Steve Bates is a Montreal based visual artist and musician, he runs the label The Dim Coast and is part of the Black Seas Ensemble and set up Send+Receive in Winnipeg. He has just released his new solo record of dark ambient noise, All The Things That Happen. Though we’re not necessarily sure that’s an apt description of the album as there is plenty of light and shade across the 9, admittedly at times noisy pieces. The basis for this music was the Casio SQ-1 which Bates has then processed and manipulated with electronics, effects, amps, cassettes recorders. It’s searing lofi and aggressive yet also strangely melodic and touching at times. It’s amazing what you can create with limited gear.
‘Glistening’ is one of the noisier moments, albeit a lush dreamy My Bloody Valentine approach to noise. It’s quite beautiful.
This is what he has to say about it:
“This was supposed to be an ambient record; quiet, minimal and sad. These tracks all started off that way but I kept reaching for more texture and noise. Somehow the noisier the record got, the less sad it was also…”
All The Things That Happen is out now via Constellation. You can find it here.
