---

Press

12 January 2012

Live review from Now

MUSKOX at the Holy Oak Cafe, Sunday, January 8. Rating: NNNN

BENJAMIN BOLES

The Holy Oak only holds a few dozen people, and it seemed that many at the Muskox gig were musicians from other local bands. That’s not so surprising: Muskox’s hard-to-define prog/math-rock/jazz/post-rock/Kraut-rock banjo-led instrumental songs are definitely more muso-friendly than your average pop band’s.

Despite the sheet music stands, complex arrangements and general nerdy awesomeness, Muskox are more accessible than you might think. If you listen closely, you can catch traces of many genres bundled up cohesively. Two of those are jazz and post-rock, but the band’s music is more structured than the former and more dynamic than much of what we associate with the latter. And as we learned from Mike Smith’s jovial stage patter, Muskox are also a lot more lighthearted than many “serious music” bands.

---

27 Nov 2011

Review from Progressive Newsletter

Stil: instrumentaler Art / Chamber / Progressive Rock

Muskox - Invocation/Transformations

(48:32, Privatpressung, 2011)

Mit der Inspiration aus dem frühe 70er Jahre Progressi- ve Rock und der Canterbury Szene versehen, ist „Invoca- tion / Transformations“ so etwas wie der vertonte Soundtrack der Fantasiewelt von Mike Smith. Der Band- leader des aus Toronto stammenden Kollektivs Muskox bringt sich mit Banjo(!), Synthesizer und Flöte ein, während seine Kollegen/innen ein recht breites Spektrum zwischen Saxophon, Violine und Cello abdecken, aber na- türlich auch Gitarre / Keyboards / Bass / Schlagzeug zum Line-Up gehören. Doch vor allem ist es das omnipräsente Banjo, das einmal beweist, dass man progressive Musik auch mit eigentlich dafür gar nicht prädestinierten Instru- menten spielen kann.

Ein etwas anderes Album mit einem leicht traurigen Unter- ton, in das man am besten mal auf der bandeigenen Websi- te hineinhört. KS (JM 10, KS 10)

---

18 Oct 2011

Review from Alternative Matter

Muskox - Invocation/Transformations

by John

Toronto based Muskox have in “Invocation/Transformations” released an intriguing album which from the opening few moments of “Lutonian Knights I” signify a creative force that is not afraid to take risks with instrumentation. The textures throughout the album are intricate, subtle and anchored by time signatures that defy the conventional framework. To use “Buff Stop”, the second track on the album as an example, following the opening fanfare, the listener is driven along on abrupt changes, keyboard passages that are reminiscent of the early 1970’s Canterbury scene and intricate banjo lines that inspire intrigue and intelligence in equal measure. The titles and numbering of the tracks themselves brings to mind a style of music that is often thought of as scholarly and studious. “Zephyria Tholus” a slower paced, but no less complex piece, shows how the banjo can be used to remarkable effect as an instrument to carry the lead line, and rather than appearing to be a novelty, the banjo of Mike Smith throughout adds character. “Generic Organs” on the other hand, on first impression appears confused in melody and signature, but as the string parts emerge, the intention of the tune is more forthcoming. One of the gentler, more romantic pieces on the album, on the turn of a sixpence becomes more sinister and authoritative, and highlights the whole host of influences infused into the album.

“Fever Dream I” is driven by minimalist repetition and again, the use of the elaborate banjo line adds a further texture that gives this album distinctive character. Carrying on the theme of repetition, “Muskox Jr” utilises the method further to produce a pastoral vignette which is both geometric yet full of romance. On the other hand “Fever Dream II” is more playful and elusive, with the woodwind lines bringing a more considered feel to the piece. The third and final “Fever Dream” brings yet further disparate influence with soulful, funk bass lines and hurried keyboard lines. “Invocation/Transformations” closes with the throbbing yet still remarkably funky, yet no less mathematical, “Lutonian Knights III” (whatever happened to “Lutonian Knights II”?) and in some way draws the rudiments that have made up the album together.

Whilst these tracks are evidently deeply personal for creator Mike Smith, based as they are on his adolescent fantasy life, they do in no sense ever feel indulgent. Each individual piece maintains the flow, momentum and mood of the album and for those willing to give them attention, rewards many times over.

