ARTHUR OSKAN with NOAH PRED, THE MOLE and others at Li’ly (656 College), Friday (March 16). $10-$15. 416-532-0419. See listing.
Not long ago it would have been hard to imagine Toronto underground techno artist Arthur Oskan getting a Juno nomination for his moody, refreshingly restrained album A Little More Than Everything (Thoughtless).
That was one of the reasons behind last year’s creation of the electronic album category (I’m on the committee that helped define its parameters), which attempts to spotlight Canadian music that’s not clubby enough for the dance recording category but too electronic for more pop-focused ones.
“The nomination was a big surprise, and obviously I’m very happy about it,” Oskan says over brunch. “I think it reflects where electronic music is right now. You’re seeing more artists performing live electronically, and that’s being accepted more and more.”
Within the techno scene that Oskan comes out of, music was historically made in home studios and only “performed” when other DJs played it in their sets. But Oskan came into that scene with a different perspective. Before being seduced by the sounds of Detroit techno, he performed industrial- and new-wave-inspired electronic music in the early 90s.
“Live, I’d been playing downtempo, ethereal, experimental stuff when I was invited to be part of a band called ASA, who were basically doing live analog techno. It was a lot faster and harder than what I was used to, and it was something I’d never really considered doing at the time. But there was still melody and experimentation, and that was important to me.”
Technology has progressed a lot since those days, when playing live meant hauling in temperamental vintage gear and hoping for the best.
Oskan’s focus on performance informs his recordings.
“There were some ideas that really worked well on the dance floor, and I basically deconstructed them and started working around that core.”
It’s reminiscent of the days when rock bands test-ran songs during gigs before heading into the studio, an approach that’s largely been replaced by writing while recording. Strange days, indeed, when a laptop artist is more “live” than a bunch of musicians with guitars.
Interview Clips
Arthur Oskan explains how his early performances inform his current work in comparison to various contemporary approaches to live electronic music.
Oskan explains why he doesn’t plan on following the pattern of moving overseas to make it as a techno producer.
Win tickets to the show here!
benjaminb@nowtoronto.com
