by LORRAINE CARPENTER

Retro-futurism is the in sound of choice for Quebec Connection, aka Nathaniel Hébert, who draws as much from the warm, strange sounds of analog synths as he does from an historic homegrown muse, Expo 67. "The far-out '60s architecture, the heavy concrete and the geodesic dome were always part of the horizon for me," says Hébert, who envisioned groovy synthpop theme songs for the mammoth exhibit's pavilions, hence his LP Bonjour Expo. "Essentially, I wanted the album to sound like a lost CBC sci-fi serial."

Hébert, 26, inherited his "nostalgia for the unremembered '60s" from family members who worked at Expo, and vague memories of visiting the disintegrating Man and His World exhibit as a child have kept Montreal's summer of love alive in his mind.

Before the Expo obsession took hold, Hébert (as Synaptic Loop) floated Moog exotica compositions online and backed the sordid rhymes of rapper Mike Gee. Then came Quebec Connection, conceived as an open-door project. So far, that has meant only a few live guests and helping studio hands, namely vocalist Synergy Plus, scratch-master DJ Mana and Protomusik label-mate Cool Hand Luke, but Hébert has more collaborators in store. These days, he's reinforcing his live show with the addition of Urban Element's Chris Cameron (another Protomusik-ian) on laptop, along with multimedia eye candy such as Expo 67 video, memorabilia and a musical mannequin.

Embracing Expo's celebration of global citizenship, along with Montreal's sweet status on the musical map, Hébert sees Quebec Connection as boosting a bright piece of the city's past with a soundtrack that bears what he calls a "Nordique stamp." In a small way, he hopes that this brand of civic and provincial pride will help transcend tiresome cultural barriers.

"As they said at Expo 67, every man is linked to every other man. Regardless of ideology we share the same biology - actually, that may be a line from a Sting song."