---

10 Oct 2011

Live review from young couples

Muskox @ Holy Oak

2011.10.09 Sunday

日本に1年いたのよというお姉さんがいて、Pumpkin Aleが飲める小さなCafeにて。 トロントを拠点に活動するバンドで、ギター、ピアノ、バンジョー、ベースにドラムの5人で作り出すインストゥルメンタルサウンド。バンジョーの音色はやはり特長的だけど、toeやEnemiesなんかを例えにに出しても差し支えないハイセンスなサウンドスケープ。反復するギターフレーズ、ジャズライクな手数とおかずの多いドラミング、それらに絡み合うピアノ、そしてジリジリと上げてゆくテンション。絶妙なバランスのもとに成り立った楽曲像は見事だと思う。もっとも、上記バンドよりもさらにさらにミニマルで、各音が共存しあっている印象も強い。ディストーションなどは皆無なため、超プログレッシブなフォークミュージックと捉えることも可能ですかね。

曲によってはギター、バンジョー組がフルート、ドラムはグロッケンを。そういったテイストの曲では小さなJaga Jazzistを聞いてるかの様なめくるめく展開。ありゃりゃーまいっちゃう。 さらには、そのテクニカルな調子のままピアノがメロディアスに弾きだすと、高音部はBattles(とくに初期か)を思わせる。そうか、Battlesもジャズだったんだ、と。

休憩を挟んで第2部もありまして、様々なタイプの曲を堪能することができました。 いろいろ名前が出ましたし、どれもそのジャンルの(ある意味1つのジャンルからしか出てないか？)最前線だけれど、正直それらにも負けていないと思う。儚さを内包しているという面で言えばより愛おしいかもしれない。そんなバンドに出会えたことに感謝、そしてこういった場所で出会える懐の深さに感嘆。素晴らしい。 こちらBandcampのリンク。アルバムを聞く事ができます。 あと、直接関係ないんですけど、Hooded Fangのボーカルさんも来てました。

---

4 Oct 2011

Sound Check from Toronto.com

OUR POP FUTURE: MUSKOX

by Chandler Levack

Who are they? Based on the compositions from musician-about-town Mike Smith, Muskox formed in 2006 with a group of local players from Toronto’s folk and interpretative jazz scenes. (Members include Ali Bertok, Jamie Drake, Pete Johnston, Mark Laver and Erika Nielson.) Since then they’ve released three EPs and two full-length albums, including their newest Invocation/Transformations, which was launched just last month. Smith, who has a background in jazz guitar and has played in bands that include Steamboat, Timber Timbre and Bruce Peninsula, is a man with a specific vision. The concept of Invocation/Transformations comes from a childhood dream to soundtrack the story behind his favourite fantasy novels.

What do they sound like? Imagine a fusion of afro-funk, prog-rock and delicate folk songs all led by the stirrings of the mighty banjo. On Muskox’s latest album, mystical tracks like “Zephyria Tholus” play with the conventions of banjo-driven folk, changing between soft melodies and robotic futurism (with an uber-heavy power chord breakdown). The frequent changeups in tone and structure transform each musical theme as the group finds a beat and pulse behind their orchestration. Thanks to Smith’s great love of collaboration, Muskox songs are alive and breathing. Like the mammal they’re named after, the band plays with great majesty and power.

---

1 Oct 2011

Review on Music Street Journal

Muskox: Invocations/Transformations

by Gary Hill

Combining fusion with modern progressive rock and a lot of other sounds, “Invocations / Transformations” is an intriguing disc. It will certainly appeal to fans of instrumental progressive rock and fusion. In my opinion there’s only one track that fails, and only about half of that song falls into that category. This is music that’s hard to classify and hard to pin down, but reasonably easy to hear.

Track by Track Review

Lutonian Knights I

Keyboards lead this out. Then a driving rhythm section takes it in new direction. Some exploratory guitar emerges as this feels like space rock goes fusion and prog with some surf music thrown in for good measure. This is a short introduction. It has hints of modern King Crimson at times.

Buff Stop

Horns bring this in with a jazz kind of styling, but then other elements create different sounds. It calls to mind King Crimson quite a bit at times. It works through some crazy changes and turns out into some awesome fusion oriented music later.

Zephyria Tholus

Intricate and intriguing, this thing has a lot of fusion built into it. It turns pretty hard rocking, in a movement that’s a bit like banjo playing over a metallic rhythm section. There’s a mellower section later in the track that’s more keyboard dominated. It has some bits that feel almost Yes-like, but there are also bits of guitar that feel closer to modern King Crimson.

