Jean-Philippe Goncalves
Encyclopedia
Jean-Philippe "Jean-Phi" Goncalves (born c. 1978, Angoulême
, France
) is a percussionist and record producer
based out of Montreal, Canada.
An active member of Montreal's electronic music
scene, Goncalves provides percussion for the bands Afrodizz
, Plaster
, Le Golden and Beast. As a producer he has worked with many French-speaking Quebecer
musicians and in 2005 he collaborated with American
recording artist Lauryn Hill
.
The musician was particularly busy at the 2005 Festival de Musique Émergente (FME)—an annual new music festival held in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec
. During the festival he performed on 3 consecutive days for Afrodizz, Plaster and Dan Thouin respectively, causing one reporter to christen him "the star of the FME".
, and drum and bass
.
Their first album, First Aid Kit, was released in 2005 and won the ADISQ
award for Best Electronic or Techo Album in 2006.
In late 2010, after taking a temporary hiatus from his work with the band Beast, he stated that he would be rejoining the band Plaster.
/afrofunk band from Montreal
. Their music, a modern mix of afrobeat, jazz
and funk
, with a touch of trance
, has been compared to that of The Herbaliser
. Formed in 2002 by Montreal jazz
guitarist, Gabriel Aldama, Goncalves has been the band's drummer since its inception.
The band has released two albums: Kif Kif in 2004, and Froots in 2006. According to a disclaimer on band's official website, Afrodizz is currently on hiatus while the band works on its next album.
in 2006. Like Goncalves, Betty Bonifassi was originally from France
and had been an active member of the Montreal music scene for many years. The results of their recording sessions eventually evolved into Beast's aggressive trip rock
sound.
The duo's experiments also led to another first for Goncalves, who wound up contributing some of his own vocals to Beast's debut album: "It was the first time I ever had a mic in front of my face", he said in an interview for CBC Radio 3
. Apparently his vocal tracks were recorded with the intention of replacing them later in production, but Bonifassi insisted that they remain on the album.
At the end of 2010, citing lagging album sales, the tiresome effects of touring, and familial commitments (Bonifassi's son was 9 years old at the time of the split), the band-mates said they would be working separately on their own local projects in the coming year. Goncalves stated in an interview that the split was not due to any sort of quarrel between himself and Bonifassi. He also stated that he would be returning to the Montreal-based electro-jazz band Plaster.
musicians, including Pierre Lapointe
, Jean-Pierre Ferland
, Ariane Moffatt
and Daniel Bélanger
.
In 2005 he and fellow Plaster band-mates Alex McMahon and François Plante collaborated with Lauryn Hill. In 2011 Goncalves and McMahon also composed an original electronic score for the Cirque Éloize
production titled Cirque Éloize iD.
Angoulême
-Main sights:In place of its ancient fortifications, Angoulême is encircled by boulevards above the old city walls, known as the Remparts, from which fine views may be obtained in all directions. Within the town the streets are often narrow. Apart from the cathedral and the hôtel de ville, the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) is a percussionist and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
based out of Montreal, Canada.
An active member of Montreal's electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
scene, Goncalves provides percussion for the bands Afrodizz
Afrodizz
Afrodizz is an eight-member afrobeat/afrofunk band from Montreal. Their music is a modern mix of afrobeat, jazz and funk, that has been described as having nuances of The Herbaliser and Tony Allen.- The band :...
, Plaster
Plaster (band)
Plaster is an electro-jazz band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Their sound has been compared to such artists as Amon Tobin, Kruder & Dorfmeister and Medeski Martin & Wood...
, Le Golden and Beast. As a producer he has worked with many French-speaking Quebecer
French-speaking Quebecer
French-speaking Quebecers are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Quebec....
musicians and in 2005 he collaborated with American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
recording artist Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
.
The musician was particularly busy at the 2005 Festival de Musique Émergente (FME)—an annual new music festival held in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. During the festival he performed on 3 consecutive days for Afrodizz, Plaster and Dan Thouin respectively, causing one reporter to christen him "the star of the FME".
Plaster
Plaster was formed in 2001 by Goncalves and keyboardist Alex McMahon; a year later they were joined by bassist François Plante, also of Afrodizz. The trio's sound has been described as a mixture of electro-jazz, funkFunk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, and drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
.
Their first album, First Aid Kit, was released in 2005 and won the ADISQ
ADISQ
The ADISQ is a nonprofit organization with the mission to help the music industry in Quebec. It was created in 1978....
award for Best Electronic or Techo Album in 2006.
