DETAILS

The Great Evil with JJS3 & Cinema L'amour
Palomino
Friday, September 17 - Friday, September 17

More in: Rock / Pop

When it came time to choose a name for their self-described “loop rock” project, longtime friends, roommates and bandmates Dorian Scheidt and Chris Kavanagh didn’t have to look any further than across the street from their former apartment. However, though it shares a moniker with Montreal’s oldest adult film theatre, the stage show of Cinema L’amour (the band) would be rated 14A even at its most raunchy.

“I think I need to take burlesque lessons,” quips drummer Kavanagh. “Then maybe we could add a little more mystery and majesty.”

Modesty aside, the duo has no inhibitions — andd it lets it all hang loose — at least on a sonic level. Claiming influences as diverse as minimalist classical to sludge metal and a newfound interest in funk, their complex compositions are equally shaped by guitarist-vocalist Scheidt’s daisy-chain of effects pedals and Kavanagh’s off-kilter percussive flourishes. As they explain, playing together over the years in various incarnations and ongoing listening experiments helped create chemistry.

“We’ve had experience in bands of all different sizes and levels of seriousness,” says Scheidt. “We’ve played together in joke grindcore bands and giant indie-rock mess bands, so we know each others’ playing styles really well. That allows us to compose and arrange really tightly.”

“When we go into writing songs, they often start out as weird genre concepts,” Kavanagh continues. “Like, what if we mixed funk with a bit of spacey ambient drone? Then how about transitioning that into an old-school disco beat? Can we get some Blondie in there, or a little Bootsy Collins rockin’? We can mesh ideas because we listen to similar music as well as a wide variety. That allows us to work democratically while also inspiring each other.”

When asked to expand on the “loop rock” tag, Scheidt describes the colossal, constantly shifting sound generated by only two members as what sets the band apart.

“I feel we approach loop-based music differently than a lot of people,” he says. “We have changing parts all the time, and I think I hit the buttons on my looper a lot more than most. That isn’t necessarily better; it’s just a different process. When we perform, the pedals are just as much of an instrument as my guitar. We joke about how I do a tap dance because I’m constantly using both feet.”

As if they don’t seemingly spend enough time together already, this month sees Scheidt and Kavanagh setting off on their fourth tour in under a year. Packing a trusty vehicle with equipment, their own sound system, a drum carpet for impromptu performances and a just-released CD single featuring two new songs recorded live at radio station CJLO, the two-piece will traverse the prairies to B.C. and back again in three weeks. On top of the Calgary expats’ excitement to return to their roots in the local all-ages scene with a show at Tubby Dog, Kavanagh has another sneaky plan up his sleeve.

“I’m going to go surprise my grandmother,” he says with a grin. “I’ve been promising to come out to Calgary since Christmas and failing, so I’ve been working hard to keep this tour under wraps from her and then just arrive for a visit. That’s the first thing on my list.”

Let’s just hope she doesn’t read this article before they arrive.