Tag: Pink Floyd

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Music

The Dark Side of the Moon in a dome

The Society of Arts and Technology's dome featuring various space themes during The Dark Side of the Moon immersive experience. Courtesy photo by Myriam Menard.

Pink Floyd’s 1973 album was made into an immersive experience in Montreal.

The 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon was prominently highlighted, to say the least. Montrealers had the chance to experience a grand audiovisual experience in the Society for Arts and Technology’s (SAT) Satosphère, which is one of only 100 domes and planetariums in the whole world presenting it. The company Hubblo, a local initiative that aims “to address the explosive worldwide production of immersive and interactive experiences,” was also in charge of putting the project together. The projection took place most evenings, welcoming the first wave of audiences since August and soon on Oct. 27. 

With its 18 meters in diameter, 13 meters in height, eight video projectors and 157 speakers, the SAT’s dome exclusive show was indeed mesmerizing. As stated on the event’s page, the band warmly welcomes the concept of “juxtapos[ing] the album’s musical framework with striking images of space.” The goal was to accompany each track of the 43-minute-long album with a futuristic visual component and as “a nod to Pink Floyd’s retro visual iconography.” 

Not only did the show make me hear the album as if it was the first time but it was indeed planned to remaster the album in surround sound for this 360-degree environment. The SAT in Montreal also describes the aim to offer “an unparalleled 360-degree experience to plunge into the heart of Pink Floyd’s sonic and visual universe,” especially after the dome closed its doors for several months due to renovation and equipment installation. Statera Experience shares that “NSC Creative studio handled the visual production of the show, working closely with Aubrey Powell, a longtime Pink Floyd creative accomplice at Hipgnosis.”

Since the seats in the Satosphère dome are unnumbered, the first thing to do was to choose a spot among the many bean bag chairs. When it started, the lights dimmed to bring focus on the first projection approaching on the dome ceiling while the intro track “Speak to Me” echoed. A futuristic pyramid in space got bigger and bigger only to introduce the many other visual elements that constituted a cohesive and refreshing sight. Staggering images of the solar system were at the core of the show, from the moon—hinting at its inclusion in the album title—to the different planets and much more. Distinct themes of each song were exploited such as elements of money and consumerism with the track “Money” playing. Each sight presented a temporal and spatial experience, adding depth to the lyrics and sounds used in the production of the album.

The colour theme of the projections was both dark and space-themed with pops of vivid colour to immerse the viewer. The rainbow from the album cover was thus used to provide enhanced visual stimulation. As for the audio quality and experience, it was overall balanced and synced perfectly with what was portrayed on the ceiling.  

My personal outtake was definitely how smooth the transitions between each projection played out. The shifts between songs merged smoothly and creatively with the graphic theme of the following track on the album. I especially loved some of the cohesive elements that kept coming back throughout the show, such as a visual of an astronaut with Earth mirrored on the helmet. The imagery was striking due to its crisp quality and lying down while seeing our planet through someone else’s eyes was dazzling in the best way. A Thursday evening during the fall break was definitely a good moment to be a little existential while being sonically embraced throughout a stimulating experience and celebration.

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Arts

Exhibit Review: Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains in Montreal

Pink Floyd Exhibit at the ACAM - Emma MEGALAS

Every brick in the wall of Pink Floyd’s successful legacy revealed

The Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains exhibition welcomes Montreal fans into the world of Pink Floyd from Nov. 4 to Dec. 31 at the Arsenal Contemporary Art Museum. This 60- to 90-minute-long experience transports visitors into the wonders of Pink Floyd, diving into the core of the rock band’s creativity and incredible legacy.

Whether you are someone who barely knows the surface of who the band is, or if you are a hardcore listener, any opportunity to visit the exhibition is worthwhile.

It is an interactive experience that gives new meaning to the artist-and-fan connection. Visitors are given headphones to watch exclusive interviews of the band members, studio recordings, original songs, and the creative minds who brought their famous album covers to life. The atmosphere is silent yet powerful as all eyes are drawn right to the band talking through little screens, revisiting moments from their career. Some of these moments have never been known before.

As soon as you walk into the museum, a black wall filled with images of the band’s past concerts in Montreal catches the eye, and Roger Waters in a Montreal Canadiens jersey right in the middle is impossible not to miss. Walking through the legacy of Pink Floyd starts with the band’s creation in 1965 by the late and great Syd Barrett, his fellows Roger Waters, Richard Wright and Nick Mason, and ends with their later projects in the 2000s.