Generic Organs

There’s a jabbing little melody in the background here that really feels rather annoying. It takes away from the track in the ears of this reviewer. Some of the musical elements that are laid over the top are cool, but it’s hard to shake the nails on the chalk board of that background element. For that reason, if there’s a cut that fails, it’s this one. Later in the piece, though, that element drops away and the keyboards really begin to drive this. It’s got a psychedelia meets progressive rock texture and it goes a long way towards redeeming this. A dramatic progressive rock motif takes it from there in a satisfying arrangement.

Fever Dream I

Intricate and melodic, at times this makes me think of Genesis. I also hear elements of jazz and some Steve Howe in the mix. They take us through a series of changes and alterations as this continues. There are definitely points where it feels a lot like Yes.

Fever Dream II

Coming out of the previous cut, this shifts to a mellower, more tentative sound. There’s almost an Asian sound to this at times. We get some cool wind instrumentation over the top before it ends.

Gelding

This rises up with melodic fusion meets progressive rock, like the rest of the disc, but turns toward harder rocking territory after a bit.

Muskox Jr.

A slow moving and mellow fusion element creates the sound here. When it powers up there are some extremely Fripp-like guitar lines to be heard. It fires out into some Yes-related territory later, too. It is really a great marriage of sounds. We’re really taken through an intriguing path of music.

Fever Dream III

Percussion leads out here and builds carrying the early portions of the piece in a solo. Bass enters after twenty seconds or so and begins building in a noisy fusion way. Then other instruments enter and this fires out into some seriously crazy fusion. It doesn’t really stay there, though, moving through a number of differing sounds in an arrangement that’s quite diverse and dynamic.

Lutonian Knights III

Pounding fusion like progressive rock opens this and they take it through several changes and alterations. There are some extremely cool, envelope filter sounding changes that ensue here and there.

---

1 Oct 2011

Review from Offerings

Muskox - Invocation/Transformations

by Andrew Zukerman

This is the most unlikely music I've heard in a long time. It makes me wonder what kind of mind-wizards are at work here - how they're supposed to be able to play such intricate and multifarious compositions?! I've seen Muskox perform their magic in front of a live audience before, but it was nothing like this… What we have going here is strands of what I would expect from Michael Smith's entangled brain depository on any other day - minimalistic, yet intricate flurries of plucked, blown, and bowed ornaments, like ultra-modern lamp shades from the uncertain 1970's future. But the veneer is fluid - which is not to say sticky or wet - but soon changes colors, at once suffering from the same tumour that pushed up against the enlarged cochlea of a fetal Frank Zappa then downshifting into leather-clad Formula 1 windburn via Kraut-Rocky slicksterism a la Cluster yet maintaining the same ECM-style clarity that expressly forbids dramatics. Even in the more obviouslt rock inspired brume, to which I feel there is more than usual; there is never more than a moment of dischord or cacophony. Like it's an imitation of rock music emanating from a video game console. So the musicians here seem more like technicians, curbing their personality, avoiding histrionics - at moments unsure - for the good of the overall composition. This may be for the better since musicians so often have the ugliest of dispositions. Some have been known to push their own kin off the 53rd floor of an apartment building in order to feign any kind of emotion in their otherwise hedonistic existence… Not to say that I would susect any of the members of Muskox of any such indiscretions. But I would much prefer it if more musicians play out the script of an equally benevolent and brilliant composer such as Michael Smith.

---

27 Sep 2011

Feature from Torontoist

Sound Advice: Invocations/Transformations by Muskox

by Robin Hatch

The latest release from Toronto's Muskox succeeds at fusing progressive rock, jazz, and folk music through accentuated use of the banjo.

The concept behind Muskox‘s latest full-length release came to composer Mike Smith when he was 14 years old and dreamed of creating music to complement the fantasy novels he liked. Clocking in at just under 50 minutes, Invocations/Transformations is indisputably fantastical, featuring 10 distinct tracks that subvert traditions of progressive rock and jazz music through prominent use of the banjo.

Smith’s signature banjo playing effectively serves as the instrumental album’s narrator. At first, it’s almost unsettling to hear an instrument typically associated with more formulaic genres such as the blues or Dixieland jazz cast as a sort of Wagnerian leitmotif on a progressive rock–inspired instrumental album. There’s no traditional bluegrass rhythmic banjo picking or strumming on the record; instead, the banjo lends a sublime, melodic melancholy to the pieces. Each of the 10 tracks on Invocations was composed by Smith, except for “Generic Organs,” which was co-written with fellow band member and Juno nominee Jeremy Strachan.

