BeatRoute Magazine AB print e-edition - April 2017

CHUURCH
rising Calgary duo shares their story
Calgary duo Chuurch reveal exclusive secrets within this article.
This isn’t the first time we’ve written
about Calgary’s illusive duo Chuurch,
comprised of Jeff Wilson (a.k.a Makemdef)
and Justin MacLean (a.k.a EviCtion). It’s
not even the first time we’ve found ourselves
sitting on a couch together.
When whispers of their name first emerged on
the scene early in 2016, it caught the attention of
many. Their debut performance at the Sled Island
Block Party saw the mysterious duo materialize out
of a murky cloud of intrigue, establishing themselves
as forerunners in the scene.
The two officially met outside Habitat Living
Sound in 2014. MacLean recognized Wilson’s
university ring for St. Francis Xavier; it was from his
hometown school in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. They
began talking, realizing they shared a mutual friend
and mentor who pushed them to pursue music seriously.
They actually had unknowingly both attended
his wake, but it wasn’t until that chance meeting
that they connected, and thus began making music.
Thus far, it’s been an ambiguous, creative, and highly
danceable mix of electronica, house, and hip-hop
that’s dark, sexual, and heavy.
While Wilson attempts to tell the full story,
MacLean fills in the blanks with his drawling,
baritone voice.
“It was fate, it was crazy.”
Fast-forward from their chance meeting to November
18. They’ve converged: MacLean brings his
prolific hip-hop background to the equation; Wilson
brings his university-jazz-guitar-schooling-turned-DJ
background. The result was an unstoppable flow of
original material. Around that time, Dubstep artist
Skream came to Calgary to play a five-hour set. Wilson
brought the DJ back to his house after the show.
“So we had five or six people back and we had
one person that was very, very, very important,”
says Wilson.
Eventually, Skream asked Wilson to put on music.
Wilson obliged, opportunistically vouching to play
Chuurch material for someone he admired. It was
by Paul Rodgers
photo: Michael Benz
kismet: Skream dug it.
“I challenged him to e-mail people, and he
e-mailed [British producer] Switch, and that was the
turning point for not just me quitting my job, but
Justin quitting his job. And that’s what led us a year
later to get down to L.A.”
The duo had not previously been able to
disclose the fact that it was this encounter that
led them to Los Angeles. The relationship formed
with the legendary producer whose clients
include M.I.A. Christina Aguilera, and Major Lazer
opened serious doors.
“He’s the legend, he’s the OG, he’s a huge
supporter of us, he’s our big homie… being around
that guy is honestly like hanging around Jay Z,”
reminisces MacLean.
After an initial five-day excursion to meet Switch
and show him they were real, Chuurch received
some financial backing from friends. They returned
for a three month trip which turned into a tumultuous
but productive two months. The music created
during that period is to be announced; in the meantime,
upcoming live performances are abundant.
“Making music down there was awesome, the
thing is, every time we were making something really
dope, I would get the familiar feeling of us just being
at home.”
Like with all other challenges they have faced
together, they made it work and turned that struggle
into something positive. They returned to Calgary
enriched, having sparked the interest of a larger
international community. Despite finding something
special in L.A., the duo gives serious credit and
respect to the groundwork laid Smalltown DJs, the
Hifi Club staff, and people at PK Sound that helped
Chuurch get established.
Keep watch on what this black-clad, lean bass
hustlers will churn out next, it’s guaranteed to be
something big.
Chuurch perform on April 20th at the Commonwealth
Bar in Calgary with Amine Edge and Dance.
TROYBOI
a multi-cultural clash master
There’s a term used when describing opposites:
“worlds apart.” The term indicates
those that are defined by radically different
paradigms. In music, the term is infrequently used,
yet applicable to the fusion of unusual genres
or sounds into a cohesive whole. In the case of
South London’s TroyBoi, and his knack for fusing a
miasma of unique sounds and styles into his own
signature pastiche, it’s perfectly suited.
Signature tracks “Mantra” and “Do You?” exhibit
the varying cultural influences that permeate his catalogue.
Thanks to a mix of Nigerian, Chinese, Indian
and Portuguese ethnicities, there is a kaleidoscope of
sounds that appear in his music.
“From being a baby it’s been imbedded in me,”
begins TroyBoi, who resides in London and goes by
Troy Henry when not on stage.
“My mom, she used to love watching Indian movies.
She would watch them all day, every day. And in
Hindi movies there are so many songs and it’s like
a three or four hour movie. My mom would watch
like two movies a day, that’s like eight hours. Can you
imagine how many songs I was listening to as a kid?”
His father equally gifted him with a love for disco
and funk, and now the sky seems to be the limit with
where he can go with his Trap oriented sound.
After finishing up the last leg of his North American
tour, appropriately dubbed Mantra, TroyBoi has
humbly embraced his highly acclaimed, new found
solo success over the last couple of years.
“It’s been amazing, really, being from London, and
to be able to come all the way out here, to meet and
greet my fans, it’s just really nice,” Troyboi explains.
TroyBoi fuses a miasma of unique styles into a pastiche all his own.
by Jay King
While he’s been involved with the collaborative
project SoundSnobz (with best friend and fellow
producer, icekream), being in great demand solo is
something he’s humbled by and has been cultivating
since the early 2010’s when he began producing,
remixing, and releasing.
“This tour is specifically for the fans. For anyone
who’s maybe never heard the music, this is the one
for them.”
Even though he’s collaborated with the likes of
Flosstradamus and Diplo, having another fellow
producer be such a close friend has really meant a lot
to Troyboi, and he is forthright in expressing so.
“He’s like my brother, right there. We have a whole
bunch of tracks already, and we’re going to be doing
a lot more. It’s been kind of hard to juggle everything,
cause I’ve been away, and he’s been doing his own
thing, as well. But once all the touring is over, and I’m
making more music, that’s when we’re really gonna
come with SoundSnobz, full scene.”
With an obvious appreciation for his humble beginnings
and for clear vision of where he would like
to go, TroyBoi’s ambition is sincere and focused.
“There’s so many things that are motivating me,”
he says.
“From my actual goals, to the fans, there’s a lot
that goes behind the drive and force to get me to
these places, for sure.”
TroyBoi is performing in Edmonton during the Northern
Lights Music Festival. It runs April 14th and 15th;
tickets can be purchased at http://northernlightsmusicfest.com
photo: Mitch Schneider
40 | APRIL 2017 • BEATROUTE JUCY