In late 2010, after taking a temporary hiatus from his work with the band Beast, he stated that he would be rejoining the band Plaster.
Afrodizz
Afrodizz is an eight-member afrobeatAfrobeat
Afrobeat is a combination of traditional Yoruba music, jazz, highlife, funk and chanted vocals, fused with percussion and vocal styles, popularised in Africa in the 1970s. Its main creator was the Nigerian multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Fela Kuti, who gave it its name, who used it to...
/afrofunk band from Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. Their music, a modern mix of afrobeat, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, with a touch of trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
, has been compared to that of The Herbaliser
The Herbaliser
The Herbaliser is a jazz rap band formed by Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba London, England during the early 1990s. Although currently signed to !K7 Records, they were one of the best-known acts from the Ninja Tune independent record label...
. Formed in 2002 by Montreal jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
guitarist, Gabriel Aldama, Goncalves has been the band's drummer since its inception.
The band has released two albums: Kif Kif in 2004, and Froots in 2006. According to a disclaimer on band's official website, Afrodizz is currently on hiatus while the band works on its next album.
Beast
Goncalves first began working with vocalist Betty Bonifassi in 2006 on a project for the video game company UbisoftUbisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
in 2006. Like Goncalves, Betty Bonifassi was originally from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and had been an active member of the Montreal music scene for many years. The results of their recording sessions eventually evolved into Beast's aggressive trip rock
Trip rock
Trip rock is a term used to describe a type of music characterized by a fusion of trip hop and rock genres, principally alternative rock. It may also have connections with new forms of psychedelic rock or progressive music, or even post-rock...
sound.
The duo's experiments also led to another first for Goncalves, who wound up contributing some of his own vocals to Beast's debut album: "It was the first time I ever had a mic in front of my face", he said in an interview for CBC Radio 3
CBC Radio 3
CBC Radio 3 is a radio station that consists of two parts devoted to Canadian arts and music: a radio service which is available on Sirius Satellite Radio and streaming audio, and several daily and weekly podcasts from the CBC Radio 3 website...
. Apparently his vocal tracks were recorded with the intention of replacing them later in production, but Bonifassi insisted that they remain on the album.
At the end of 2010, citing lagging album sales, the tiresome effects of touring, and familial commitments (Bonifassi's son was 9 years old at the time of the split), the band-mates said they would be working separately on their own local projects in the coming year. Goncalves stated in an interview that the split was not due to any sort of quarrel between himself and Bonifassi. He also stated that he would be returning to the Montreal-based electro-jazz band Plaster.
Le Golden
Originally formed in 2007 under the name Jedi Electro, Le Golden is yet another band of which Goncalves is a member. Le Golden's other members include Alex McMahon (also of Plaster), Jean-François Lemieux, Martin Lizotte and Dan Thouin.Other projects
Goncalves has worked as a producer for many French-speaking QuebecerFrench-speaking Quebecer
French-speaking Quebecers are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Quebec....
musicians, including Pierre Lapointe
Pierre Lapointe
Pierre Lapointe is a Canadian singer. He has won many prizes since his debut, including six Félix in 2005 and at least one in 2006. He is well known for his voice and his obscure, esoteric lyrics, which tend to be melancholic. Another distinctive characteristic of his lyrics is their literary style...
, Jean-Pierre Ferland
Jean-Pierre Ferland
Jean-Pierre Ferland, OC, CQ is a Canadian singer and songwriter.-Life and career:Ferland began work with Radio-Canada in 1956 as an accountant, but his career there was short lived. Shortly after, he began taking guitar lessons with Stephen Fentock and began to fall in love with music, writing his...
, Ariane Moffatt
Ariane Moffatt
Ariane Moffatt is a Canadian francophone singer-songwriter based in Quebec. She has won Félix and Juno Awards and has performed and collaborated with many artists such as Daniel Bélanger and Marc Déry.-Career:...
and Daniel Bélanger
Daniel Bélanger
Daniel Bélanger is a musician/singer/songwriter. He is considered one of the best Québécois songwriters and singers to emerge in the past 15 years...
.
In 2005 he and fellow Plaster band-mates Alex McMahon and François Plante collaborated with Lauryn Hill. In 2011 Goncalves and McMahon also composed an original electronic score for the Cirque Éloize
Cirque Éloize
Cirque Éloize is a Quebec-based nouveau cirque troupe. It was founded in 1993 by Jeannot Painchaud, Daniel Cyr and Julie Hamelin. Having created seven original productions so far, it has presented more than 3000 performances in more than 375 cities and 30 countries...
production titled Cirque Éloize iD.