Curtain calling

Toronto import Doldrums finds his sounds in VHS samples and super chaos

Within the dark recesses of the on-again, off-again ad hoc illegal venue and rehearsal space Torn Curtain exists a Fraggle Rock-ian collective of improvisational electronic noise musicians. One of the ringleaders of the space’s busy summer schedule is Airick Woodhead, better known as audiovisual artist and VHS collector Doldrums.

With Woodhead on the mend following an injury at the World Electronic Music Festival at Algonquin Park in Ontario earlier this month, and Torn Curtain closed for August following an increasingly brazen series of weekly engagements that grabbed the attention of local law enforcement, those wild nights are on a temporary hiatus. In the meantime, the former Spiral Beach frontman is continuing to develop Doldrums, which only a year ago began as a series of looped clips made from old VHS tapes, set to his own music.

“I’m making an album right now that’s supposed to come out in the spring,” says Woodhead, who moved to Montreal from Toronto six months ago and actually lived in one of the partitioned cran­nies of Torn Curtain upon his arrival. “It’s been really helpful to narrow the focus and put more restrictions on myself. Like, saying ‘This is going to be an electronic album’ has been really helpful because it can be easy to get lost when branching out as much as I’ve been.”

Woodhead says it was during a recent spring tour with local looping siren Grimes that the Doldrums sound became more definable. “When I started on that trip, I was still doing a lot of improvi­sation, using tape loops and even a radio to get more random content. I was even doing poetry—whatever came to me. It was the first long tour I had done as Doldrums, and by the end, I came out with something more reliable. I had songs.” Still built on samples, Doldrums’ gritty, ethereal, found-sound vibe is contrasted by Woodhead’s more direct vocals. Lately flanked by his brother Daniel on drums, at least 20 other musicians have joined Doldrums on stage, including fellow Torn Curtain mainstays Cop Car Bonfire and Flow Child.

“Hopefully we’ll be doing stuff at Torn Curtain in September,” says Woodhead. “Everything’s always super chaotic there. We’ll organize shows, but I love that once a week we’ll still get together and do an improvised set.” ■

WITH CHERRY CHAPSTICK, ZORCH AND ARMEN AT THE BAZAAR AT O PATRO VYS TONIGHT, THURSDAY, AUG. 25, 9 P.M., $7

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