Yamantaka // Sonic Titan

Yamantaka // Sonic Titan
Origin Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genres Experimental, progressive rock
Years active 2007 - present
Labels Psychic Handshake, Paper Bag, Suicide Squeeze Records
Associated acts Lesbian Fight Club
Website ytstlabs.com
Members Alaska B
Joanna Delos Reyes
Hiroki Tanaka
Ange Loft
Brendan Swanson
Aylwin Lo
Brandon Lim
Past members Ruby Kato Attwood
John Ancheta
Walter Scott
Shub Roy
Alana Ruth
Daniel Ellis
Chase Lo

Yamantaka // Sonic Titan is a Canadian experimental music and performance art collective.[1] Formed in Montreal, Quebec and currently operating between Montreal and Toronto, Ontario, the group's core members are Ruby Kato Attwood and Alaska B,[2] with supporting members including John Ancheta on bass and acoustic guitar, Ange Loft and Walter Scott (left in 2011) on vocals, Shub Roy (left in 2011) on guitar, Brendan Swanson on keyboards, Alana Ruth (left in 2013) on lights, Daniel Ellis and Chase Lo as dancers and Aylwin Lo as a projectionist.[3]

The group was originally conceived while Kato Attwood and Alaska B were art students at Concordia University, as an art project exploring and subverting the cultural signifiers of their shared Asian Canadian heritage;[2] both are of mixed Asian-European heritage, and were previously members of the defunct Montreal noise rock band Lesbian Fight Club.[4] They developed a music and performance style that incorporated aspects of Asian C-pop and J-pop, progressive rock, heavy metal and industrial music,[2] with roots in Haudenosaunee and First Nations culture, as well as Buddhist philosophy, anime and manga, Chinese opera and Kabuki and Noh theatre.[4]

They present two distinct versions of their work, one conceptualized as a large scale theatrical performance art project and one recast as a touring rock band,[2] and describe their style as "Noh-wave", a pun on Noh theatre and the No Wave style of experimental underground music.[4] Their first theatrical work, a drag rock opera called 33, premiered at Toronto's Buddies in Bad Times theatre as part of the 2012 Rhubarb Festival,[1][3] while their rock band show has appeared at several venues in 2012, including the All Tomorrow's Parties and NXNE festivals.[3]

The duo released an album, YT//ST, on Montreal independent label Psychic Handshake in 2011.[2] The album was a shortlist nominee for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize.[5][6] The album was rereleased on Paper Bag Records in 2012. Their video for "Hoshi Neko" was a shortlisted nominee for the Prism Prize in 2013.[7]

Their second album, UZU, was released on October 29, 2013, and was a shortlisted nominee for the 2014 Polaris Music Prize.[8]

In 2016, the band scored the soundtrack for the video game Severed (in collaboration with Pantayo).[9]

In January 2018, the band announced DIRT, their third album, which was released on March 23, 2018, via Paper Bag Records. The band had a five week North American tour in March and April, and a European tour in June.[10][11] DIRT was longlisted for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize.[12].

In October and November 2018 the band will embark on "North American Tour II: The Dirtening, as well as another European run."[13]

Discography

References

  1. 1 2 "Yamantaka//Sonic Titan take the stage". Now, February 8, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Yamantaka//Sonic Titan: Identity politics should always be this fun". Now, January 26, 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 "One to Watch: Yamantaka // Sonic Titan". The Grid, February 8, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 "Yamantaka // Sonic Titan: Somewhere between meditation and metal lies this artsy Canadian act.". Pitchfork, January 27, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Polaris Prize long list includes lots of Toronto bands". Toronto Star, June 14, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Toronto’s Drake, Feist and F---ed Up in running for Polaris Prize". Toronto Star, July 17, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Videos by Arcade Fire, Grimes, Drake Nominated for Canada's Inaugural Prism Prize". Exclaim!, February 14, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Arcade Fire, Drake, Shad make Polaris Music Prize short list". CTV News, July 15, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Hear Yamantaka // Sonic Titan and Pantayo's Soundtrack For New Video Game Severed". The FADER. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
  10. ↑ "Yamantaka // Sonic Titan Unveil 'Dirt' LP, Share "Someplace"". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2018-02-23.
  11. ↑ "Live". YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN. Retrieved 2018-03-20.
  12. ↑ "Polaris Music Prize Reveals 2018 Long List". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2018-06-15.
  13. ↑ "Yamantaka // Sonic Titan Map Out "North American Tour II: The Dirtening"". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2018-09-19.
  14. ↑ Alex Hudson (2013-08-08). "Yamantaka // Sonic Titan Announce 'UZU,' Stream New Track". Exclaim!.
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