Canadian DJ
Ghislain Poirier, who has one of the best shows in Montreal, a monthly gig at the club
Zoobizarre called Bounce le Gros (which is a more polite way of saying "bounce your big ass"), and has already released a handful of solo albums, has also just started his own label,
Rebondir Records, for which
Rebondir EP is the first release. For an EP, it's a pretty decent length, with nine songs, and only one is a remix (
"Robe de Chambre," featuring rappers
Omnikrom).
Poirier is definitely in full
club mode on
Rebondir (in the best of senses), with thick, meandering beats that concentrate on the low-middle range and good funky upper-end accents. Not that the bass is being ignored; don't worry. It's there, and it makes sure its presence is known in a big way, especially in
"Bounce-Moi," which pretty much serves no other purpose than to incite bodily movement. But
Poirier's more than about dancing: he's a good producer, too, and in the songs that feature vocals, he drops the bass out a little to let his
urban-
jungle beats collide with the guest rappers' flow.
Omnikrom, who rhyme in Quebecois, has a course style that resonates well -- in a kind of dissonant way -- with
Poirier's nearly spastic beats, and when
Mush Records'
Radioinactive shows up on the short
"Propaganda" (which is, incidentally, listed incorrectly, switched with
"Pou Ki Sa Dub" on the label but not on the actual record),
Poirier calms down his own beats, keeping only a simple bassline and the occasional eerie synthesizer in order to mesh with the MC's more melodic delivery.
"Poi Ki Sa Dub" even has a neo-
reggae feel that
Poirier creates with a slow rumbling bass and chilled-out echo to fit with
Nik Myo's singing.
Rebondir EP definitely has a computerized feel, but it's strange and gritty enough that it doesn't sound detached and mechanized. It's a great example of what
Poirier is capable of and what he's willing to try now that he has his own label; the future should be just as exciting. ~ Marisa Brown