Elves Michael Elves
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Program Director at UMFM 101.5, radio show host, music writer, Killbeat podcast host and music addict. Link

One of my favourite albums of last year was Intercontinental Champion by Winnipeg band Boats . Flipping traditional pop-rock song structure on its head the album was an inventive and surprising listen that rewarded repeat listens.

Based on multiple listens to L'équanimité , lately I've taken to referring to 4d as the Francophone answer to Boats . It's a bit pithy (or maybe it's trite?) to make the comparison, but it was my immediate reaction to hearing Dominick Lareau's musical project. (Though 4d's music is significantly more 'electronic' than Boats).

Lareau wrote, performed and produced this album on his own in his adopted home of Nunavik. Far from crafting an icy, claustrophobic work as some might expect if environs shape content, L'équanimité is vibrant, extroverted and chock-a-block with interesting musical ideas.

My comprehension of the French lyrics is limited, but according to Disques Fruit, the lyrics stem from "Teaching in Puvirnituq and in Inukjuak [where] Lareau experienced the realities of the Inuit community on a daily basis. Their difficulties and their courage as well inspired his most recent work." Admirable stuff, but my appreciation for the record stems primarily from the music, in the same way that I really enjoy Jorge Ben or Cafe Tacuba, but don't really know what the heck they're singing about. 4d like those two artists, speaks the universal language of music - and he's fluent.

Amongst my favourite tracks is "la momie," which features spookily-layered vocals and some ringing guitar, which echoes like it's pinging off the side of a glacier. Sadly I can't seem to find a link to a single downloadable MP3 of 4d, but there are two selections from L'équanimité on Myspace and one other one available on the CBC Radio 3 site .

4d's official site is here , and it's well worth checking out, if only for the curious artwork.

Thanks for reading, now start listening...

Click here for French Reviews of 4d's Music

4D
L'Equanimité
By Chris Whibbs

When you think of music emanating from Inuit communities, you think of throat singing and, well, not much else. Throat singing certainly captures a certain aspect of Inuit culture, but this project captures the isolation that comes from living and working in the Great White North. 4D is actually one man (Dominick Lareau), who lives and works in the vast area of Nunavik. The music is all Lareau, and his strained and manipulated voice pops up on all tracks. The music itself is a huge haze of slight, feedback-driven guitars, strained electronics and, on occasion, some pounding, industrial-sounding drums. Opener “Les Morts-Vivant Sifflent” is the most melodic thing here and the only one that skirts the description of “catchy,” with its cascading guitar and menacing bass line keeping the tension cool and detached. “Suvit?” is more what the rest of this album feels like, or a whole mess of instruments thrown together in a morass of organisation. Isolation can lead to inspired things but another set of ears might be a good thing once in a while.