BeatRoute Magazine Alberta print e-edition - November 2016

JUCY
ISIS GRAHAM
from DIY culture to professional industry
For a long time, there has been a feeling
that something big is happening in Alberta’s
electronic music scene. Whether it’s
smaller residencies throughout the province,
the massive success of PK Sound, or huge
events put on in Edmonton’s Shaw Conference
Centre and Calgary’s BMO Centre, there’s
always some buzz about Alberta’s electronic
movement.
Isis Graham, co-founder of Calgary-based
Substation Recordings, has been seeing this for
a long time. She teamed up with Edmonton’s
Andrew Williams and Lethbridge’s Matt Carter
to introduce the first ever Alberta Electronic
Music Conference (AEMCON). Unlike some
of the events put on in Alberta, this one is
geared towards not just the music but also the
multi-facets that make up successful individuals
and communities within a music scene. Graham
has been involved in Calgary’s electronic music
scene for over 20 years and, along with her
counterparts, felt it was time to incept a conference
to help progress the growth of Alberta’s
electronic music scene as a whole.
“The conference, for us, is more focusing on
the professionalization of our industry,” Graham
explains. She speaks in terms of the production,
networking, and business aspects of the music
industry. Graham hopes that through AEMCON,
she can help elicit some of the foundations
First ever AEMCOM gets nothing but “yes.”
needed to build a thriving music scene.
She added: “In Alberta, one of the things we
lack is the professional side of the business. We
don’t have a lot of music lawyers, publishers,
or booking agents. A lot of the Alberta scene
is really DIY, which is amazing, but at some
point, once we have enough people seeking out
professional services, it’s going to require some
by Jay King
people to start creating these things.”
With contributors such as PK Sound’s VP of
touring and production Arlen Cormack and
founder/CTO of hardware development company
iConnectivity, the evidence of enthusiast
involvement from various forums is apparent.
“AEMCON is done on a full ‘yes’ platform.
There was nothing that we asked for that
anyone said ‘no’ to. That says a lot to me about
where Alberta in general is at,” Graham notes.
With everything from intro to video mapping,
mixing and mastering workshops, a social media
panel, a marketing panel, a record label forum,
to an equipment swap, there is a plethora of
knowledge and outlets available to attendants
seeking a path in the industry. Graham hopes to
provide the stepping-stones for them.
“We’re just hoping to create a catalyst to get
them to take that next step and get them engaged
with each other. The idea is to give them
access points to the people that are interested
in this music. It’ll also just showcase that electronic
music is a valid form of art and it needs
to be recognized as something legitimate…
and that there’s a huge mass of people that are
interested in it.”
AEMCON takes place from November 11-13 in
Edmonton visit www.albertaelctronicmusic.com for
full details.
GREAZUS
ready to drop beats and knowledge onto AEMCON attendees
Along with a weekend chock full of priceless info from some of the best in the local market,
there is also going to be a couple of nightcaps for everyone to unwind to. After all, the
real reason why the AEMCON is able to operate is because of the music. BeatRoute got a
chance to chat with Vancouver’s Severine Erickson and Patrik Cure (together: Greazus) and find
out some of their initial impressions leading up to the first AEMCON.
“One of our good friends and collaborators/photographers, Michael Benz, got us on board. Also
Dean ‘Phatcat’ Musani helped put together some shows in other cities to celebrate the appearance,”
they explained. The duo will be apart of a panel discussion called “The Past, Present, and
Future of Bass Music.”
When asked what that discussion might entail, Cure says, “This is something we will be working
with John Rolodex. Both of us feel like we are pretty vetted in this area, so we plan on basically
sharing our experiences.”
“Like most things in our life we excel when being spontaneous,” adds Erickson.
This spontaneity is exactly what AEMCON is about. Being that it came together in less than
eight months, quick decision-making that comes from the heart is the underlying factor in much
of the success of these artists.
“Music is something you do for love; it shouldn’t feel like work. That said it does require so
much of your soul to keep the fire burning. We have worked, quite literally, non-stop since forming
Greazus. I believe that has helped us bypass some of the more awkward phases in building a music
career. Phases that we certainly encountered in our solo projects,” Erickson, formerly known as
HxdB, explains.
The two have worked with a myriad of artists like Detroit’s Sinistarr, who currently resides in
Calgary due to its tight-knit community. “In Alberta you can see just how rapidly things have been
building musically in recent years. You can sense the huge momentum and you’re starting to see
more and more world class acts coming out of Alberta,” says Erickson.
Greazus hopes to share their experience and provide hope to struggling, but motivated, people
trying to make it in the industry. Cure points out, “We are just regular dudes that built this all on
our own… with absolutely no financial backing. If we can do it, anyone can!”
Both Greazus’ appearance at the Past, Present, and Future of Bass Music and performance at 9910 in
Edmonton take place on November 12th.
JUCY
by Jay King
Greazus reflect on the climate of their industry and offer encouragement with AEMCON appearances.
BEATROUTE • NOVEMBER 2016 | 39