sled island

The “For The Record” team started off Day 4 of Sled Island 2023 with a tour of the National Music Centre (NMC). First on the museum side was learning about all of the projects and services that the NMC offers, including:

• Curation of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, and l’Association québécoise de l’industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo (ADISQ);
• Archiving of more than 2,000 artifacts and maintaining 200 fully functional historic instruments;
• Administering and developing educational programs, artist workshops, and live music performances.

The tour then headed to the studio side of the NMC, where the team was able to see the recording studios and mixing/control rooms! Each of the 3 studios can be patched to any of the 3 control rooms, and there is an estimated 5 kilometers of balanced cabling connecting everything. Not only can artists book studio time for recording purposes, but they also gain access to the functional historic instruments via their booking, including the largest synthesizer “TONTO”.

The tour ended with their third control room and crown jewel of the collection, The Rolling Stones Mobile recording truck. Though the truck can no longer drive, the recording equipment is still functioning. Not only is this patched to the 3 studios, it is also able to record live shows happening on the King Eddy stage!

Thanks so much to the NMC team for inviting us to tour the amazing facilities. The NMC offers so much to the community and to musicians!

After the tour, the team made their way to Calgary’s newest venue, Modern Love. They made it for the end of Dizzy Walka’s set. Despite being new to the scene, this young up-and-coming artist has a strong command of the stage. The live drummer’s percussive playing really added depth to the sharp 80s backing tracks. Check out Dizzy’s first single from the upcoming album, “Back to Me”.

Kaeyae Alo once again gave a beautiful performance, though more high energy than the Sloth Records performance – this really demonstrates Kaeyae’s range.

The team was then able to see one of their most anticipated performances, Sargeant X Comrade. The duo’s signature mix of Hip-Hop, Soul, R&B, Funk, House, Lo-Fi, and EDM was further bolstered by the addition of a full band. Their first song was able to draw a large crowd, even catching the ear of Sled goers on the Modern Love roof patio, who then made their way down to the main stage. Check out Sargeant X Comrade’s newest single “Love Someone”, along with their debut album “Magic Radio” which was a 2021 Polaris Music Prize Long List.

The legendary Calgary Hip-Hop duo, Dragon Fli Empire, took to the patio stage to end off the showcase. Their performance was so popular that Dai could only catch a couple songs from the stairwell as the patio was at capacity before the first song could drop. The group formed in 2002 and quickly became staples to the Campus/Community radio airways after hand mailing home burnt copies of their debut album “Conquest” to stations across Canada. The duo is a definite must see for fans of the Old School Hip-Hop style such as Pete Rock, Large Professor and Prince Paul. Teekay and DJ Cosm also have some solo releases out, and Teekay hosts “The Key of A” on CBC Radio.

For Day 3 of Sled Island 2023, the “For The Record” Team started off the day by dropping into Sloth Records to catch a quick set from the Calgary band, Narcissistic Necrosis.

Narcissistic Necrosis is a duo that blends the metal styles of Death Grind, Doom, and Black to create an encapsulating experience. Despite being a duo, their style of playing really makes you feel like there is a full 4-piece metal band in front of you! Sloth Records is a really cool and unique venue however the small space did not do Narcissistic Necrosis justice, and the team feels a larger space would allow audience members to really take in the depth of the music and experience all the elements of their playing.

The team was lucky enough to get to Central United Church early enough to get into the sold out show! Starting the show off was Calgary based Pakistani music researcher/singer/composer/poet/experimental artist, Dr. Shumaila Hemani. Her performance really expanded on the themes of environmentalism, and awareness of the increased climate crises touched on in her debut album “Mannat”. Her thought provoking performance was a mixture of traditional Sufi singing and spoken word pieces along with a violinist and tabla player.

Toronto artist shn shn continued the show and sustained captivation of the large audience with her performance. She blends the styles of Ambient Electronic, Drone, and Bedroom Pop to make a unique and relaxing sonic experience. The smooth repeating electronic themes, vocal loops, and synths creates a warm atmosphere much like wrapping oneself in a blanket and being with just your thoughts. Due to the nature of the music, each live performance of her songs is different, making every live set a unique and singular experience.

