Mondays aren't bad
I may not know much about Canada's Montag, aka Antoine Bédard, beyond what I've gleaned from his press materials and his discography. However, I do know what I like, and I like his new album, Going Places.
Bédard was born in Montreal, but is now based in Vancouver. Going Places is his third full-length album, and it is coming out on Carpark in early June. The album - a dozen tracks of bleepy, orchestral, electro-pop music with delicate vocals - features collaborations with a number of folks, including Amy Millan of Stars, Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy, Au Revoir Simone, and Anthony Gonzales of M83 among others. His earlier work was put out by Gooom Disques (one of my favorite French labels to say out loud because it sounds spoooky), and the French home of the aforementioned M83, for whom he has also provided vocals and a remix.
The title track of the album features the 'We Have Sound Project', an open call Bédard put out for collaborators, the result of which was a group of musicians and artists (totaling seventy people) from fifteen countries sending him sounds that he sampled. Pretty Cool. Oh, and all of the album (besides the WHSP elements) was self-recorded and self-produced at Bédard's home studio, Micro Ohne Studio 3. Oh, and if you were wondering, this song is not on the album - it is a Japan-only bonus track!
Montag will be on tour throughout the US, Canada, and Japan this summer to promote the new album, and he'll be headed to Europe in the fall for more of the same - see his news page for up to date info. Visit the Carpark Shop page in early June to pick up Going Places. Recommended.