Biography
Absent Sound are powerfully eclectic and engaging musicians, spanning from record skip world dub to heavy electronic post rock with eerie yet festive four part harmonies. These puppet masters wield a musical arsenal creating huge dramatic worlds of sound with organic chants, colossal guitars, hypnotic off-time record scratches, beats, loops, and Lesley speaker organ drones: ears open and eyes closed is all the flight attendant requests.
—-Absent Sound began as a solo project of Robert G. Menard around 1995 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada with friends helping him produce the home recordings in a live setting. In 2002, David Fort joined as a permanent member to take the band into a much more serious mode. Menard (guitars, samples/loops, electronics, vocals and keys) and Fort (guitars, bass, vocals and keys) secluded themselves in the wilds of north-central Manitoba. Over the next year the pair hid from all distractions, meditating solely on the rise and fall of the earth's respirating chest. What emerged a year later was a treasure chest full of ideas and music that are still being explored six years later. Their innate community building skills have allowed them to become the hub of one of the more vibrant progressive art and music scenes in Canada.
—-The Absent Sound have now evolved into a full production joining forces with Kelly Castle (Little Buddies, former National Monument, Room 237) on drums, percussion and vocals, Josh Butcher on organ, vocals, bugle, performance painting, and film projections. They have also recorded, and performed live with Doreen Girard cello and vocals and Natalia Zielinski on violin.
—-The Absent Sound's live show puts them in the realm of an art installation and dream-scape: employing at times thematics, film/ video projections, performance painting, multiple tv sets, contemporary dancers, and stilt-walking pantomime. Their music has also perfectly complimented some of Winnipeg's creatively fertile film making community.
—-The group has toured extensively throughout North America and are best experienced live, bringing their unique style of sensory art and music to life. They have shared the stage with DAMO SUZUKI, DO MAKE SAY THINK, FEIST, FLY PAN AM, MONO, GROWING, CLAN ZU, FABUKI DAIKO and MAHOGANY FROG.
Since returning to Winnipeg from their 3 month musical endeavors in New York City and abroad, the band continues to enchant and inspire audiences.
—-The Absent Sound have recorded and released four albums to date and recorded a brand new EP worth of music with Darryl Neudorf (Neko Case, New Pornographers, Sadies…) in Orangeville, Ontario this spring of 08. They are searching for the right US and European record labels to release these tracks on vinyl and digital forms for later this year.
"Gathering Of The Clan Mothers" (2007/08), their second studio album inspired by the tribal law teachings of their friend and teacher Lester House. The music was recorded by their dear friend and sound guru Jordan 'Sound' Brown at Winnipeg's Video Pool. They went to Harris Newman (most Constellation Records releases and much more) in Montreal for the mastering of the album and Winnipeg's 2-Ply Collective have released it here in Canada.
and their first studio album, "It's All True" (2005/06), No List Records. The rich and full sound of 'It's All True' was captured beautifully by recording engineer Craig Boychuk (Propaghandi, Greg MacPherson, KENMODE, Hide Your Daughters) and mastered by Harris Newman.
"Music To Live And Die To" (2004),2-Ply & Teargas Recording Tree, home recordings
"Another Chapter" (2003),2-Ply, home recordings The Absent Sound are receiving nothing but positive feedback and reviews from all over the world for their attempts at changing the music market.
—-Absent Sound have showcased at such diverse festivals as 10KLF, Dogstock, Ness Creek, Graffiti Gallery Mural Fest, Winnipeg Jazz, JunoFest, and Send & Receive. They have also created two of their own festivals, the ElementSircus- www.myspace.com/elementsircus, a sonic multi-media and costumed event, and The 20 Guitar Circular Wall Of Angelic Sound- www.myspace.com/20guitarcircularwallofangelicsound.
And this summer the band will be showcased at Calgary, Alberta's Sled Island Festival and The Winnipeg Folk Festival.
…………………………………………DREAM
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