Jim Demos grew up in the west-end’s industrial part of Winnipeg among rusted train yards and crumbling storage facilities. He now lives and works in Montreal, and performs under the Hellenica moniker since 2012, in which he usually fuses dark ambient type instrumentals utilizing elements of drone, doom, chant and spaghetti-western guitar melodies. It was only a matter of time until he'd run into Eric Quach of Thisquietarmy, an active pillar of the local experimental scene, through its numerous avant-garde gigs. They'd play together at the world-renown Casa Del Popolo and its now-defunct sister-venue La Vitrola (RIP), and meet up in Berlin during their respective European tours, as a regular seasonal escape from the ever-evolving love/hate Montreal scene and the overly conservative Canadian musical landscape in general.
As the pandemic loomed upon on March 12th 2020, they both crossed paths in the middle of the urban renewal of the retro-kitsch St-Hubert strip to attend one last local gig before the lockdown of the province of Quebec, then patiently waited out for the first wave to pass by. After a few summer hangs in parks and with no end to the social restrictions in sight, it was the perfect time to set up a improvised jam session at Migration, a space at the mighty 6545 Durocher, known for its underground parties and loft gigs – the last building of its kind still standing, located at a dead-end street, in front of the Hebrew school and across the infamous F#A#infinity train tracks. In the face of gentrification, surrounded by construction sites, old buildings got torn down and shiny brand new ones erected one after the next.
This jam is an ode to this dying building and its neighborhood. A symbol of a time past where an underground culture of creativity was welcomed and nurtured – a House of Worship so to speak. Let this recording serve as a sonic document to the feelings surrounding its undeniable future demise and the final nail being pounded in the coffin.
credits
released April 16, 2021
Performed By Thisquietarmy + Hellenica
Recorded Live At Migration by E. Quach - July 2020
6545 Durocher, Montreal, QC. Canada
Mixed + Edited By E. Quach + J. Demos - February 2021
Mastered at TQA.HQ By E. Quach
Photography By E. Quach
Thisquietarmy Played Electric Guitar Through Fx Pedals + Amp
Hellenica Played Organelle Patches With Midi Keyboard Through Fx Pedals + Amp
supported by 5 fans who also own “Houses of Worship”
That this man is not a national treasure is one of life's mysteries that will ever elude me. For the uninitiated, this is a nice overview of his work in the past 15 years. If you are anything like me, this taster will send you down a rabbit hole...which in my case results in an effort to obtain everything he has ever recorded. I am disappointed to report that such an ambition is nearly impossible. The back catalog is overwhelmingly huge. But it sure is fun trying to get it all..... end 0)))
supported by 5 fans who also own “Houses of Worship”
I'm still getting through this multi-genre whopper compilation. It covers so many genres - all of which I like. It was expertly compiled and gives a great sense and overview of the labels releases. PadraigC
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