LAL MEMBER SAYS NEW ALBUM WAS A ‘DISGUSTING CHALLENGE,’ WON’T DO IT AGAIN
Posted on May 18th 2012 4:45PM by Jesse Ship
Those bleak dystopian worlds we see in dark fictional films and television shows? Toronto electronic group Lal believe we’re living those days right now.
“A lot of the media and movies coming out these days are talking about this dismal apocalyptic future, but, I think we are already living in that space,” Lal singer Rosina Kazi tells Spinner.
The Toronto-born Bengali frontwoman for the politically charged act says the disenfranchised should consider it an opportunity, though.
“People are always being shat on and having tough times,” says Kazi. “But the point is not to look at it as something dismal, rather, to see the power in marginalized communities.”
Such were the guidelines for Lal’s upcoming self-titled album that drew inspiration from brutalities at Toronto’s G20 protests, Arab Spring uprisings, and a general global socio-political malaise. Kazi feels that the have-nots groups involved in all these events have a hidden strength not recognized by Western capitalists.
“I’m not talking about the poor who have no food, but looking at it through a different lens, like what do members bring to their communities, and how skills can be bartered,” she says. “I wanted to talk about the positive things we do as artists and communities.”
Kazi and her bandmate Murr, a former hip-hop producer, met back in the heyday of HMV’s superstore at 333 Yonge Street in Toronto. The duo were also inspired by a recent trip to India, where one of the highlights was DJing at an open-concept cafe where people could just come and plug in their iPods.
“Kids of all kinds and social levels showed up and danced,” says Kazi. “Some of them don’t even have shoes on. It was really cool to see how they reacted to our music. I want to see them in five or 10 years because they are still mimicking western b-boy moves. I want to see them evolve.”
Lal’s new self-titled album was not intended as a bleak exercise, but rather to celebrate life and to create something new in honor of the passing of Kazi’s mother earlier this year.
“It’s a tribute to my mom in the way that life is short, so you better have some fun and make things happen,” Kazi says. “She was a strong supporter of the arts, and she threw massive house parties for every Bengali artist that passed through Toronto.”
Murr’s part in the album’s creation came from a different kind of place. And he’s not so sure he ever intends to go back there.
He says he listened to a lot of Brian Eno‘s Music For Airports album and watching lot of horror films, influences that can be heard on the opening track “Red Rooms.”
“It was a very un-uniformed process,” he says. “I will never make an album this way again.”
This, despite the end result being a genuinely elegant and seductive album.
“There was no distinctive vision,” he says. “We were making it with the intention of creating an immersive sound — to create something encompassing was our only mandate. It was a disgusting challenge. Sometimes it’s important to have an idea of where you are going with an album so that you know how you are going to do it live. This was a good process to go through, but we’ll never do it again!”
Murr shouldn’t be so quick to say never, though. After all, there’s power in turmoil. He just needs to ask his singer.
Diplo – Express Yourself EP! – June 6
This is way to big to ignore. Hold onto your porkpie hats kiddies, Diplo’s about to drop a new …. baby? Rattlesnake? Tijuana brass band? NOPE. Just an EP, oh and a BOOK (128 Beats Per Minute: Diplo’s Visual Guide to Music, Culture, and Everything in Between – Rizzoli) . But that’s pretty impressive and tactical given summer bangers are ready to get crankin’. You’ve probably heard at least a couple of these in the past months but here’s the full track listing and some listening links for your audio pleasure.
