More banger for your buck

by JACK OATMON

Montreal’s Turbo Records has been around since 1998. One of the various projects under the tutelage of local-done-good Tiga, the label has released and signed its fair share of talent in the electronic-music world. Though you wouldn’t necessarily know it from the local media reaction (or lack thereof), which has left Turbo as something of an obscure footnote within its own city. Meanwhile, the label’s recording artists—including the much-lauded Boys Noize, hometown favourites Chromeo, Russia’s Proxy, Jesper and John Dahlbäck (they’re cousins), D.I.M. and Duke Dumont, among others—are all killer acts whose beats speak for themselves.

This Friday, May 11, the people at Turbo will be throwing a jam at Musée Juste Pour Rire, showcasing some of their artists and giving people a chance to check out some up-and-coming sounds from their corner. When I spoke to event organizers Thomas Von Party and Mike Durcak, one of the things that made my ears prick up was the event’s funding and how they’re trying to maximize the quality without slapping a big, ugly ticket price on the show. A little bit of inquiry naturally revealed those two dreaded words: corporate sponsorship. Don’t turn the page yet, though.

I’m always fascinated with the way art interacts with the business community. In this case, the organizers’ plan is to hold events that reflect well on the sponsors without resorting to the kind of excessive marketing and product pushing that runs rampant over other similar cultural events, leaving you with a logo on the cup between you and your beer, on the wall between you and the pisser and on the jiggling chests of tank-topped hired dancers. But Durcak says the value of sponsorship is all in how the money is spent.

“Some groups,” said Durcak, “Pop Montreal, for instance, they go find a bunch of kids who are doing interesting stuff and give them a platform. The electronic music scene used to be a lot like that because at one point, almost everyone was an unknown. You didn’t know what to expect, and that gave the parties a different feeling. It used to be that you discovered artists when you went out. Today, I feel it’s the opposite, like people want to go to the party and know all the songs. The scene’s got pop stars now and the expectations of the crowd have changed accordingly. From a business standpoint though, it discourages you from booking an unknown because you risk losing money. That’s what makes sponsorship special—it’s a rare opportunity for you to expose lesser-known acts and prioritize it being about bringing people a different experience, instead of ensuring profits.”

As of presstime, it appears as though Proxy might not be making it out due to visa issues, but you can still catch D.I.M., P-Thugg of Chromeo and Thomas Von Party, who will be animating the event with a special puppet show as well, for the accessible price of $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Advance tickets are available at Moog Audio and Reborn.

Lastly, my Banger of the Week is “Sleep Deprivation,” the first track off Simian Mobile Disco’s incredible debut LP, Attack Decay Sustain Release. London’s taking over.

Strictly business...jack.oatmon@gmail.com