A ceiling bustling with huge plastic balloons, red and blue lights diving across the walls and the shining faces of shuffling limbs: it’s a Friday night at the Fairmount Theatre and Beat Market has just taken the stage.
Montreal-based DJ duo Beat Market, formed of keyboardist Louis-Joseph Cliche and drummer Maxime Bellavance, swept their 100 audience members away during the release of their new EP, All Good. Unfortunately, there were some initial technical difficulties, and the opening act, The Fitness, was unable to play. Despite these factors, it was “all good” and the venue’s energy was never lacking.
The first song built slowly, a minimal pallet of sounds moving the crowd until the deep bass and decisive drumming kicked in, along with a colourful light show that made for a hyper-stimulating atmosphere.
Music and visuals go hand in hand and are destined to be intertwined, a technique that seems to be working for Beat Market. Beat Market’s Art Director and digital mastermind, Kitana, used to work for Moment Factory, a world-renowned Montreal-based studio. Their multimedia productions create completely unique universes that envelop the participant. So, it is easy to see why, along with those hypnotic beats, the visuals have the audience coming back for more.
Beat Market showcases more than your average electronic dance music. The duo had a retro synth, Daft Punk-inspired style that the audience was loving. Though somewhat repetitive, staying mostly in a steady 4/4 tempo the whole night, there were some wild bass drops and rhythmic switchbacks, making the two energetic performers engaging to watch.
With Bellavance on drums and Cliche on keyboard, and both on their laptops, Beat Market plays with a unique combination of digital and analog sounds, enhancing the retro tone of their music. Some highlights of the show were the unexpected appearances of Montreal singer and actress AIZA, and rapper KNLO of the Montreal rap group Alaclair, who took the stage on consecutive tracks to lay down some sweet vocals.
Ultimately, for Cliche and Bellavance, it was this fusion of artists, audience and mediums that inspired the EP, and the meaning behind the title, All Good. Above all, the playful duo suggests that people go out and “live life in a funky way”.
Fans can support Beat Market by subscribing to their YouTube and Spotify accounts, or by purchasing their EP All Good on Bandcamp or Spotify.
