Radical audio

The Vapour concert series at Modern Fuel offers experimental audio art

  • Arts
YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN is a constantly evolving group for artists of Asian and Idingenous identities to creatively compose as a collective.
Image supplied by: Supplied
YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN is a constantly evolving group for artists of Asian and Idingenous identities to creatively compose as a collective.

Psychadelic death-metal, Peking Opera and a sketch comedy troop will be the features of tonight’s installment of Vapours concert series. Modern Fuel has produced the series nine times.

For two years, Modern Fuel has partnered with Kingston’s Multicultural Arts Festival to present a set of exploratory pieces to promote emerging experimental musicians.

Do-it-yourself duo Pop Talk from Kingston and Montreal and Asian Diasporic inspired YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN from Toronto and Montreal promise to bring a range of theatrics and unique sound creations to Vapours at the Modern Fuel gallery on Queen Street.

“Pop Talk describe themselves as an off-kilter mumble-core sketch comedy duo that incorporates bursts of noise rock as part of their act,” Modern Fuel artistic director Michael Davidge said.

He said YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN is billed as a fusion of psychedelic death metal and Peking Opera.

Davidge said the Kingston Multicultural Arts Festival presents the “perfect complement” to Modern Fuel’s missions of innovation and education.

“The Festival is a celebration of the city’s diverse communities that aims to promote the understanding of cultural differences and multiculturalism,” he said. “I think that this aim is important not only for Kingston, but also for the country.” Modern Fuel tries to incorporate a mix of local and out-of-town musicians for their Vapours concerts, which usually occur three times a year, Davidge said.

“Kingston’s artistic scene has recently begun to receive more support from the municipal government and it’s beginning to show,” he said.

Before the Vapours concerts developed, Modern Fuel was still active in the experimental music scene, presenting the Tone Deaf Festival.

“We decided to take a more proactive role in the presentation of concerts in our space and promote artists in keeping with our mandate that supports artistic innovation and experimentation,” Davidge said, adding that the idea was to continue Tone Deaf-type programming year round with the Vapours concerts.

The first Vapours concert was in 2008, featuring the synth-pop band Europe in Colour and a wacky aerobics performance called Maylee and Slipper’s Sweatshop Hop.

Vapours concerts have come a long way since then, but what hasn’t changed is the difficulty in defining exploratory or experimental music.

For those new to the series, Davidge said it’s most important to come with an open mind and ears.

“We hope to reach new audiences with them and keep people returning to Modern Fuel for other new, diverse, entertaining and edifying experiences,” he said.

The Vapours concert series begins tonight at 9 p.m at Modern Fuel.

Tags

Michael Davidge, Modern Fuel, Pop Talk, Preview, Vapours concert series

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