Suuns :: Secretly Canadian

It didn't take long for Montreal's Suuns to resurface with a second full length, Images Du Futur, and, as one would anticipate, this latest exploration takes on even greater visceral depths. At the outset it appears we're still ensconced in the warehouse, whether it's the grinding opening explosives of "Powers of Ten" or the crude, ominous rise-and-fall riffs in "2020." Broken up by Ben Shemie's melodious and angst-ridden murmurs, the industrial low-end throb presides early on, lulling us into thinking the band has picked up right where they left off with their debut LP, Zeroes QC. "Minor Work" builds steadily around a nostalgic, fuzz-infused beat and bares a soothing, contagious harmony. "Mirror Mirror" departs from the frenzied earlier pace, decelerating to a lethargic drawl; the droning, almost tedious undertones are paid off with flurries of synthesized flute that announce the dawn of the dreamscape ahead. We aren't to be disappointed.

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At this juncture it's clear that Suuns are a different beast now. They're tighter, slicker, and even more calculating in their approach. It's no surprise after more than a year of touring North America and three trips overseas. "Images Du Futur started as some jams written (during that time), some of which appeared live towards the end of our Zeroes QC tours," says Shemie. In 2012 they returned to the jam space. Set against the backdrop of the student manifestations, they built on their new songs and started writing and rehearsing a bank of new ones in January. "The climate was one of excitement, hope and frustration, and we found ourselves lucky to be in Montreal at the time, and not on the road," adds Shemie. "We were trying to look at our music from further and further away, seeing more details in the picture as we expanded the landscape." The opening lyrics sum up that mood: "Got it together, I read in the paper, all of these strangers, stranger and stranger... No, no, no, no, how you try and remember, how all of these pieces, all fit together."

Suuns took to the studio in May, and again in September, with Breakglass producer Jace Lasek. The end result is a profound sense of poise, not only from their sound, but in their creative vision. They've been praised in the past for their compelling restraint, their ability to morph the sonic mood within a song, and this type of shape-shifting is taken to new dimensions in the slick, opiate-laden swells of "Edie's Dream." It has a fetching swagger, a dream-state motion that unifies the album and offers a soothing interlude to the harder edges sculpted earlier on.

Whether Images Du Futur is fueled by the long hours on the road or the pulse of Montreal's social uprisings, it still boasts the typical Suuns-wrought iron, expanding even further on the deep-house-Detroit textures, electronic plunges and layered guitar squalls. The upbeat drums and chants of "Sunspot" are initially reminiscent of earlier call-to-arms anthems, but then venture into spare repetition and temporary collisions of pedals and fuzz. The album's title track (a name inspired by the technological expositions in Montreal between 1986 and '96) is a shoegaze foray of abstract effects that betrays the band's indelible patience and winds the mood down to a drowsy standstill. It's the perfect lead-in for the subsequent plodding beats that gradually accelerate into a rhythm; the final ditty culminates in another wistful guitar riff, backed by a haunting, derisive laugh track, with Shemie crooning, "Your music won't save you." Or will it? [LESS]

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ON TOUR // Suuns Summer 2013 Tour Dates / KEXP SXSW Live Session

Posted: June 12th, 2013 by Andrew

We love this video of KEXP‘s session with Suuns at Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop during SXSW ’13. We are even more excited about The Suuns upcoming tour dates this summer starting in Brooklyn at Glasslands Gallery. From Brooklyn they head to Canada then Europe through August before returning to the US for a few more dates in September. To see if they are playing a city near you check the list below!

TOUR DATES: (FYI: Some ticket links will not go on sale until Friday!)
06/14/13- Brooklyn, NY- Glasslands
06/20/13- Calgary, AB- Sled Island Festival
09/03/13- New Haven, CT- Cafe Nine
09/04/13- New York, NY- Le Poisson Rouge
09/05/13- Baltimore, MD- Metro Gallery
09/06/13-09/07/13- Raleigh, NC- Hopscotch Festival
09/08/13- Philadelphia, PA- Johnny Brenda’s
09/09/13- Allston, MA- Great Scott

Full tour dates including European leg HERE.

Filed under: concerts, dates, Live, on tour, Shows, summer, Suuns, tour, venues

FRIDAY LISTENING // SUUNS Remixed By Archie Pelago

Posted: March 8th, 2013 by katie

Welcome to Friday – your oneway train to freedom. Soundtrack that ride with the new Suuns remix. Images Du Futur’s “2020″ gets the house treatment from Brooklyn’s Archie Pelago. Stream above or at FACT Magazine, where it premiered earlier today.

“In their hands, ’2020′ becomes a muggy house cut, decorated with jittery horns and treated strings a la The Books.” – FACT Magazine

Tour fun! Suuns are playing Le Zaricot tonight with We Are Wolves. See their full list of dates, including SXSW, HERE. You can stay in the know with SUUNS-related tour announcements by checking out the #sctour13 and #scfest13 hashtags on Twitter.

