues rhythms, which completely blew my mind. At the time, my big sister had a big old boombox with two cassette decks on it so you could make mixtapes or record sounds straight to tape through the little built-in mic. That was my favourite thing in the world, right there. I literally spent years hiding away in the basement, recording myself playing on a ten-dollar acoustic guitar that my dad linked from a garage sale in the neighbourhood. There was never a moment where I decided to start making music, because I was always already a musician in my own mind starting with my earliest memories. It’s been inside me ever since. My guitar playing led to other instruments (keys/drums/bass/vocals), which paved the way for my current role as Producer.
You grew up in Sault Ste. Marie. How does being in the Sault compare to living, and making music in Toronto?
I left Sault Ste. Marie shortly after my 19th birthday to avoid going to university and mainly to journey around with my skateboard friends and make music. I lived in Calgary for 3 years, Montreal for about 7 years and I’ve been in Toronto for 5 years now. Toronto is definitely home and I love this city with a full heart. It is not an embellishment when I say that my closest friends are the most gifted and brilliant people I know. The music culture here is challenging and beautiful at the same time because no one is easily impressed and it seems like everyone has so much game or knows ten other people who are already doing big things! The atmosphere in Toronto has sharpened my soft edges, and it’s helped me to step up my game. You’re either already dope, or you ain’t ready! I mean, there are people from every corner of the world on every block too, so the hybridization in art and life here is on another level, which deeply enriches things. Straight up, all the Toronto haters out there need to quiet right down. Nowhere has it like we do. And that’s real.
Do you take cues from any specific musicians or producers? Who is your dream collaboration?
I mostly make music with people that I can call over for dinner, but if I’m going to go outside of that, I guess I’d like to spend some time in the studio with Jai Paul. He’s got a nice falsetto, and that I-don’t-give-a-fuck-about-your-interest-in-me style. It’s incredible.
What are the “tools” of your trade? Is there a piece of gear, or software that you couldn’t live without?
I try to achieve a balance of electronic and acoustic instruments in my music and I tend to deal with clean wah wah guitars, dirty synthesizers, loopers, and percussion objects but my main tool is my intuition. The technology should be used as an extension of intuition, in my opinion. If you have vision it doesn’t really matter what tools you use.
Eytan Tobin
Israel-born, Toronto-bred producer Eytan Tobin made his earliest beats out of necessity, teaching himself Fruity Loops (now FL Studio), and stitching together crude instrumentals for his friends to freestyle over. Flash forward to 2015, and his Bedroomer collective is making some of the most exciting, inventive electronic music in Toronto right now.
What’s it like to be a part of the Toronto music scene?
There are a lot of different scenes in the city, and they are all really unique. In that sense, I have been able to try out different approaches to music, because most of them are quite welcoming. Although we have really strong individual scenes with some amazing acts, I feel like people don’t reach out to others outside of their circles for collaboration often enough.Who would you say is your main influence, when it comes to musical creation?
Kanye West has been a role model since College Dropout came out. I first got into him because of his “producer-turned-rapper” story which was really inspiring for me. His innovation in music and energy as a creative human being has been my espresso for more than a decade now.
Burial has been my biggest inspiration out of all my favourite producers. After hearing Burial, I started experimenting with soundscapes and atmosphere, and focused a little less on making club-ready stuff.
How does being a part of a smaller Canadian music scene affect the music you’re creating? Is it an advantage, or a disadvantage?
There are only a handful of venues in Toronto hosting bigger international DJs who aren’t making house or techno, and the opportunities to open those shows are pretty exclusive. The city feels pretty competitive, even though its not that big. I do feel pressure from my peers here. Anyone from our scene who is doing anything worthy is also making a footprint in the US, so there’s definitely an unspoken competition to make waves there.
Can you describe your creative process in 5 words or less?
Sample - create puzzle - force completion.
Fanboy
Fanboy is a long-distance collaboration, operating out of both Toronto via Montreal and Madrid. The duo’s international sound pays homage to classic techno, while simultaneously blurring the lines between modern and progressive house with analog warmth and hypnotic rhythms.
What attracted you to making electronic music initially?
I used to primarily play bass, but then I got fed up of playing in bands. I wanted more immediate end results. So production sort of made sense as something to take up. I got a bootleg copy of Reason, and that was my start in doing what I do today. I’ve been learning new things everyday and haven’t really looked back.
Where are you from, and what’s it like to be a part of your music scene?
FanBoy came to be in Montreal, but I’m now located in Toronto again after having finished school. Montreal is a really cool scene. It’s a really welcoming scene and people are really open-minded out there. It’s also really saturated with talent, so it’s definitely motivationto be doing things well. Now that I’m back in Toronto, I definitely need to readjust and immerse myself in the scene here. Toronto is a bit of a tougher crowd but I ain’t got nothing but love for my city.
Which RBMA Bass Camp headliner are you most looking forward to seeing, and why?
I’m really stoked to see Kevin Saunderson & Kenny Larkin. I’m a big fan of the Detroit Techno sound, and getting the chance to see one of the Belleville Three alongside Kenny Larkin would be a truly inspiring experience. I’m also stoked to see Jacques Greene again. I really appreciate a Live P.A., and that’s something I would like to do in the near future.
