Plaster (band)
Encyclopedia
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
. The trio's debut album, First Aid Kit, was released on Nov 10, 2005 and won the ADISQ
award for Best Electronic or Techo Album in 2006.
Alex McMahon and percussionist Jean-Philippe Goncalves
(also of Afrodizz
and Beast) met while attending the Cégep de Drummondville
. The pair formed Plaster in 2001 and were joined by bassist
François Plante (also of Afrodizz) a year later.
The trio's name is derived from a slang term in Québécois
for an adhesive bandage
and its sound has been described as a mixture of electro-jazz, funk
, and drum and bass
(however Goncalves has stated in an interview that he finds the term "electro-jazz" to be somewhat pejorative and described their sound as "electro-chunky-jam".) Their sound is at times atmospheric, much like movie soundtrack; in a 2005 interview with the Montreal Gazette, McMahon stated that Plaster was interested in composing a movie score, but the band was still waiting on proposal. Their live performances are improvisational and have been described as having the energy of a rock
show. As per Plaster's biography from its official press kit, the band's sound is inspired by the music of Amon Tobin
, The Herbaliser
, Jazzanova
, The Cinematic Orchestra
, and Medeski Martin & Wood
.
label Ninja Tune
, but due to frustration with the label's push-back of the release date they decided instead to sign with local label La Tribu
. The First Aid Kit release party, held at Montreal nightclub La Tulipe, was a great success; much to their own surprise the band opened to a capacity crowd and sold all the CDs they had on hand that night. In 2006 First Aid Kit went on to win the ADISQ
award for Best Electronic or Techo Album.
was in Montreal and was looking for collaborators for a new project she was developing. Goncalves was invited to audition for her and to demonstrate his programming expertise. He returned the next day for another session when a producer in attendance mentioned that Goncalves also played drums. Goncalves advised Hill that he was a member of a band and an hour later he was joined by his Plaster bandmates.
During an interview with the Montreal Gazette
Goncalves said of the experience: "We recorded until 6 in the morning, and then she left for New York City
." "It was 12 intense hours with la reine de R&B soul (the queen of R&B soul)," said McMahon. The pair were however wouldn't elaborate much more on the collaboration. "We had a lot of fun with her, but it's a delicate topic. I don't know what to say. It was nice," said Goncalves.
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...
, 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....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Their sound has been compared to such artists as Amon Tobin
Amon Tobin
Amon Adonai Santos de Araújo Tobin , known as Amon Tobin, is a Brazilian musician, composer and producer of electronic music. He is described as a virtuoso sound designer and is considered to be one of the most influential electronic music artists in the world...
, Kruder & Dorfmeister
Kruder & Dorfmeister
Kruder & Dorfmeister, named after members Peter Kruder and Richard Dorfmeister, is an Austrian duo most known for their downtempo-dub remixes of pop, hip-hop and drum and bass songs.-Style:...
and Medeski Martin & Wood
Medeski Martin & Wood
Medeski Martin & Wood is an American jazz trio formed in 1991, consisting of John Medeski on keyboards and piano, Billy Martin on drums and percussion, and Chris Wood on double bass and bass guitar....
. The trio's debut album, First Aid Kit, was released on Nov 10, 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.
History
KeyboardistKeyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
Alex McMahon and percussionist Jean-Philippe Goncalves
Jean-Philippe Goncalves
Jean-Philippe "Jean-Phi" Goncalves 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...
(also of 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 :...
and Beast) met while attending the Cégep de Drummondville
Cégep de Drummondville
Cégep de Drummondville is a CEGEP in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada.-Programs:The Cégep de Drummondville offers types of programs: pre-university and technical...
. The pair formed Plaster in 2001 and were joined by bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
François Plante (also of Afrodizz) a year later.
The trio's name is derived from a slang term in Québécois
Quebec French
Quebec French , or Québécois French, is the predominant variety of the French language in Canada, in its formal and informal registers. Quebec French is used in everyday communication, as well as in education, the media, and government....
for an adhesive bandage
Adhesive bandage
An adhesive bandage, also called a sticking plaster is a small dressing used for injuries not serious enough to require a full-size bandage. "Band-Aid" is the common American English term, while "plaster" is the term in British English usage.- Function :The adhesive bandage protects the cut, e.g...
and its sound has been described as a mixture of electro-jazz, 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...
