Swiz he is

>> Luc Leclerc’s one-man sonic circus

by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

If you know comics in Montreal, you know the maniacal mandalas and puzzle-pussed Picassoisms of Mr. Swiz. What you maybe didn’t know is that Luc “Swiz” Leclerc is a capable and open-minded musician as well. The proof is his new indie CD Les Plusses belles mélodies d’Anomalies on the local Apache imprint—Anomalies being his erstwhile punk band, formed in ’93 in Trois-Rivières (Xavier Caféine was a member), these days reduced to Swiz alone but expanded to cover myriad genres. A funhouse ride of freaky surprises, the CD shows how less can sometimes be a lot more.

Mirror: Over the years, Anomalies has been whittled down to a one-man band. Do you feel this has been an advantage, creatively?
Luc Leclerc: Of course, since I don’t have to waste any time justifying my ideas or teaching parts to someone. The writing and recording processes are then much faster.

M: It seems your aim with this CD isn’t to make money or become a star, even though you put so much work into it. What was your motivation? What kept you going for two years?
LL: Self-achievement. I did it mostly for myself, and Apache, it’s their first release ever. I had most of those songs written for a long time. I added arrangements and tried to make it sound not as if played by one person.

M: Les Plusses belles mélodies is a mix of skatepunk, grindcore, ska, dub, prog rock, experimental, techno and pop. Also, it’s both silly and serious. What kind of listener are you aiming for?
LL: Ultimately, open-minded people, musically speaking. I know some people like the “songs,” while others prefer the “experiments.” That’s why I have split the CD stylistically, so that it gets heavier and heavier as it goes on.

M: Were you able to transfer ideas about art you got as a cartoonist over to the music?
LL: Yes, since I try not to sound like anyone, as I do with my drawing style. :

CD launch with Mickey Mutts and Von Bismarck 007 at l’X on Friday, Sept. 6, 9pm

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