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Fixations

by Pierre-Luc Simon

supported by
Yann
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Yann Que le rituel commence! Favorite track: Apparition.
jasonk
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jasonk If you love improv, free jazz, outsider, and passionate music of all kinds, buy every tape this label puts out and your life will be less crappy. You have my guarantee on that.
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1.
Apparition 12:22
2.

about

Tristan Bath - The Quietus:
Having played in various groups ranging from doom and grindcore to free improvisation, Fixations is the first purely solo recording by Montréal drummer Pierre-Luc Simon. As alluded to in the title, the pair of solo drum kit pieces on Fixations are the result of intense focus from the player. First off, the 12-minute long ‘Apparition’ is something of a minor superhuman physical feat, with Simon locking into a machine-like repetitive 16 beat snare pattern, slowly upping and downing his power to nudge the drum’s tone into rising and falling peaks and troughs. Slowly Simon mutates complimentary patterns on the kick drum and cymbals, forming interlocking new formations and polyrhythms a la Reich’s Drumming or Boredoms’ multi-drum performances - only he is just one damn guy. The focus and detail in the performance is utterly striking, as he could obviously go for some showboating flurry of lightning speed Bonzo-style fills, but rather focuses in on the ability for velocity to yank and pull the drum skins into different frequencies. The flip side, ‘Cataire Party’, employs a lot more improvisation, but still makes use of Simon’s ear for the drum kit’s tonal possibilities. It does in fact also wind up heading into some pretty damn insanely fast territory for the finale, putting to shame so many douchey rock god drummers from Simon’s humble studio. -
thequietus.com/articles/20592-tape-review-graham-dunning-isabella-tellier-craig-fousek-hansen-alter

Frans de Waard - Vital Weekly:
He is from Montreal, just like the label that releases 'Fixation'. Simon is a member of the band Technical Kidman but he is also active in the world of improvisation. His solo cassette has two pieces and they are quite different, making it a great showcase of his talent. 'Apparation' on the first side is a rolling thunder of carefully executed minimalism. The drums roll and the hi-hat is in steady mode. For quite an extended part of the twelve minutes this lasts, one could easily think his aim is to have no variation, but then suddenly an extra beat happens and from there on more and more other parts of the drum kit are added and while maintaining the same speed, the piece gradually evolves and changes, ending with a quick crash at the end.
On the other side we find 'Cataire Party' which is fourteen minutes, and sees Simon moving through different segments, each one is quite minimal but this bears more the signature of Improvisation; sometimes in the best minimal music sense, and sometimes leaning more towards jazz inspired music. It is less thought out/composed, compared to the other side, but equally enjoyable. A fine release this is, a great calling card for his talent.
-
vitalweekly.net/1039.html

credits

released June 1, 2016

The music on Fixations was built from a collection of ideas that were developed in the past few years before Pierre-Luc Simon decided to play as a solo performer. The release is an opportunity to share those ideas that did not have the chance to be used in his different band projects but kept insisting to be played.The first piece Apparition , is based on the repetition and a slow evolution of tones over a (poly)rythmic pattern and the trance coming with this system while the second piece, Cataire Party is more a melting pot of half improvised, half composed ideas.

Pierre-Luc Simon is actually playing with the Montreal based
band Technical Kidman as well as collaborating with different musicians from the local improvisation/experimental scene.

La musique sur Fixations est le résultats d’une collecte d’idées trouvées et développées au cours des dernières années, avant même que Pierre-Luc Simon ne s’engage dans la performance en solo. Cette nouvelle parution est en fait une bonne excuse pour partager toutes ces idées qui n’ont pas eu la chance d’être utilisées dans les différents projets collectifs des années passées. La première pièce Apparition est basée sur la répétition et la lente évolution timbrale d’un motif (poly)rythmique alors que la seconde pièce, Cataire Party est une belle salade d’idées à la fois composées et improvisées.

En plus d’être membre du groupe Montréalais Technical Kidman, Pierre-Luc Simon collabore aussi avec différents musiciens de la scène d’improvisation/expérimentale locale.

Pierre-Luc Simon: Batterie/Drums
Enregistré au Tympan Voyant les 6 et 7 février 2016 par Louis Desparois et Martin Ferguson/Recorded at Au Tympan Voyant on the 6th and 7th of February 2016 by Louis Desparois and Martin Fergusson
Mix:Martin Ferguson
Photos:Pierre-Luc Simon
Graphisme/Layout: Simon Loisir
SOCAN 2016
SSM-015

Remerciements Spéciaux/Special thanks to Marie Claude G Olivier, La Famille Simon-Beaucage, Raphaël Foisy-Couture, Les Technical Kidaman, Sam Alias Black Givre, Suoni Per Il Popolo et bien sur mon coloc félin Théo «Coco» Simon

plsimon.bandcamp.com

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Small Scale Music Montréal, Québec

Small Scale Music is an independently run music label interested in releasing challenging music (Free Improvisation, Noise, Free Jazz...) primarily on small runs of tapes, cd, zines and digitally.

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