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Sinister urges >> The free Varia 2002 comp assembles a creepy community
A more suitable angle is to consider the function of Varia 2002, the first of what they hope will be an annual release. “It’s something I’ve wanted to try for a long time, and that’s getting bands to work together. When I was playing the most shows-in ’96, ’97-that attitude was always one of comparing oneself to other bands. ‘They’re terrible, they’re contrived.’ Everyone would be in their corner, snickering at the other bands. Instead of bitching about each other, this project was about cooperation, working together, encouraging, influencing and in the end, respecting each other.” “That’s a key word we’ve been throwing around,” adds Caron, “community.” That community is pretty diverse. For starters, you’ve got Metha Mean and Dogwalker, Caron and Bertolla’s respective bands. Caron defines Dogwalker thus: “Two guys who bridge the gap between their respective influences, which happen to be early-’70s Genesis and drum machines and synthesizers. The lyrics are amazing and the songwriting is very, very strong.” Likewise, Bertolla gives Caron’s band props (that’s a pun, see-Bertolla’s got a theatre background, hence the Genesis fixation). “What I appreciate about them is the cathartic element. The songs are so powerful-it’s that ‘rrrrrauggh!’ that you always want to say. They say it for you.” On a similar tip are 273 Blocks Over (unpretentious techno-metal from Reverend Soul, once of Nein Creed), operatic goth-tech from Quebec City’s Hypnos (Bertolla: “They don’t wear black either!”) and the music of solo act Scrape. “His latest work is very personal-I won’t get into details-and really, really harsh,” says Bertolla. “If you look at the sound file for it on a computer screen, it’s one big, solid block, a wall of sonic assault.” Then there’s Jett Monette, now backed by his six-piece les Gigolos. “He’s the terrorist of love. Ladies, be careful. ‘Bridging the gap between Atari Teenage Riot and Michael Jackson’ is the way he defines his sound.” Caron opts for the simpler “porn-thrash-electro” tag. Oompah-punks the Subumlauts are the odd men out here-“Odd is right!” howls Caron-in their lack of synths. And sense. “Despite the humorous, novelty-act aspect,” says Bertolla, “they’re quite sinister. There’s a comedy-horror aspect there that falls in perfectly with the goth-sinister-dark element of Varia.” But again, the pair remind us that the batcave types aren’t the only target (and at a price of exactly nothing, external curiosity won’t kill any cats). “As a whole,” says Caron, “the album can reach beyond that clique, grab someone and drag them in-kicking and screaming, maybe, but there’s something for everyone. There is a bit of Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy influence to some of it, but that’s just the vehicle we chose. Instead of an SUV, we chose a tank with a flamethrower on it.” : CD launch with Metha Mean, Jett Monette et ses Gigolos, Dogwalker, Scrape, Hypnos at Petit Campus on Friday, June 14, 8pm, $7 (includes free CD) |
It’s
a task trying to corner the sensibility behind Varia 2002, the free-to-a-good-home
comp of local acts from the folks at Studio Blip. The term “techno
rock” goes at least partway-while Varia producers Marc Bertolla
and Stéphane Caron won’t deny their goth-industrial roots,
they won’t get tangled up in them either. “We don’t
always dress in black,” shrugs Bertolla. “Sorry.”