, 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...
(however Goncalves has stated in an interview that he finds the term "electro-jazz" to be somewhat pejorative and described their sound as "electro-chunky-jam".) Their sound is at times atmospheric, much like movie soundtrack; in a 2005 interview with the Montreal Gazette, McMahon stated that Plaster was interested in composing a movie score, but the band was still waiting on proposal. Their live performances are improvisational and have been described as having the energy of a rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
show. As per Plaster's biography from its official press kit, the band's sound is inspired by the music of Amon Tobin
Amon Tobin
Amon Adonai Santos de Araújo Tobin , known as Amon Tobin, is a Brazilian musician, composer and producer of electronic music. He is described as a virtuoso sound designer and is considered to be one of the most influential electronic music artists in the world...
, 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...
, Jazzanova
Jazzanova
Jazzanova is a German Berlin-based DJ/producer collective consisting of Alexander Barck, Claas Brieler, Jürgen von Knoblauch, Roskow Kretschmann, Stefan Leisering, and Axel Reinemer. Formed in 1995, the group is one of the foremost proponents of the nu-jazz, chillout and jazz house styles of music...
, The Cinematic Orchestra
The Cinematic Orchestra
The Cinematic Orchestra is a British jazz and electronic outfit, created in 1997 by Jason Swinscoe. The band is signed to Ninja Tune independent record label. In addition to Swinscoe, the band includes PC former DJ Food member on turntables, Luke Flowers , Tom Chant , Nick Ramm , Stuart McCallum ...
, and Medeski Martin & Wood
Medeski Martin & Wood
Medeski Martin & Wood is an American jazz trio formed in 1991, consisting of John Medeski on keyboards and piano, Billy Martin on drums and percussion, and Chris Wood on double bass and bass guitar....
.
First Aid Kit
Plaster's debut album First Aid Kit was released on Nov 10, 2005. The album was originally to be released on the LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
label Ninja Tune
Ninja Tune
Ninja Tune is a London-based independent record label started by DJs Matt Black and Jonathan More, better known as Coldcut and managed by Peter Quicke. The label has a strong leaning towards mostly Electronic Music...
, but due to frustration with the label's push-back of the release date they decided instead to sign with local label La Tribu
La Tribu
-Noted artists:*Les Cowboys Fringants*Robert Charlebois*Jérôme Minière*Dee*Dumas*Dorothée Berryman*Louise Forestier*Jorane*Kate and Anna McGarrigle*La Volée d'Castors*WD-40-See also:*List of Quebec record labels*List of Quebec musicians*Music of Quebec...
. The First Aid Kit release party, held at Montreal nightclub La Tulipe, was a great success; much to their own surprise the band opened to a capacity crowd and sold all the CDs they had on hand that night. In 2006 First Aid Kit went on to win 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.
Work with Lauryn Hill
In 2005 Lauryn HillLauryn 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...
was in Montreal and was looking for collaborators for a new project she was developing. Goncalves was invited to audition for her and to demonstrate his programming expertise. He returned the next day for another session when a producer in attendance mentioned that Goncalves also played drums. Goncalves advised Hill that he was a member of a band and an hour later he was joined by his Plaster bandmates.
During an interview with the Montreal Gazette
The Gazette (Montreal)
The Gazette, often called the Montreal Gazette to avoid ambiguity, is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, with three other daily English newspapers all having shut down at different times during the second half of the 20th century.-History:In 1778,...
Goncalves said of the experience: "We recorded until 6 in the morning, and then she left for New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
." "It was 12 intense hours with la reine de R&B soul (the queen of R&B soul)," said McMahon. The pair were however wouldn't elaborate much more on the collaboration. "We had a lot of fun with her, but it's a delicate topic. I don't know what to say. It was nice," said Goncalves.