Cosmic, Cosmo,
cocktail and disco

By JACK OATMON

Italians Do It Better’s Johnny Jewel is one of he most fascinating underground pop producers I’ve encountered as a music journalist. His name, attitude and image are as stylized as his work at the mixing boards. Even in conversation, there is something tense, almost confrontational about him, which shined through the initial cordiality of an interview and first introduction on the two occasions I encountered him, on the phone, then in person. That sharp, deliberate streak seems to run through everything he does. His numerous nuanced electronic projects, generally featuring a female vocalist and his own warm, growling synthesizers and subtle sampling, are all dope. This Friday night at Studio Juste pour rire, Jewel will be appearing with two of his groups. The first is his recent project Desire, conceived here in Montreal over the past year, an excellent smooth-and-moody disco trio for which Jewel had been writing music for a couple of years before discovering local vocalist Megan Louise on tour here last year. Then Glass Candy will perform their arresting, funky brand of cosmic new wave. The show will be opened up by local new-disco wax aficionados Cocktail Club Soundsystem and closed out by Cosmo Vitelli. Be there or be square.

Also keep in mind that fellow Italians Do It Better guy Mike Simonetti will be busting out his refined selection of disco classics at the first ever Pop Montreal edition of Piknic Électronik. Also booked is London’s bloopy, bleepy, blogatronic new rave duo Zombie Disco Squad, who join the ranks of zillions of electronic producers with “zombie” in their name. They’ll be joined by Valeo (the latest incarnation of Guillaume Decouflet, aka Khiasma), so you can expect that booty-bouncing international hustler sound to be on tap.

ACIEEEEED!jack.oatmon@gmail.com