OTTAWA EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC
For this edition of Sometimes Always, we chatted with Adriana (AC) from Ottawa Experimental Music. We learned more about the background of the site, the tremendous progress they’ve made since 2013, and upcoming plans to keep the momentum rolling. Read on and check out more of what the Ottawa post-rock and experimental music scene has to offer!
VITALS
Web: https://www.facebook.com/OttawaExperimentalMusic/
Email: [email protected]
Upcoming shows:
Sunday, November 11 - OEM Five Year Anniversary show. RAAS, Clavius, Forgotten in the Woods Again, Obsidian Will, Novusolis, Deathsticks. $10. 7PM. Minotaure, Hull, QC
SA: Tell us a bit about the origins of OEM. When did the website start, and what was your main goal in doing so? AC: I officially created the page on September 8th, 2013. My main goal in creating the page was to specifically help promote the experimental music scene here in Ottawa. There are a lot of great music related pages on Facebook that generally speak to music in Ottawa but I felt like it would be helpful to have a page that showcased this particular scene with bands from not just Ottawa but all over Canada and the world. I also thought it would be a great tool for connecting these bands.
SA: Are there any other websites, in the experimental music realm or not, that serve as inspiration or a model for OEM? AC: Definitely. The Post-Rock Community page was a big inspiration at the beginning. There's also wherepostrockdwells and sites such as Echoes and Dust etc.
SA: Thus far in the website's existence, what has been your biggest success? AC: The biggest success has been connecting with so many wonderful and awesome musicians, bands, writers and promoters from near and far. Each time the page receives a message from a band, musician, fan etc, that's a measure of success, knowing that they thought enough of the page to contact us.
SA: Conversely, what is the biggest challenge you have faced, and how have you dealt with it? AC: The biggest challenge has been to get people out to shows. It's a constant struggle and a reoccurring topic of discussion.
SA: Do you have any advice for somebody looking to start a music website in this day and age? AC: My advice would be to have a clear mission statement, don't do it alone and think about what you will and will not do. Posting and/or re-posting events, music/band info will inevitably lead to other things such as writing reviews, putting together shows and helping bands find other bands etc. This is all great but can quickly get overwhelming if you have competing priorities.
SA: If you had to choose a favourite Ottawa show you've ever seen, which would it be and why? AC: This is truly a tough question. I don't think I can choose. In the last 5 years alone, many of the shows I've been to have given me inspiration and have further fortified my love of music. If I may rephrase the question...which show would you categorize as having a classic rock n roll moment? Now this is a little easier for me to answer. Last year, The City Gates, a shoegaze band from Montreal, played at Bar Robo. The band was on fire and the singer was in the zone. In the middle of this one track, the singer falls, face first. I gasped, I'm sure many did. And as quickly as he fell, he got up and continued singing the song without missing a beat. I remember being shocked, relieved and having this overwhelming feeling to laugh at what I had just witnessed. I thought to myself, now that's rock n roll man.
SA: You are personally active in a number of local bands, including Forgotten in the Woods Again and Constellation 425. What is your favourite Ottawa gig you’ve ever played, and why? AC: Another tough one Pierce. I don't think I can choose. Each show I've played with FITWA and the couple I've done as Constellation 425 have been pretty awesome. I've had the opportunity to meet and play with some great musicians/very cool people. At each of these shows, I came away with a new and wonderful experience. I guess most recently, FITWA was invited to join Wisconsin band Searchlights, on a couple of their Canadian dates during their North American tour. This one was special to me because I've been friends with the guys in Searchlights since the OEM page started, almost anyway. We met online, liking each other's music and remained friends. To finally get to meet them and hear their music live was a dream come true.
SA: What are your three 'deserted on an island’ albums and why? AC: Whoah, this is almost impossible to answer. I hope I never get deserted on an island! I'm already regretting my choices and missing all the other albums I would have brought with me! Here it goes: 1. Mogwai's Hardcore will never die, but you will. I love every track off this album. It's imaginative, heavy, atmospheric, patient and epic. 2. Hammock's An Introduction to Hammock. This band is my warm blanket on a cold day, my calm place in a storm. 3. 65daysofstatic's Wild Light album. A perfect album in every way. It's emotive, and the keys on this album are out of this world.
SA: What comes next for OEM in 2018? We wish you the best, and good luck! AC: I'm not too sure. Probably more of the same, continue to share the music being made in the experimental music scene and help bands out as much as I can. I should say that there's a festival of sorts planned for November 11th at Minotaure in Gatineau to celebrate OEM's 5th year of existence. We have a great line-up and a lot of giveaways to mark the occasion. I hope many will attend to help celebrate the occasion. Thank-you Pierce for this opportunity to be interviewed and all that you do for the music scene here in Ottawa. Cheers!
