Canada’s multi-faceted music manipulators, Keys N Krates,  debut their first official music video with their remix of Drake’s “Unforgettable” directed by Adam Saewitz.

Download the mp3 here.

By UG Light

Keys N Krates Live Re-Mixing 101 is both an album and a statement. (click here to listen & download!)

Every inch of it exudes a vibe of triumph and “we-have-arrived” excitement. KNK extends the moment when an artist or DJ is building up to a break, hyping the crowd, and generating the thrill of musical crescendo, and extends it over an entire disc. They also produce a contagious feeling of community; you may well feel like you’re at a party even if you’re listening to it in your bedroom.

This dynamic is an egalitarian effort by all three musicians involved. The core of the KNK ethic is the sample, that ubiquitous modern cultural artifact, that sparks both groove and recognition in the listener. But these are samples transported and transfigured; washed in melodies and pumped by rhythms alien to them. DJ Junior Flo provides these cultural flashpoints, and the drummer Adam Tune and keyboard player Matisse surround that cultural core with an irresistible architecture of party music.

One of the most shocking qualities of the album is how interested they manage to keep the listener, and how effectively they keep the party going. One would assume that track after track of deconstructed hits, while an engaging gimmick at first, would wear thin. But the members of KNK are capable of such versatility, and can so effectively build and release tension, that getting bored is almost impossible.

Their paintbox is nearly infinite, and this helps. The album begins with almost Prince-like keys and rhythms, with breaks that effectively hype you up even when you’re sitting down– a testament to Adam Tune’s rhythmic versatility. As this song segment segues seamlessly into the next, we’re greeted by the immediately recognizable Q-tip.

This first sample begins a long listener love affair with the familiar faces that populate KNK’s musical landscape. There are more obscure textures involved, but the best moments in the mix involve instances of recognition that feel almost like epiphanies. When Lauren Hill’s voice busts through the cresting wave of music with the call “123…the group is called Refugees”, it’s actually physically difficult to keep still. And the all we need are the intro chords of “Next Episode”– no lyrics necessary– to completely lose our sh*t.

This kind of sonic alchemy is no easy feat. Keys N Krates manage to balance innovation, experimentation and unexpected twists with recognizable and culturally explosive sampling touch points. The result, a live remixing experiment and a landmark of modern remix culture, is one of the most surprising and engaging recordings of 2009.

For a taste of the Keys N Krates Experience and to download “Live Re-Mixing 101″ just

Featuring and endorsed by:
Joey Ruben//Taste
Nick Catchdubs//Fools Gold
Nick Hooks//Cubic Zirconia
Rhettmatic//Beat Junkies
DJ Reflex//Power 106
DJ Eleven//The Rub
Terry Urban//Shade 45 – Press Play
Joshua Glazer//Urb Magazine
Elosi Ikharo//Vapors Magazine

Click here to download “Live Re-Mixing 101.”

Imagine you are magnetically connected to the strum of an acoustic guitar. The sounds perpetuate from the beginning to the end of each song. Your ears are glued. Long after listening, you still have the rhythm and lyrics stained into your mind. This magical music feeling is thanks to Dallas Green (City & Colour), a native from Ontario, Can. Before City & Colour, Green continually played with his band Alexisonfire, which he now splits time between the two. He continues to make a spotlighted impact among his new and current fans. From screams and melodies to a straight folk-acoustic sensation, Green grabs his listeners by the heart strings, never letting go. His live show is one event not to be missed. Support his two LP’s, Sometimes and Bring Me Your Love.

My buddy Spazz is putting on an art show. If you’re in that other CA or know anyone up there, send them to the show, Spazz’ parties are infamous.

The Omy Collective are proud to be showing at Gallery 360. This is a private event. Please RSVP or you will be very uncomfortable at the door.

Featuring work by:
Spazz
Stu Playdead
Bird
Tami Noa Levy
Nik Dudukovic
Nicholas Fox
Bernice Lum
Juliana Nuefeld
Nic Rails

Livestock are the kings of the Canucks, we’ll have a little profile of them in the next Vapors.

Kinda weird that Supra Distribution pushes DVS Shoes in Canada. I wonder if DVS Distribution does Supra Shoes?

What stared as playing in a basement for fun has now evolved into a full-blown musical effort as Tokyo Police Club get ready to release their debut LP, Elephant Shell, barely three years after forming the band in 2005.

Tokyo Police Club is definitely a welcome sound in an industry filled with the same old tunes. Hailing from Newmarket, Canada, the band built a following while playing small shows throughout the Toronto area and finally received some recognition after playing in the Pop Montreal festival, where they were spotted by Paper Bag Records and signed to the label.

It’s been two years since the release of their EP A Lesson In Crime (which was criticized for being too short at 16:22); Tokyo Police Club is now a bit more seasoned as a band after playing hundreds of shows from tiny clubs to the festival throngs at Coachella, Lollapalooza and the Glastonbury Festival in England. “They were long drives that equated to not a lot of sleep, so we were exhausted,” Wright says. “But we were really not expecting too many people to show up to the shows, but were pleasantly surprised when hundreds of fans were waiting for us at the venues.”

But fans shouldn’t expect a big drastic change from their EP to LP. “I’m too close to the songs to really tell the changes, but in some ways, the new songs are pretty much in the same style of the EP,” says Wright. Although the long-player was two years in the making, most of the new songs were written at the last minute, weeks before the final version was due. With a name that makes absolutely no sense (it was a lyric on their first song “Cheer It On” off the EP and doesn’t have any real significance), Tokyo Police Club is hoping to make sense in a fickle music industry by proving their worth on Elephant Shell.

Describe your current bike.

It was given to me by a friend. His dad rides fixed gears and this must have been his first. It’s a conversion and a shitty one at that (suicide hub!). I popped the lock ring the first week I had it. Due to a number of financial reasons, I still ride it everyday. No parts on it are worth mentioning.

Why do you bike?

To have fun, stay fit, save on gas for beer, and piss off LA motorists.

Do you believe in aliens? If so, what do their bikes look like?

Yeah. Illegal aliens from Canada. We drink lots of beer and still follow the NHL. Can’t speak for all of us but as you can tell, my bike is a piece of shit ’cause I would rather spend the money on beer.

Who would win in a fight between Lance Armstrong and Lance Mountain?

Shit, hard to call. I would say Mountain but Armstrong would play dirty. One thing’s for sure: Nike would love it ’cause they both ride for Nike.

How come you don’t wear a helmet?

I’m from an era when you drank water from the tap outside.