Filed under: 2020, archie pelago, Brooklyn, images du futur, remix, Suuns, SXSW, tour

HAPPY RELEASE DAY // Suuns’ ‘Images Du Futur’ Out Now

Posted: March 5th, 2013 by katie

RELEASE DAY! RELEASE DAY! Suuns’ Images Du Futur is officially available to the world. You can purchase the record online at SC Distribution, iTunes and Amazon! Have a hankering to go pick up the physical record today? Head to your local record store.

Experience Images Du Futur in a live setting! Suuns are on tour now until the end of May, so you have plenty of chances to see them! DATES HERE.

SUUNS – IMAGES DU FUTUR

“Images Du Futur is exciting in a way that few albums manage to be, dangerous and compelling like a first cigarette or fumbled sexual encounter, and nothing here quite seems real: these ten tracks exist in a half-light, a nocturnal fog a step removed from lucid thought. And a long, long way from anything routine.” – The Line of Best Fit

“On an album that rarely shakes off its shroud of unease, Suuns paint a pretty bleak picture of all our tomorrows, but their own dazzling ‘…Futur’ looks assured.” – NME

“So it is with great excitement that we receive their second LP offering, Images Du Futur, which builds on the ‘Bambi’/'Red Song’ energy and presents us with a refined image of what terrifying power Suuns are capable of.” – KEXP

“Images du Futur is a heavy, slow rock album that will be jarring for those expecting big hooks, but it’s also rewarding for anyone willing to formulate their own interpretation.” – Montreal Gazette

Filed under: Album release, amazon, images du futur, iTunes, line of best fit, montreal gazette, NME, SC Distribution, Suuns

IT’S HAPPENING // Secretly Canadian at SXSW 2013

Posted: March 4th, 2013 by katie

Good evening! We are soon headed to SXSW! Joining forces with Dead Oceans and Jagjaguwar, let’s just say we’ve got one heck of an OFFICIAL SXSW LABEL SHOWCASE in store for you. You might cry with happiness and that’s okay. Secretly Canadian artists include Cayucas and SUUNS.

The showcase takes place on THURSDAY, MARCH 14 at RED 7 (611 E. 7th St.), and all with wristbands/badges are invited to attend. Artists will perform on both the indoor and outdoor stages! See the full showcase schedule below (SC artists shown in bold). You’ll also find all of our artists’ performance schedules at the end of the post.

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DOC/JAG/SC Official Label Showcase

Outdoor Stage

Unknown Mortal Orchestra: 1:00 – 1:45
Phosphorescent: 11:55 – 12:40
Foxygen: 10:55 – 11:35
Bleached: 10:00 – 10:35
Small Black: 9:05 – 9:40
Cayucas: 8:15 – 8:45

Indoor Stage
Akron/Family: 12:35 – 1:20
The Besnard Lakes: 11:30 – 12:15
DIANA: 10:40 – 11:10
Suuns: 9:45 – 10:20
Night Beds: 8:50 – 9:25
Brazos: 8:00 – 8:30

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ARTIST SHOWCASE SCHEDULES:

Cayucas
3/14 @ Austin Convention Center – Radio Day Stage 3:00pm
3/14 @ Red 7 (DOC/JAG/SC Showcase) 8:15pm
3/15 @ Peckerheads (My Old Kentucky Blog) 1:00pm

Suuns
3/13 @ The Liberty on 6th (BreakThru) 6:45pm
3/14 @ Red 7 (DOC/JAG/SC Showcase) 9:45pm
3/14 @ Swan Dive (Pop Montreal) 1:00am

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Filed under: 2013, Austin, cayucas, Dead Oceans, JAGJAGUWAR, label, red 7, Secretly Canadian, showcase, Suuns, SXSW

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SUUNS

ON TOUR // Suuns Summer 2013 Tour Dates / KEXP SXSW Live Session

FRIDAY LISTENING // SUUNS Remixed By Archie Pelago

HAPPY RELEASE DAY // Suuns’ ‘Images Du Futur’ Out Now

IT’S HAPPENING // Secretly Canadian at SXSW 2013

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SUUNS

ON TOUR // Suuns Summer 2013 Tour Dates / KEXP SXSW Live Session

FRIDAY LISTENING // SUUNS Remixed By Archie Pelago

HAPPY RELEASE DAY // Suuns’ ‘Images Du Futur’ Out Now

IT’S HAPPENING // Secretly Canadian at SXSW 2013

AUDIO

VIDEOS

TOUR DATES

AGENT CONTACT

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TWITTER

ACTIVE ARTISTS

NAVIGATE

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