by LORRAINE CARPENTER

Between the Labrador Sea and the Ungava Peninsula lie the Torngat Mountains, formed from some of the planet's oldest rock. The Inuktitut name for the region is turngait, meaning spirits, as the Inuit believe it to be a portal between the spirit world and our own.

"We saw a documentary about two hikers who got caught up by the winds there," says Mathieu Charbonneau. "They were curious about the legend but the Inuit people didn't want to go with them to the mountains - they were afraid of the spirits. Unfortunately, the two hikers never came back. It's an area where the winds change drastically. It can be super calm, blue sky, and in a fraction of a second you have a storm."

Charbonneau, Pietro Amato and Julien Poissant didn't adopt the name Torngat because, as Charbonneau says, "the mountains kill people," but because the mountains are untamed.

"When we started the band, we used to improvise a lot, sometimes an hour per show, so we didn't know where we were going, there were no roads, nothing was predetermined. It was pretty wild."

The trio of Concordia grads, schooled collectively in composition, jazz and electroacoustics, played with a variety of jazz, folk and classical bands and ensembles before forming last year. Amato is a member of Bell Orchestre, and joins Arcade Fire on stage whenever he can. Torngat's sound, as heard on their La Rouge EP, reflects these diverse backgrounds and associations, its bold, sensual and sublime synths and pianos, French horns and trumpets, xylophones and drums conspiring at the crossroads of chamber music, indie pop and jazz. On stage, the trio continues to improvise amid these beautifully constructed and composed moments, dotting their shows with spontaneity and surprise.

"Every show we play, every time we play a song, it's completely different," says Charbonneau. "Sometimes we'll plan to do a little improv to link two songs, sometimes it's a just a technical thing because somebody has to change instruments, but sometimes it's totally new and we don't know what's gonna happen. It keeps things fresh and fun for us."

Likewise, the band's crossover sound has enabled them to play a wide variety of gigs, including the SSNAP new music festival in New Brunswick and, next week, Montreal's annual contemporary music festival at Christ Church Cathedral, Up to Our Ears. Once the exclusive domain of small choral and chamber ensembles playing the music of contemporary composers, the festival has selected Torngat as its first band, on the advice of Brave New Waves host Patti Schmidt.

"We're really surprised and really, really happy," says Charbonneau, thrilled with his band's most offbeat offer yet. Though it won't be the first time Torngat have played a church, they've never been asked to provide a program for a show, something they've left to illustrator Sarah Mangle. The band is open to collaboration, but when it comes to their upcoming LP, they'll either DIY or enlist some live-in help.

"In terms of producing, we always have our eyes and ears open for a fourth band member," says Charbonneau. "If we work with a producer, we want someone who has the same vision but can also bring his production experience to the project." Indie chamber heads take note.

All ages show at Christ Church Cathedral (635 Ste-Catherine W.) on Sunday, Aug. 21, 7:30 p.m., free

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