Set Fire to Flames was a Canadian instrumental music ensemble consisting of thirteen musicians from
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
.
[" Set Fire to Flames Sings Reign Rebuilder Review"]
''BBC'', Dan Hill, 2002. The band was often considered a side project of
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Godspeed You! Black Emperor (sometimes abbreviated to GY!BE or Godspeed) is a Canadian post-rock band which originated in Montreal, Quebec in 1994. The group releases recordings through Constellation, an independent record label also located i ...
, as the two groups shared several members.
History
Set Fire to Flames was initiated by
David Bryant. The group released two
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
s on
Alien8 Recordings
Alien8 Recordings is an independent record label founded in 1996 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The label was founded by Sean O'Hara and Gary Worsley.
The label released material from prominent noise artists such as Merzbow, Think About Life, Aub ...
and
FatCat Records
FatCat Records is an English independent record label based in Brighton. The label's output reaches into many styles including experimental rock, electronica, psychedelic folk, contemporary classical, noise and post-punk. Notable artists that ...
, on their own imprint,
130701, which was set up in 2001. The first album, ''
Sings Reign Rebuilder
''Sings Reign Rebuilder'' is the debut album of the Canadian band Set Fire to Flames. It was released by Alien8 Recordings, FatCat Records in 2001.
The album was recorded in a century old house (either named or later dubbed 15 Ontario) apparentl ...
''. was released in October that year.
The ensemble's second album, ''
Telegraphs in Negative/Mouths Trapped in Static'', followed in 2003.
["Hiss Tracts Shortwave Nights"]
. ''Drowned in Sound'', Tristan Bath May 7th, 2014 It was recorded in a barn in rural
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
; the sounds of the creaking doors and other background noises are heard behind the songs.
Both albums contain brooding, eerie music. Many of the tracks are
minimalist,
filled with ambient noise and various other
non-musical sound effects, juxtaposed or combined with
instrumental music
An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...
.
Both album cover images display the work of photographer Michael Ackerman.
A third album was recorded in collaboration with the band
Jackie-O Motherfucker
Jackie-O Motherfucker is an American experimental music group that formed in Portland, Oregon in 1994.
Biography
Jackie-O Motherfucker began as a duo consisting of multi-instrumentalist Tom Greenwood and saxophonist Nester Bucket. The group is a ...
but never released. In 2009, a composition from the band's first album was included on a compilation album released by 130701.
"Floored Memory...Fading Location"
. ''Drowned in Sound'', Dom Gourlay March 9th, 2009 In 2016, a previously unreleased track was issued on 130701's fifteenth-anniversary compilation ''Eleven Into Fifteen''.
Members
Discography
*''Sings Reign Rebuilder
''Sings Reign Rebuilder'' is the debut album of the Canadian band Set Fire to Flames. It was released by Alien8 Recordings, FatCat Records in 2001.
The album was recorded in a century old house (either named or later dubbed 15 Ontario) apparentl ...
'' (2001)
*'' Telegraphs in Negative/Mouths Trapped in Static'' (2003)
*''Floored Memory….Fading Location'' (2009) includes "Steal Compass/Drive North/Disappear"
*''Eleven into Fifteen: a 130701 Compilation'' (2016) includes "Barn Levitate"
References
External links
Official Set Fire to Flames website
set fire to flames bandcamp site
{{Authority control
Musical groups established in 2001
Musical groups from Montreal
Canadian post-rock groups
Musical collectives
Alien8 Recordings artists
2001 establishments in Quebec
FatCat Records artists
P-Vine Records artists