Slynk, your older brother's favourite DJ. The unedited interview.

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This past summer I ventured to my first Shambhala Music Festival and ran into the force that is known as Ghetto Funk and one of their biggest ambassadors, Slynk. Built on a real organic-sounding foundation funk, soul and hip-hop, Slynk became one of my entry points into the world of electronic music. It's a rabbit-hole I sometimes regret going through, not for the music but just because of the sheer immensity of the hole. I don't think it will ever end now, fuck it. In any case, Slynk came through my hometown Victoria last month (December) for an epic night with Featurecast and Neon Steve and I took the opportunity to get ahold of him for a little talk. Read it up. We chat about his musical beginnings, his love of his adopted Vancouver and the fellow DJs that get the thumbs up from the man himself. Big ups to Slynk for bringing funk to the people and, less importantly, taking some time to talk some words at me. Respect.

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2013, in review. - Pigeon Hole

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"Oh, it’s totally perverse. " -Hannah Epperson on competition in music. It is with this in mind that I have decided to forgo the traditional "Best Of" list to end the year. Instead I will bring an ongoing series of updates on the most memorable musical experiences of the year, be they concerts, records or even just songs. Today I bring you my year with Pigeon Hole, maybe the best hip-hop I've heard from my homeland of Vancouver Island.

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A few years ago I was at Philip’s Brewery during Rifflandia, (The music-hipster Super Bowl that has become Victoria’s biggest festival) awaiting super-nice guitar champion Tommy Guerrero. Before Guerrero came out and treated us to a set of Burgandy-level class, my brother and I watched the entirety of Pigeon Hole’s set. All we knew going in was that they were affiliated with Sweatshop Union – a good start. We were mystified by what we saw from Marmalade and Dusty Melo. They weren’t necessarily good or bad, but their bravado was through the roof. It didn’t seem to matter if they were good or bad anyway, Pigeon Hole was going to force us to like them, whether we chose to or not.

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Good For Grapes - Folk with a bottom-end. (Lucky Bar, December 13, 2013)

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Let’s start this off with a little confession: I wasn’t prepared to see Good for Grapes. It had been a busy build-up I hate admitting I don’t know things and this hatred forces me to research, to get my ears ready for any new musical experiences I’m about to take in. I like to have context and maybe a passing knowledge of the lyrical content of the songs. I just wasn’t up to it this week. With the long, drawn-out death of my Grandmother at hand, my mind had been nowhere near music of any kind and the thought of going to see these guys wasn’t particularly exciting. It wasn’t a personal thing, I just wasn’t ready to process new music. No matter where my mind was, I told myself I wasn’t going to pass up seeing a new BC band that I’d heard some rumblings about. This was the only song I’d heard. (Though I didn’t remember it until I saw them play it.)

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2013, in review. Chapter 2 - Hannah Epperson

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"Oh, it’s totally perverse. " -Hannah Epperson on competition in music. It is with this in mind that I have decided to forgo the traditional "Best Of" list to end the year. Instead I will bring an ongoing series of updates on the most memorable musical experiences of the year, be they concerts, records or even just songs. Today I bring you adopted Canadian Hannah Epperson, violin champion.

I first saw (And was slightly mesmerized by) Hannah Epperson open for and play with Morlove in April this past year. I missed her set at Rifflandia (Though I don't remember off the top of my head why) but got to talk to her in anticipation of that set that I missed. It was a big year for Epperson, who seems to be gaining all kind of momentum. This interview was one of my favourites from the many I conducted this year and, importantly, contains the quote that has guided this end-of-year series.

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2013, in review. Chapter 1 - The Stepkids

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"Oh, it’s totally perverse. " -Hannah Epperson on competition in music. It is with this in mind that I have decided to forgo the traditional "Best Of" list to end the year. Instead I will bring an ongoing series of updates on the most memorable musical experiences of the year, be they concerts, records or even just songs. Today I bring you California psychedelic dudes and Stones Throw artists, the Stepkids.

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