Pink Floyd Exhibit at the ACAM – Emma MEGALAS

The sections are dimly lit, letting the artifacts take the centre stage. The guitars, basses, drum sets and keyboards on display are the originals used by the band members. The scratches on the guitars are faint yet surreal to spot upon closer inspection. It is worth taking the time to observe the details on the instruments, to point out the marks and have that they-really-played-these moment. It is even more surreal watching Roger Waters or David Gilmour strumming on that exact guitar on video, as if you’re right there with the band. 

I have always been intrigued by Pink Floyd — by their style, psychedelic experimentation, musical textures, and storytelling through their art and music. Their strange yet beautiful experimental combo manifests into every single album they released.

Pink Floyd Exhibit at the ACAM – Emma MEGALAS

Each section of the exhibit represents an album of the band, namely The Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Division Bell. Oversized images of the album covers are hung on a white wall, allowing the colours to pop and make a statement. Right beside them are the framed original images of the covers. 

The Wall’s section was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Enormous inflatables from their previous albums floated above, watching everything unfold below. Cages with more guitars and archives of Roger Waters, who is simultaneously heard describing the struggles the band had with the inflatable pig for the Animals album, were eye-catching and humorous. With The Wall being one of Pink Floyd’s most successful albums, it is incredible to find out that the idea came to Roger Waters during a concert at the Olympic Stadium back in 1977 — a reason why Montreal is a special place for the band. 

Pink Floyd Exhibit at the ACAM – Emma MEGALAS

Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains is a breathtaking exhibit and a must-see for anyone who enjoys and appreciates their music. I was able to appreciate the band in a way that I have not in the past. The magic in the silence created by the exhibit is intoxicating — it’s just people looking, admiring, listening, and traveling through time with Pink Floyd that makes the experience so memorable. 

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Music

The importance of cover art: how it can make or break a record

Cover art is the first look you get at a body of work — might as well make it count with something eye-grabbing.

Choosing cover art to associate with a piece of music will always be a big decision for artists, as the art introduces the music. Before listening to a single second, your experience with a body of work starts with the art that accompanies it. Since it is the listener’s first contact with the music, the cover has to be intriguing enough for the listener to decide to dive into the record.

In some instances, cover art can be so eye-catching that it transcends a record’s popularity and gets even more appreciated than the album itself, becoming its own thing. Album covers such as Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, with the famous triangle prism and the beam of light passing through, or The Beatles’ Abbey Road which sees the band members wearing suits and crossing the street, are prime examples of this.

Don’t get me wrong — these albums are considered some of the best of all time, but having such iconic covers definitely helped them gain the status and universal praise they still get to this day. These covers became so popular over time that you can now see them on clothes, posters, mugs, and tapestries, to a point where they’re almost symbolic.

With the streaming era, where everything is compiled on your phone, album art might not feel as important as 30 years ago when people would go to their nearest record store to skim through different album covers and buy whichever one caught their attention. Regardless of the period we are in, album covers still abide by the same set of rules as before for picking good cover art.

The most important rule is that the cover art has to be representative of the music. The genre that does it best is metal music, where the violence showcased on the album art is an excellent indicator of how brutal the music is going to sound. Death metal outfit Cannibal Corpse have some of the most gruesome album covers out there in metal, often picturing truly disgusting and unimaginable things done to people (look it up at your own risk) — and their very gross and murderous sound matches the vibe they portray on their front cover. 

R&B also does it well, as it’s a more sexy and intimate genre, where artists don’t shy away from sensually posing on their album arts. You can take Doja Cat’s 2019 single “Juicy” as an example, a song talking about “juicy booties,” where Doja Cat herself is showcasing her butt on the cover art.

The importance of cover art should never be neglected — while at its core, music is a form of sound art, an album or song also needs visual art to represent it. Who knows, maybe that split second of looking at and judging a cool album cover might make you discover your next favourite artist.

