Montreal Electronic Compilation 'Re:Conceive' Aims to Forge Post-Colonial Solidarity

BY Teodor ZetkoPublished Aug 18, 2020

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Ambient and electronic music can function as catharsis for the creator or contemplator, and acts as a conduit for solidarity. The artists on this tape reside in Tiohtiá:ke, also known as Montreal, and acknowledge their privilege as settlers. This 20-song compilation is filled with electronic sounds that attempt to reconceive the way in which we engage with our history and how we will continue to honour and address it. The proceeds from Re:Conceive are being split evenly between the Native Women's Shelter of Montreal and the Just Solutions Clinic.

Tati au Miel's "150 Reasons" is an emotional experimental track that likely nods to the recent Canada 150 celebration, critiquing each year post-confederation. The abrasive tone heard on this song permeates throughout the album, where the theme of violence against Indigenous people surrounds protests, murders and land theft. Ouri's "Free State of Chaos" is a house song that feels transcendental and transiently chaotic, peacefully cultivating a corrosive melody that furthers the album's messages; the song oscillates between a melody resembling birds chirping and alarming noises. Igitego MusoNi's "Skawanoti" pays tribute to the river colonially called Rivière-des-Prairies, which was taken by the French settlers. Something as simple as the track titles can be powerful, by allowing an introduction for many who are uninformed to learn.

Through themes of freedom, safety, violence and solidarity, this compilation aurally attempts to forge a conversation aiming to mitigate the rise of right-wing politics in Quebec. The songs featured on this compilation inherently imprint a vision of unity, and the sonic dissonance strengthens the theme of individualism over assimilation. The variety heard among the community shows so many different tones encouraging the diversity amongst people living in Tiohtiá:ke; the discordance creates a cohesive compilation which serves its purpose harmonically.
(Independent)

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