Ending off the show was the headliner Philadelphia Jazz group, Sun Ra Arkestra. Formed in the mid 1950s by Le Sony’r Ra (Sun Ra) the group has been going strong touring and performing around the world even after Sun Ra’s passing in 1993. Now led by Marshall Allen the group blends Jazz with Swing, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Blues, Funk, Soul and Electronic. With each musician encouraged to add their own improvisations each show it makes each experience “once in a lifetime”. If you’re the type of person that thinks you can’t dance to Improvisational music, check out Sun Ra Arkestra and be surprised! Their extensive discography goes back to 1957, so there is a lot of music to explore and enjoy.

The show was so popular that even as the team left a very packed Central United Church, there was a long line of Sled goers outside hoping to catch even a few notes of the performance through a window or door.

The “For the Record” team started off Day 2 of the 2023 Sled Island Music & Arts Festival visiting the wonderful people at CJSW Radio, and had the wonderful opportunity to sit in on a couple of their live radio sessions. Thanks once again to Helen, Darian, Cam, Adam and the wonderful CJSW volunteers for hosting the team, it is always a pleasure to visit our radio friends!

The first live session was from the Portland, Oregon Pow Wow Punk band 1876. The group has ties to the Northern Cheyenne and Amskapipiikani (Blackfoot) Nations and sings in both languages. The unique combination of Pow Wow drums and bells with aggressive guitar playing and traditional punk sounds really shapes the group’s sound. Since forming in 2020 they have released 3 EPS and 3 singles, check them out on Bandcamp.

The second session was drummer and electronic artist Mineo Kawasaki from Matsuyama, Japan. Mineo’s performance is something different to take in, while performing on a full drum kit he also works in synths, a electronic drum pad, loop pedals, and pre-produced backing tracks. His music becomes a mix of Sci-Fi inspired tones, Hip-Hop breakbeats, and danceable themes you’d find in modern EDM, Drum & Bass, Techno, and House.

The team was able to head to Sloth Records and catch their curated showcase. Sloth Records is a small independent record store located in Calgary’s Beltline area that is occasionally converted into a live music venue. With record bins pushed to the side, the space became a very intimate setting for a show.

The “For The Record” team made their way to Calgary for this year’s Sled Island Music & Arts Festival. On the way there, they stopped at the small and young community radio station, euroRadio, in Nanton, AB. The station started operating in 2020 and has really come a long way since! Their operations are small, but they have a large and passionate drive to help support and build their local community. It is always amazing to see a community radio station thriving like this, and to see that the commitment to supporting the local community is universal across all Campus and Community radio stations. We wish euroRadio all the best and look forward to stopping in again after their isolation booth is finished! 

Once the team made it to Calgary and were settled at the accommodations, they made their way to the Sled Island Kick Off Party at Commonwealth Bar & Stage.

The first act was Calgary’s “More Than Nothing”, they are an Experimental group that blend elements of Classical, Contemporary, Avantgarde, and Electronic. Group members are flutist Jiajia Li, violinist Laura Reid, Whitney Ota & Krzystof Sujata. The start of their performance was very harmonic and developed a very open and warm atmosphere which then moved towards more dissident tones and themes. Currently, they have no social media presence or released music so if you see their name on a bill definitely check them out!

The team then headed to the basement stage at Commonwealth and were able to catch a set from Temia. This Calgary based artist really pushes what the Hip-Hop genre can do, with elements of Carib Beat, Drill, Grime, Trap, 808s, Old School, and at times a hint of Experimental Electronica. She carries an amazing energy throughout the performance and really keeps the audience engaged in between songs.

The final act the team was able to see was Roya, an Experimental Electronic performer based in Stockholm, Sweden. The performance crafted a dreamy, sorrowful and passionate soundscape through a minimalist set using only two synths and her vocals.

There were so many more acts performing the opener, however the team wasn’t able to take them all in, a great reminder that Sled Island has so much to offer, regardless of your interests or tastes! The team ended off the night by taking in the many public works of art that feature throughout Downtown Calgary, and dreamed of what Lethbridge could look like with similar installations.