“Set It Off” f. Lazerdisk Party Sex
http://pitchfork.com/news/46543-listen-diplo-set-it-off-ft-lazerdisk-party-sex/
EXPRESS YOURSELF TRACKLISTING:
1. Express Yourself feat. Nicky Da B
2 .Barely Standing feat. Datsik & Sabi
3. No Problem feat. Flinch & My Name Is Kay
4. Move Around feat. Elephant Man & GTA
5. Butters Theme feat. Billy The Gent & Long Jawns
6. Set It Off feat. Lazerdisk Party Sex
Purchase link:
http://www.bluecollardistro.com/maddecent/product_info.php?products_id=7196&cPath=320_335&store=1
http://www.bluecollardistro.com/maddecent/product_info.php?products_id=7197&cPath=320_335&store=
Everything’s Popping Up Ossington – 1090z Launch
Apparently the Toronto Star thinks I’m the face of the new Ossington Strip generation, as seen in this pic snapped by photo-journalist Nick Kozak at the 190z condo sales centre launch from a couple of weeks ago, featured on the front page of last Friday’s LIFE section.
The event was put on by KG&A, and featured apps from local restos and a performance by , Eight And A Half, the latest shoegazer/pretty boy indie rock band comprised of Justin Peroff (Broken Social Scene, defunct, RIP) and two members from The Stills (also defunct RIP). Stay tuned for more events at 1090z in their derelict upper warehouse space!
Palladium Slim Collection
I’d like to spread much love for Palladium Boots who have been persevering for decades in the shoe market. Their latest SLIM collection demonstrates low-profile interpretations of their already classic styles.
The collection features new designs but retains many signature Palladium design elements, such as the rubber outsole and toe cap, in slimmed down versions. The Slim Oxford, Slim Chukka and Slim Snaps all feature premium materials, like cotton/hemp blend textile and premium-grade leather replete with natural character. Others feature freewheelin’ espadrille-style jute foxing, adding to the summer feel, while the leather shoes feature a Repreve lining, a green fabric made of recycled yarn which wicks moisture away from the foot for sweat control.
Flim – Where Is My Mind
Release name : Where Is My Mind
Release date : June 29 2012
Label : Maetta
style : Techno
Catalog number: MAETTA001
Artwork : philomene251 – 2012 – All rights reserved
www.facebook.com/philomene251
I first met FLIM sometime in 2005 or 2006 when he was living in a converted industrial laundromat with the Toronto Freetekno collective, around Vaughn & St. Clair. It was an epic and surreal environment, where anything could happen, and there were so many tales to tell, but i will have to get to those another day. Flim’s made some great progress in the past few years and his tunes are regularly listed in The Hacker’s Top 10 picks on Beatport. I’m proud to have watched Flim’s progress over the years and gives me a weird glitchy feeling in my heart, aw.
Here are a couple of previews of tracks that will be available on BeatPort and other electronic music sites on June 29, 2012.
From the label: Maetta proudly presents their first official release: FLIM’s “Where isMy Mind: The Abstract Dissonance Sound of the Future”, including “One Night in Lyon”, a high energy crossover style techno EP with minimal and fast techno influences throughout.
Review – West-15 Diner – Archival
[Originally published in TaiwanNights.com, Circa 2007]
The West 15 Diner appeared magically into my life like some kind of sleep deprived hallucination. First, my friend points it out to me one day, and next thing I know, I’m invited for a birthday dinner there. I was told that it was quite the scene, consisting mostly of Westerner-loving Taiwanese kids, and sure enough, I was greeted with a loud hello from the first table on the outside porch. As you sit down, the waiter immediately arrives with various courses, each one as “exciting” to the Western palate as the last. From pork chop quesadilla to country fried chicken knuckles, this place runs the gamut of exciting and exotic American home cooking. The soup was the most inventive – watery tomato based veggie, featuring celery and black olives? Is this part of the Mexican theme? Equally watery were the beverages, and the floor across from our table due to the leaking drink machines! The chicken wings were probably done best; one can always count on Taiwan for decent bbq food. Coupled with an all you can eat feature, the restaurant comes with ‘western’ cowboy and cowgirl waiters, sporting plaid shirts and cowboy hats, delivering your food, course by course. Some of the courses were more Down South style (fried chicken and wings) others were more Italian American (Caesar salad, pizza, spinach pasta with cream sauce) but still the most bizarre part of the meal, that didn’t quite fit in anywhere was the desert, consisting of hot, fresh out of the oven, short bread cookies!? For 298 NT plus 10% service charge, I would say that one does get their money’s worth, so arrive on an empty stomach. The full meal consists of about 7 courses, with more always on hand if desired. The restaurant also offers lunch and a reduced ‘tea time’ menu, so as not to alienate any commonwealth expats who might have gotten lost stumbling out of Carnegies (just down the street) after their noontime time bevvy.