Some of my favourite album covers includes:

Killers – Iron Maiden

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea – Neutral Milk Hotel

The House Is Burning – Isaiah Rashad

Kids See Ghosts – Kids See Ghosts

Twin Fantasy – Car Seat Headrest

Midnight Marauders – A Tribe Called Quest

Stranger in the Alps – Phoebe Bridgers

And Justice For All – Metallica

Cosmogramma – Flying Lotus

Songs In The Key Of Life – Stevie Wonder

Graphic by James Fay

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Music

The Madcap Laughs: a glimpse of Syd Barrett’s potential

Syd Barrett’s post-Pink Floyd career is too wild to be ignored.

Syd Barrett’s legacy is often spoken about as the tragedy of a man who lost his mind, and later serving as the muse of various works by Pink Floyd years after he had left. Rarely is he remembered for bringing together the initial members of Pink Floyd or even giving them their band name. In his brief time with Pink Floyd, he wrote eight of out 11 tracks on Pink Floyd’s debut studio album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, and a handful of other songs before his infamous departure from the band in 1968 as a result of deterioration due to psychedelic abuse.

As a solo artist having been outcast from Floyd, Barrett began recording his debut solo album, The Madcap Laughs. Recording began in 1968 but was postponed due to a brief psychiatric stint. A year later in 1969, Barrett returned to finish recording of the project at Abbey Road Studios with production of the album handled mostly by Malcolm Jones. Additional production help and instrumental assistance came from Pink Floyd members Roger Waters and David Gilmour.

The 1970 album itself is a self-contained thirteen track composition. Opening track “Terrapin” sets the tone for the album with simple acoustic guitar chord progressions while Barrett narrates what seems to be a love story: “‘Cause we’re the fishes and all we do / The move about is all we do.” Coincidentally, on Pink Floyd’s 1975 eponymous album, Gilmour sings “We’re just two lost souls / Swimming in a fish bowl,” on “Wish You Were Here.” While it is known that “Wish You Were Here” was recorded as a tribute to Barrett, this lyric in particular sees a 29-year-old David Gilmour appearing to wink at Barrett’s solo work.

As the album progresses, tracks “Love You” and “Here I Go” solidify the album with a variety of stream-of-consciousness lyrics and simple drum beats. There is a child-like musical quality provided by a combination of acoustic and electric guitars with a subtle level of distortion. Though this album has less of a distinctive sound compared to Barrett’s other works, it still finds a way to build and morph into a simpler outlet of psychedelic pop fused with folk-like guitar lines. “Octopus” is the album’s most telling song of Barrett’s self narrated descent into insanity, with the song telling a tale of an LSD trip and becoming stuck in a state of madness, “Trip, trip to a dream dragon / Hide your wings in a ghost tower / Sails cackling at every plate we break.”

While the lyrics are sometimes disorganized, hard to fathom and sometimes pose a puzzle for listeners, that’s part of his greatness as a lyricist. As seen on The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, a lot of Barrett’s lyrics seemed to be pulled out of unlikely sources of inspiration. This makes a lot of his songs head-scratchers when taken literally, but his breaking of rhyme schemes and playing with simple and complex words tossed around with irregular syntax create a unique blend of spoken word poetry and happily upbeat songs. In an interview with Rolling Stone, when talking about Barrett’s solo work Gilmour said “Some of [Barrett’s lyrics], quite often it felt like he was making them up as he went along … they all definitely mean something to him, but there’s a sort of barrier between him and me and anyone else that prevents us from being able to hear it.”

Barrett further shows his mental depth on the release by quoting two 19th century poets throughout the album’s tracklist. The first being “Golden Hair,” which sees Barrett reciting a poem titled “Lean Out Of The Window” by James Joyce over an acoustic guitar. The latter is part of the first verse in “Octopus,” where he uses part of a poem by Sir Henry Newbolt’s “Rilloby-Rill.”

If Syd Barrett’s musical potential were a house, The Madcap Laughs is only a room. While the album is not a top-tier polished work of art that has stood the test of time such as other albums by his Pink Floyd counterparts, it does have a variety of moments that are telling of Barrett’s promise as a musician. As the album draws to a close with its funhouse lyrics and punchy sounds, Barrett answers questions about his potential, yet leaves new ones for listeners who wondered “What if? about the late musician. 

