Lullabye Arkestra was formed in the summer of 2001 by Justin Small (drums) and Katia Taylor (bass) and are currently based in Toronto. Justin is also member of Do Make Say Think.
The Ark began by writing minimal, stripped down and raunchy rock songs using their signature fuzzed out bass sound and banshee vocals. They combined elements of hardcore punk with 60’s-era soul creating an unusual yet raw and energetic sound. That first summer they recorded "Bzaster", an 8-song CDR release which was self-produced with handmade covers and sold only at shows and a few select record stores in Toronto. For this recording they called upon Do Make Say Think members Ohad Benchetrit (saxophone) and Charles Spearin and Brian Cram
In 2002 Small and Taylor recruited Shelton Deverell (Tangiers, Z’Howndz) on organ. Deverell’s gospel-influenced style of playing added sweetness and density to the Ark’s sound. They began playing live with Benchetrit, Spearin and Deverell and also called upon Jason Baird (Do Make Say Think, Feist) for saxophone and Randy Ray and Marco Landini for backing vocals. From this point, Lullabye Arkestra’s live performances consisted of anything from two to twelve players. Other musicians who have since joined the band on stage are Julie Penner (Fembots, Do Make Say Think, Broken Social Scene) on violin, Bryce Kushnier (vitaminsforyou) on saxophone and keyboard, Joann Goldsmith (The Old Soul) on trumpet and Amanda Newman on trumpet.
Lullabye Arkestra’s soul-core sound is continuously evolving with influences from grindcore to garage, pummeling rock epics to soulful crooning, and rave-ups to throw downs.
Lullabye Arkestra are a bass and drum duo who've been playing and self-releasing glorious slabs of distorto-soul for several years. Formed in Toronto by Justin (drums) and Katia (bass), the Ark has played shows throughout eastern Canada as a duo and as a large band, adding horns, voices and organ. Their slow, swampy, overdriven cover of "Summertime" was an early signature tune, along with a clutch of original rave-ups ranging from one-minute combustions of riffage and hollering to longer, fuzzed-out R&B numbers, often marked by those sincere but sassy boy/girl call-and-response vocals that make everyone's day.
Their new album, and first for Constellation, is a knockout. Bursting with barely controlled chaos on some numbers, stripped back to sultry, art-damaged loversoul on others, Ampgrave is a hell of a good time, full of testifying and tenderness, see-sawing between massed instruments and the raw minimalism of the core rhythm section. Justin rounds up fellow Do Make Say Think players Ohad, Brian and Jason on horns and hollering, along with Shelton Deverell on organ and Julie Penner on violin. An additional 10-voice "Chorus Oblivia" of exuberant caterwaul also rallies to the cause.
Opening track "Unite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" explodes into a beautiful cacophony of horn vamps, crashing through ascending chord crescendos while screamo vocals punctuate the flight. "All I Can Give Ya" builds from a delicate exchange of devotional verses by Justin and Kat, towards a soaring, searing chorus. "Hold On" follows with another round of call and response vocals laid over a slow, pummeling soul groove, before bursting into it's distressed, desperate refrain. "Y'Make Me Shake" is entirely self-explanatory, and rounds out Side One. Our lovers continue to rock on the flipside, with the album's centerpiece lullabye "Come Out, Come Out" kicking things off. Three mighty tunes pile up from there, gaining crazed momentum until the final swirl of "Bulldozer of Love" segues into the four-on-the-floor anthematics of "Ass Worship". Hail! Hail! Rock n' roll. Ampgrave is blistering and beautiful CPR for the soul. Constellation is thrilled to serve up this platter of unabashed, unpretentious rock action. members (trumpets) who added to the soul-inspired songs.
The Ark began by writing minimal, stripped down and raunchy rock songs using their signature fuzzed out bass sound and banshee vocals. They combined elements of hardcore punk with 60’s-era soul creating an unusual yet raw and energetic sound. That first summer they recorded "Bzaster", an 8-song CDR release which was self-produced with handmade covers and sold only at shows and a few select record stores in Toronto. For this recording they called upon Do Make Say Think members Ohad Benchetrit (saxophone) and Charles Spearin and Brian Cram
In 2002 Small and Taylor recruited Shelton Deverell (Tangiers, Z’Howndz) on organ. Deverell’s gospel-influenced style of playing added sweetness and density to the Ark’s sound. They began playing live with Benchetrit, Spearin and Deverell and also called upon Jason Baird (Do Make Say Think, Feist) for saxophone and Randy Ray and Marco Landini for backing vocals. From this point, Lullabye Arkestra’s live performances consisted of anything from two to twelve players. Other musicians who have since joined the band on stage are Julie Penner (Fembots, Do Make Say Think, Broken Social Scene) on violin, Bryce Kushnier (vitaminsforyou) on saxophone and keyboard, Joann Goldsmith (The Old Soul) on trumpet and Amanda Newman on trumpet.
Lullabye Arkestra’s soul-core sound is continuously evolving with influences from grindcore to garage, pummeling rock epics to soulful crooning, and rave-ups to throw downs.
Lullabye Arkestra are a bass and drum duo who've been playing and self-releasing glorious slabs of distorto-soul for several years. Formed in Toronto by Justin (drums) and Katia (bass), the Ark has played shows throughout eastern Canada as a duo and as a large band, adding horns, voices and organ. Their slow, swampy, overdriven cover of "Summertime" was an early signature tune, along with a clutch of original rave-ups ranging from one-minute combustions of riffage and hollering to longer, fuzzed-out R&B numbers, often marked by those sincere but sassy boy/girl call-and-response vocals that make everyone's day.
Their new album, and first for Constellation, is a knockout. Bursting with barely controlled chaos on some numbers, stripped back to sultry, art-damaged loversoul on others, Ampgrave is a hell of a good time, full of testifying and tenderness, see-sawing between massed instruments and the raw minimalism of the core rhythm section. Justin rounds up fellow Do Make Say Think players Ohad, Brian and Jason on horns and hollering, along with Shelton Deverell on organ and Julie Penner on violin. An additional 10-voice "Chorus Oblivia" of exuberant caterwaul also rallies to the cause.
Opening track "Unite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" explodes into a beautiful cacophony of horn vamps, crashing through ascending chord crescendos while screamo vocals punctuate the flight. "All I Can Give Ya" builds from a delicate exchange of devotional verses by Justin and Kat, towards a soaring, searing chorus. "Hold On" follows with another round of call and response vocals laid over a slow, pummeling soul groove, before bursting into it's distressed, desperate refrain. "Y'Make Me Shake" is entirely self-explanatory, and rounds out Side One. Our lovers continue to rock on the flipside, with the album's centerpiece lullabye "Come Out, Come Out" kicking things off. Three mighty tunes pile up from there, gaining crazed momentum until the final swirl of "Bulldozer of Love" segues into the four-on-the-floor anthematics of "Ass Worship". Hail! Hail! Rock n' roll. Ampgrave is blistering and beautiful CPR for the soul. Constellation is thrilled to serve up this platter of unabashed, unpretentious rock action. members (trumpets) who added to the soul-inspired songs.
www.lullabyearkestra.com
www.myspace.com/lullabyearkestra
major bonobo
lullabye arkestra - hail hail rock & roll