This place is hard to miss, just look for the Saloon/Verandah looking place with the equally surreal storybook house school across the street.
No.15, Lane 11, Leli rd.
[JS]
Review – V Café – Taipei – Archival
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TJFF 2012 Gala
1812: Forged In Fire
I ran into an old acquaintance last week, @LaurynElanZuk a few weeks ago in Kensington Market and was questioned on my knowledge of the War of 1812. Naturally, I couldn’t resist getting a little silly on camera. Looks like I need to go back to my history books, because I got things a bit wrong, but it’s too bad they cut my Southpark Cowboys Vs. Aliens-inspired rant!
Lucky for Lauryn and her team, The Huffington Post picked up the promo piece and wrote it up below.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/04/25/war-of-1812-video_n_1453556.html

Quick history quiz. Who started the War Of 1812? Who fought in it? Who won?
If you’re like many Canadians, chances are you don’t know the answer to these questions. Even though the war played a pivotal role in the eventual creation of Canada and would shape the development of the United States.
Or as writer Stephen Marche explained in the Walrus, “For the US, the war confirmed its status as a sovereign state and tested the limits of manifest destiny. On this side of the border, the matter is much simpler: if we hadn’t won the War of 1812, we wouldn’t be Canadian.”
The producers of 1812: Forged In Fire, an upcoming documentary about the conflict, took to Toronto’s streets and asked people what they knew about the War of 1812. The answer, not a heck of a lot. It’s a bit surprising considering one of the war’s pivotal battles took place right here in Toronto (then called York) and nearly destroyed the fledgling city.
People do remember that story about British (Canadian?) troops burning down the White House (sorta).
Toronto Jewish Film Fest 2012 (#TJFF20)
So this is me. No, not the stunt walkin Rabbi, but the Rabbi’s double. The guy who pulls the quick change and leaves the cabby at the end of the ad. Not exactly a masterpiece of modern commercial acting, but a piece of acting none the less that landed me my first ACTRA (actors union) credit, after banging my head against a wall to no avail for a good five years prior, to the point where I gave up on the whole endeavour and moved on to other things, only to return to my old agents in December 2011. Getting into ACTRA is no mean feat, and I like to call my entry an act of G-d. My casting for the role was pure serendipity — an application for a vague position posted on Jigsaw Casting Ltd.’s Facebook page that stated “Seeking!!! – Male, caucasian. To fit the following sizes. Height 5’8 / 5’9. Neck 16, Jacket 40, Waist 34. Possibly has curly hair but dont limit.”… and the decisive line… “does not need to be union.” I wrote in stating my stats which were in the right ballpark and forgot about it.
A day or two later I got the call to come in for the fitting and bingo-bango, I was in. To be honest, I was told very little about the role and almost didn’t show because I thought I was going to be used as a stand-in for the actual Rabbi (for no pay since the TJFF is a charity, making this a PSA). Good thing I sucked it up because little did I know that this was an ACTRA production, which meant that anyone on the set was elligible to join by default. And so, my life has changed as the little seed I planted, watered and nourished years ago, has now flourished. I wish I could quote some wise words from the Talmud or the Tanach because I’m sure there is a story in there that mirrors my experience, but I ‘ll leave that to the pros, and the more experienced Hollywood jews. I’m grateful for the blessings and my entry into the union couldn’t have been more fitting. Yes, G-d is great. :)