anti-cool
in collaboration with Duchess Says
Lone orchestra
(performance, video and music)
In Cabot Square
Thursday, October 2nd , 2008 at 7pm
••• the Duchess Says performance has been cancelled for health reasons, anti-cool will present the work she has done in September with Duchess Says •••
Project realized with the intimate collaboration of Duchess Says
Presented with the support of the Canada Arts Council Japan-Canada Funds,
and in collaboration with Vidéographe and Pop Montréal.
Lone Orchestra is a medley of video, music, and performance. For anti-cool, the japanese artist, it is also a project combining multiple substitutions, sweet imitations, and intimate connections. Intrusion would be the adjective used by some, but anti-cool describes immitation as a chance to learn, connect, and exchange. The artist creates a project in which she imitates a Montreal band, while attempting to master each individual band member’s instrument and style. The project will result in a sound track, a video, and a joint performance with the band.
On her arrival in Montreal at the beginning of September, anti-cool met the band Duchess Says and was quickly adopted by them. She has learnt the music and lyrics of a song, as well as the style and particularities of each individual band member. She has substituted herself for each band member in a video as well as in her new recording of their song “Ccut up » in which she plays all instrument parts and sings on all tracks.
Even though anti-cool learnt the koto (japanese harp) as a child, she does not consider herself to be a musician. With the help of A-Claude, Ismael, Phil, and Simon Says, anti-cool learnt to handle and play the notes of the song on each of the band members’ instruments. The artists sees this process as a learning experience, but also as an open-heartedness on Montreal, its musical community and its people.
Through her various substitution projects, anti-cool has had the privilege to be many different people : language teacher,waitress, news-paper salesman, itinerant. Through this process, she tries to target the boundaries surrounding individuals hoping to find ways to exceed them. She involves herself in a situation, in a person’s univers in order to expose the mechanisms, the relations, and the connections, to see and appreciate the citizen’s everyday life. In Duchess Says, she has found free-spirits and close collaborators. Together, the artists are preparing a special performance to be held on Thursday, October 2nd, during the Pop Montreal festival.
anti-cool (Japan) is an interdisciplinary artist working primarily in performance art. She has exhibited at Chapter Arts Center and Battersea Arts Center (both in the UK); RIAP 06 (International Performance Arts Festival) in Québec; the Singapore Art Museum; the Museum Quarter21 during the EU-Japan in Austria year ; CAFKA X (Contemporary Art Forum Kitchener & Area) in Kitchener, Ontario.
Duchess Says was created in late 2003 by four influent members of the Church of Budgerigars who decided to collaborate on a common musical project. Their goal : to ensure a faithful representation of the message of the Duchess (or spiritual budgie) through a precise artistic dialog. Consisting of A-Claude (vox, keytar, guitar, programming), Ismael (keyboard,guitar, programming), Phil (guitar, bass,feedback) and Simon Says (lo-fi beats, drums and doubtful noises). Duchess Says ladles out “moog rock” - songs basking in imagery served on a bed of intense live performance! Duchess Says’ mandate is to decontextualise rock and simultaneously promote their Church.
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