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Rima Hammoudi

MUSIC

Everybody’s Working for The Weeknd

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Fans line up behind Toronto-based R&B artist who defies comparison

by Rima Hammoudi
20.03.2012

This time last year, The Weeknd dropped the first instalment of what has now been dubbed The Balloon Trilogy. Each of the nine-track mixtapes were released in 2011, just a few months apart, and all available for free download via the artist’s website. To describe what ensued as a flash in the pan would be [...]

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MUSIC

Save a Prayer

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Sardonic Montreal gospel group Irreverend James and the Critical Mass Choir raise the roof… and the occasional hackle

by Rima Hammoudi
15.12.2011

When you think of a gospel choir, three things typically come to mind: a church, an inspiring group of singers with miraculous voices, and the word “hallelujah.” (Stop thinking about Leonard Cohen – focus!) The music world, and truly, the art world en masse, is evolving alongside an increasing secular shift, which makes it hard [...]

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MUSIC

In Full Bloom

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Newfoundland's Hey Rosetta! celebrate newfound life with latest album Seeds

by Rima Hammoudi
25.11.2011

Bass, guitar, drums, vocals. Easy enough. Now throw in violin, cello, piano, horns, mandolin and a choir. Oh yeah, and some Inuit throat singing. Mix all of these sounds into one album and you get Hey Rosetta!’s latest, Seeds. The St-John’s indie-rockers are far from typical, and have spent the past five years bombarding stages [...]

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MUSIC

A Hybrid of Musical Masterminds

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Two superstar electronic artists fuse musical styles from across the globe to create the hot, cutting-edge sound of Africa Hitech

by Rima Hammoudi
15.11.2011

Africa Hitech is a musical ensemble comprised of two of the most ubiquitous artists within the music industry. Hailing from the UK and settling in Australia, Mark Pritchard and Steve Spacek are underground electronic superstars – champions of their particular brand of electro, which blends techno, soul, calypso, reggae and R&B into the mix.

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MUSIC

Still Rowing to the Beat of Their Own Drum

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Left Coast indie-pop upstarts Hey Ocean! say it's all smooth sailing after transition to major label

by Rima Hammoudi
30.10.2011

Hey Ocean! have been described as a “quintessential West Coast band,” which may bring to mind pop-ish beach songs. But word to the wise: the young Vancouver trio – made up of lead vocalist Ashleigh Ball, guitarist David Beckingham and bassist David Vertesi – are that and so much more.

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MUSIC

Art vs. Science Bring the Dance to the Party

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Interview: Art vs. Science create a dynamic and unforgettable live show for their adoring audiences

by Rima Hammoudi
25.10.2011

If you haven’t heard of Art vs. Science before, think Daft Punk meets The Prodigy, with a hint of Beastie Boys and a dash of Pearl Jam. I’m not kidding. With the release of their first full-length album, The Experiment, the Australian trio offers a refreshingly unique sound, fusing elements from all corners of the [...]

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MUSIC

A Battle-Cry for Canadian Folk Music

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Olenka Krakus of Olenka and the Autumn Lovers delves into the intricacies of the band's politically-charged, character-driven brand of folk music

by Rima Hammoudi
13.10.2011

Olenka and the Autumn Lovers is a difficult band to describe. Visually, the group reminds you of Newfoundland’s Hey Rosetta!, fully equipped with six members and a string selection. But their sound is quite different, and the London, Ontario-based band really crosses the gambit on tone and style. Officially, they’re classified as indie-folk, but the [...]

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ART

Turning on a Switch

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Montreal artist Dave Todaro casts an unsettling light on the struggle between nature and technology

by Rima Hammoudi
04.10.2011

Let us, just for a second, drain every last ounce of context from the paintings in Montreal artist Dave Todaro’s Switch series. Let us pretend that the birds are just birds, the power lines and electrical outlets are just objects, and the recurring orange circle is nothing but a solid shape. With this perception, Todaro’s [...]

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FILM

The Dali You Didn’t Know

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Le Cinema selon Dali invites viewers to explore the surrealistic wonders of Dali's mind

by Rima Hammoudi
28.09.2011

The first thing that comes to mind when we think of Dali is the iconic twist of his moustache. The second are his surrealist paintings. The third are his films. Films? Yes, that’s right: Dali made films. To pay a repeat homage to Dali’s understated film repertoire, the fourth edition of Découvertes du Film sur [...]

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