Artinair

I met these guys yesterday at the Biltmore schmooze, they told me there were two Philipinos with a girl and they sounded like the Red Hot Chilli Peppers with a female vocalist… Here is their information for all of you seekers of indie music in Vancouver.

Formed by the most unlikely trio, the band combines their diverse backgrounds and puts a refreshingly modern spin into alternative rock. This Vancouver based group truly represents the rich cultural diversity of the city and have found a way make their differences work in harmony. Their music combines vocals that hints to early No Doubt mixed with an Alanis Morissette vibe backed by music that inspires the thought of Incubus and Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

Artinair started when Jon, the band’s bassist, and Don, guitarist, decided to leave their previous group and start a new all original project. The duo knew that in order to take the next step in their music career they had to change their musical direction and find a singer/front-person with the right mix of talent and chemistry. After several weeks of searching and many failed attempts the future looked bleak for the duo. It would take almost a full year before a lady named Kate would reply to an ad posted online. The three met for the first time on Aug 2009 and wrote their first song and first single in their upcoming EP that same day. When Kate was asked about the band back then she said, “I was trying hard not to get my hopes too high”. She was fresh out of a band and had been jamming with different groups and solo artists for months to no avail. Kate also said, “Finding this kind of chemistry can be like finding a needle in the haystack, sometimes you’re not even looking in the right stack”. It was refreshing for her to find like-minded individuals who could not only write music together effortlessly but also have the same goals in mind and drive in heart.

Five months after the group was formed they were asked to perform at the ‘Made in Vancouver Festival’ during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Since then they’ve played in some of Vancouver’s best local venues such as The Bourbon, Backstage Lounge, and The Forum. The trio have been constantly writing new songs and are currently finishing their first studio EP at the Armoury Studios produced by Joe Cruz.

The group is planning to tour in the summer of 2011 to support their EP album. They’re also preparing to launch their new website which will include lots of bonus videos and new material. The group also plans to perform at several music festivals this year. Expect big things to come from Artinair in 2011.

Having spent the last year perfecting their live show, writing new songs, and developing their brand, Artinair is preparing to enter the scene with a bang. Their upcoming album is called ‘EP 1: Following Alice’ produced by Joe Cruz. They will be releasing it summer 2011.
Sounds Like…

When asked what they sounded like…

“Artinair’s sound? Close your eyes and imagine Tarzan with his majestic yelp, swinging through a 4th-century cathedral, crashing into the massive chandelier in slow-mo. The chandelier is now falling, and it hits the ground shattering into a million pieces, each piece instantly transforming into crickets or old nail clippings. You hear a choir off in the distance, their voice reverberating through the massive hallways, with each note causing the soft clouds in the infinite sky to come closer, and closer, finally forming the shape of Mickey Mouse holding an Apple Macbook pro.”

Indeed, this has nothing to do with Artinair, nor the question that was asked.

For the sake of classification, it may be safe to pitch Artinair into the realm of pop rock. However, when put under a microscope, you’ll find that the music of Artinair subtly exhibits a rich mixture of various genres. This is no surprise as its members have brought along with them onto the table not just their individual musical talents, but their diverse musical influences as well.

Guitarist Don for instance, having been swayed by the experimental post-rock movement that arose in the previous decade brings with him the lush ambient swells– a pinpoint characteristic of the genre–, along with thick, choppy riffs to counterpoint.

Bassist Jon provides the grit and rawness not unlike that exhibited by the legendary Flea… Only to surprise you with the simplistic yet striking low-end notes that many accustom to dub and hip hop.

And the vocalist is pretty good too.

All these form the pleasant sound of Artinair that some say (well, at least one person does) is “comparable to eating the best ice cream in the world in a hot summer day topped with a –you guessed it– a motherfucking cherry.”