Quebec Antique are a half-Brit, half-Canadian electronica band formed in mid-2008 who have been kicking around both my Itunes music collection and my head since their 'Abbey Tapes' came out in January of this year. The band is a duo made up of Michael Blake and Andy Dollerson, Blake providing the organic, Dollerson providing the electronic. The band believe that their music succeeds in balancing the two, not overcomplicating the electronica side of things, but not simplifying to the bland levels of much contemporary pop music.
The combination, whether it achieves its mission statement or not, is lush. The vocal distinctly reminds me of Sjur Lyseid of Monzano and The Little Hands Of Asphalt (an acoustic band i strongly recommend if you haven't heard already), and the music is much like that of Sigur Ros, in more ways than one. The electronics are absolutely mindblowing - at times the ambient noise that Dollerson comes out with can sound like anything from Burial and Sigur Ros, to Boards of Canada. Quebec Antique sound like the next signing to Arts & Crafts.
While the music is awe-inspiring, the song structures remain relatively simple; every sound Quebec Antique make has that timeless feel of antiquity to it, and a grand realisation that the way to make powerful music is not to turn the volume up loud. In no way is the sentimentality of the arrangement lost when glitch-drumming joins towards the end of some of the tracks, the shoegazy element and dubbed down dance music beats simply add to the urgency. Lightly plucked reverbial strings remain dominant, and lyrics remain clear, subtle and well spoken.
You can order the Abbey Tapes, read their review, and preview the album over at CDBaby.
Quebec Antique - Sleep (MP3) (taken from the Abbey Tapes)
Quebec Antique - Right As Rain (MP3) (taken from the Abbey Tapes)
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