BUKE & GASS as part of the ALL CAPS! ISLAND FESTIVAL at Artscape Gibraltar Point (443 Lakeshore, Toronto Island), Sunday (August 8 festival runs Aug 7-8), 4 pm. $8/day, $15/two-day pass advance $10, $18 door. 416-392-7834, rotate.com.
The problem with NYC art pop twosome Buke & Gass is that if you read about them before hearing them, you run a real risk of being so distracted by their unorthodox methods that you’ll overlook the greatness of their music.
[rssbreak]
But when you’re a duo playing invented instruments like the gass (a cross between a bass and a guitar) and the buke (a baritone ukulele with guitar-like modifications), that’s the chance you take.
Aron Sanchez, who plays the gass and a modified kick drum, and Arone Dyer, on buke, vocals and various foot percussion, insist that the unusual instrumentation is more than just an outlet for their tinkering tendencies. More than anything, their weirdo gear helps two people sound as big as a full band.
“The economics of being a duo are a big plus, and it’s great for writing music,” says Sanchez, who also makes instruments for the Blue Man Group. (Dyer repairs bicycles in her spare time.) “It makes everything faster, more efficient and smoother. It’s harder to gang up on someone when there are just two of us. And for touring, we can fit everything into a sedan.”
The portable two-piece are anything but quiet. After their instruments have been outfitted with custom electronics, their angular riffs blend chiming acoustic sounds with menacing fuzz, creating the surprisingly muscular sound heard on their upcoming debut album, Riposte (Brassland).
“It might sound like more, but there’s not really a lot going on,” Sanchez admits. “We’ve just figured out a way to make as much noise as possible at the same time.”
benjaminb@nowtoronto.com