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Music

The rise of post-rock

Introducing the most influential bands in the realm of experimental rock

Pink Floyd and Velvet Underground are not only the bands whose contributions to rock music are uncomparable, but they are also the source of an entire genre of droning, cinematic, music—Post-rock. The co-founder of Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, said in an interview with Rolling Stone that their track, “Echoes,” is a 23 minute instrumental ode to “The potential human beings have for recognizing each other’s humanity and responding to it, with empathy rather than antipathy.” This track is filled with mind-bending guitar riffs, swirling piano chords and a haunting vocal performance, along with more than enough instrumental improvisation. After this song came out, the genre of post-rock rose.

Pink Floyd’s album, Meddle, is where post-rock was first heard.

Montreal has become one of the most prominent pioneers of this style, with groups such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Fly Pan Am emerging from the city. Godspeed has reached such prestige and recognition that during the 80s and 90s, the Montreal Plateau was dubbed the “Godspeed Generation.” The band managed to find inspiration during the political turmoil of the 90s and the societal separation running through Quebec at the time. “It was a very [melancholic] time,” said Norsola Johnson, the group’s cellist, in an interview with the Red Bull Music Academy Daily. “Instead of angst, a rage and a desire to change things, we became more reflective about the decline of society as a whole.”

A unique characteristic of this genre is the notable lack of vocals—it is almost exclusively filled with instrumental riffs and hooks. Vocals often consist of samples of spoken word or non-traditional singing styles. Also, the polished, clean and produced style is replaced by an often grimier, more industrial sound. Traditional instruments like the guitar, drums, and bass are still present, but are now joined by violins and cellos to provide a sound that is rich with texture. It can make your blood boil, as if the walls are closing in on you, counter that with explosive, victorious melodies that could conquer any fear. Glorious crescendos of noise rain down, demanding an awaiting triumph.

Montreal has had an impact on the rise of post-rock with the album Lift Your Skinny Fingers like Antennas to Heaven by Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

The genre also contains jarring, crowded, claustrophobic and nerve-racking drones of distorted instruments. They offer a glimpse into not only the artist’s psyche, but society. Without even speaking a word, post-rock offers insight into a specific time and place that is rarely seen in any other music genre.

The most prominent post-rock groups and albums emerged from the trenches of MTV music and Nirvana knockoffs in the 90s. It includes the aforementioned Godspeed You! Black Emperor, whose 2000 album, Lift Your Skinny Fingers like Antennas to Heaven  is considered by many to be a classic of the genre. It’s a massive project, with all four songs hovering around the 20 minute mark. It’s an elegant record that features vicious instrumental climaxes. The claustrophobic nature of the song “Static” builds up to an unrelenting, anxious guitar riff which makes your heart pump. It puts you on the edge of your seat. The opening song, “Storm,” carries soothing violins with a slow-building drumline as new instruments join in. Cellos and violins elevate the album, and provide a more awe-inspiring, cinematic listen.

The group has a strong political stance, with many songs reflecting their perspective on the world. They won the 2013 Polaris Prize for Best Canadian Album for their record Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!

From across the pond, Glasgow band Mogwai has produced critically-acclaimed albums for the past two decades. Their latest record, Atomic, was the soundtrack to a BBC documentary on nuclear disaster called Storyville – Atomic: Living in Dread and Promise. With a topic like that, it would be easy to focus on explosions of sound and violence. Instead, Mogwai turns their attention to the aftermath with a more subdued sound. Minimalist in nature, the gentle violins and electronic keyboards provide a futuristic bassline, like on the song “U-235.” Droning drumlines march through the album, supporting each song and giving it texture.

Mogwai’s album, Atomic, explores minimalist post-rock sounds

Another group that has risen to post-rock glory is American band Cul de Sac, a group that was founded in the early 90s. They were one of the groups less willing to accept being labelled in the genre because “the term was soon being tossed about indiscriminately,” said guitarist Glenn Jones in an interview with online magazine, Perfect Sound Forever. Their 1992 record debut, ECIM, featured the track “Nico’s Dream” which offers an eerie, scratchy, static feeling. The band members have said in past interviews they use Cul de Sac as a way to explore the creativity of the guitar and to push boundaries. The experimentation is obvious—each track is laced with a psychedelic, punk attitude.

Post-rock continues to reflect the state of society, pointing the mirror back at us. The genre was best described by music publication Pitchfork as the “raw grace of noise.” Its ability to tell compelling stories without saying a word, building on emotions through pure musicianship and passion, separates it from the rest of the musical world.

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