Ghost Bees
Encyclopedia
Tasseomancy is a band from Toronto
, Ontario
, originally spawned in Halifax
, Nova Scotia. Formed by and centered around twin sisters Sari and Romy Lightman, the project started life under
the monicker Ghost Bees. Born and raised in Toronto, the Lightman twins moved to Halifax to attend university and began performing there.
The duo released their debut EP Tasseomancy on April 8, 2008, via Youth Club Records. Its cover is a photograph of the sisters' great-great grandmother Clara Chernos, a Russian Jewish tea-leaf reader who moved to Canada in the 19th century during the Russian pogroms
.The pair toured extensively in support of the record, including shows in the UK and Europe.
As the Ghost Bees project developed, new sounds and influences not heard on the original EP began to be incorporated; prompting a name change to Tasseomancy in 2010. The twins recorded their debut full length under the new name that year, produced by fellow Toronto based musicians Taylor Kirk and Simon Trottier of the band Timber Timbre
. They released a 7" single on friend Diamond Rings
' boutique label Hype Lighter, and began performing in friend Katie Stelmanis' electronic outfit Austra
as touring backing singers.
The debut album Ulalume was released on Out Of This Spark
/Turf Records in August 2011.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, originally spawned in Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Nova Scotia. Formed by and centered around twin sisters Sari and Romy Lightman, the project started life under
the monicker Ghost Bees. Born and raised in Toronto, the Lightman twins moved to Halifax to attend university and began performing there.
The duo released their debut EP Tasseomancy on April 8, 2008, via Youth Club Records. Its cover is a photograph of the sisters' great-great grandmother Clara Chernos, a Russian Jewish tea-leaf reader who moved to Canada in the 19th century during the Russian pogroms
Anti-Jewish pogroms in the Russian Empire
The term pogrom as a reference to large-scale, targeted, and repeated antisemitic rioting saw its first use in the 19th century.The first pogrom is often considered to be the 1821 Odessa pogroms after the death of the Greek Orthodox patriarch Gregory V in Constantinople, in which 14 Jews were killed...
.The pair toured extensively in support of the record, including shows in the UK and Europe.
As the Ghost Bees project developed, new sounds and influences not heard on the original EP began to be incorporated; prompting a name change to Tasseomancy in 2010. The twins recorded their debut full length under the new name that year, produced by fellow Toronto based musicians Taylor Kirk and Simon Trottier of the band Timber Timbre
Timber Timbre
Timber Timbre is a Canadian folk music project, featuring Mika Posen, Simon Trottier and Taylor Kirk. The moniker refers to an early series of recordings made in a timber-framed cabin set in the wooded outskirts of Bobcaygeon, Ontario....
. They released a 7" single on friend Diamond Rings
Diamond Rings (musician)
John O'Regan is a Canadian artist and musician best known by his stage name Diamond Rings. In addition to writing, recording, and producing his own music, he is also noted for transcending traditional representations of gender and identity in his live performances and videos.-2003 - 2008: Early...
' boutique label Hype Lighter, and began performing in friend Katie Stelmanis' electronic outfit Austra
Austra
Austra is an island on the border between Nord-Trøndelag and Nordland counties in Norway. The island is shared between the municipalities of Bindal, Leka and Nærøy. The highest point is the tall Romsskåla....
as touring backing singers.
The debut album Ulalume was released on Out Of This Spark
Out of this Spark
Out of this Spark is an independent record label founded in the fall of 2006 by Stuart Duncan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The label is an artist-focused label that works to release fun, exciting and innovative music, with a focus a facilitating the distribution of music to the masses for musicians...
/Turf Records in August 2011.
Discography
- Tasseomancy (Youth Club Records, 2008)
- "Healthy Hands" b/w "The Darkness of Things" (Hype Lighter, 2010)
- Ulalume (Out Of This Spark / Turf, 2011)