Although Muskox usually consists of five performers (Smith, Strachan, Ali Berkok on keyboards, Pete Johnson on bass, and Jake Oelrich on drums) there are 11 musicians on this album, each with a highly impressive level of talent. Invocations features three flutists, three keyboardists, two drummers, a bass player, a cellist, a violinist, and a saxophonist, all of who assist in bringing Smith’s electro-chamber prog-jazz fantasy to life. Be sure to check out the album’s second track, “Buff Stop,” (streaming above) for an incredible soprano saxophone intro performed by Mark Laver, as well as an organ solo from Berkok. Invocations‘ opening track is also very catchy, and the seventh song on the album, “Gelding,” has a gorgeous layering of synthesizers.

It’s fitting that Smith was partially inspired by nostalgia for the fantasy music he wished to create as a teenager, because his style of progressive rock is aural pleasure that can perhaps only be compared to the joy a 14-year-old boy gets from reading fantasy novels. With the help of a highly adept ensemble, recording engineer James Anderson, and mixer Sandro Perri, Muskox’s latest LP transcends the boundaries of its ’70s prog-rock influences through its clever inclusion of the banjo. Regardless of whether it can be classified as “jazz,” Invocations/Transformations is a genre-defying jam session that most jazz musicians would kill to join.

---

24 Sep 2011

Review/Spotlight from Textura

Muskox - Invocation/Transformations

(review)

Lest anyone think Toronto's status as a burgeoning center stems solely from dance music innovators like Art Department need only consider the music being created in other contexts by the likes of Muskox and Mark Segger.

Muskox, a Toronto-based collective formed in 2006 and led by banjo player and composer Mike Smith, draws upon multiple traditions for its follow-up to 5 Pieces, a fine 2009 collection issued on the Standard Form imprint. Post-rock, prog-rock, math-rock, and classical minimalism figure heavily on Invocation / Transformations, and its oft-maze-like compositions occasionally suggest influences ranging from Tortoise to Soft Machine and all things in between. At the outset, freeway cruiser “Lutonian Knights I” fashions a Tortoise-Stereolab vibe by peppering a motorik groove with organ, electric guitar, and electronic squiggles, while the driving “Fever Dream III” nudges us in the direction of jazz-fusion. Elsewhere, a meditative, through-composed set-piece such as “Fever Dream II” receives a nice boost from Alia O'Brien's flute playing, and string players Erika Neilsen and Lisa Conway similarly bolster the dream-like aura of “Generic Organs.”

One might be reminded of The Lounge Lizards (Voice of Chunk, say) during the opening of “Buff Stop,” given its double saxophone interplay and stop-start beats—until Smith's banjo pulls the music into a prog-rock zone more uniquely Muskox's. It's a move that happens throughout the recording—a banjo motif is a constant presence during “Fever Dream I,” for example—and does much to help Muskox differentiate its sound from others. A rich sound it is, too, with Smith augmenting the core sound (bass, drums, keyboards, guitar) with violin, flute, cello, synthesizer, and soprano sax. Soloing is downplayed in favour of fully scored charts, resulting in polyphonic compositions of intricate detail and chameleonic design. All self-described connections to the Canterbury scene (Caravan, Hatfield & the North, Gong, etc.) and the early ‘70s prog scenes notwithstanding, the band's clearest reference point remains Tortoise, something that comes especially to the fore during the recording's most aggressive track, the lumbering “Lutonian Knights III,” which could be described as Muskox doing Tortoise doing krautrock.

Spotlight II

Muskox

Who: Michael Smith, Toronto, 1979. I studied jazz bass at the University of Toronto and gradually let that meld into a multi-faceted discipline of electric bass playing, gradually more competent banjo playing, and composition. My principal musical outlet is Muskox, a group I have led and composed for since 2006. The group is comprised of pianist Ali Berkok, bassist Pete Johnston, guitarist Jeremy Strachan, and drummer Jake Oelrichs. We are all sort of part of the same nerdy demographic.

What: Muskox plays instrumental music that floats simple themes over tricky rhythms and vaguely consonant harmonies in logical structures. Ensemble takes precedent over any individual lead voice, although the presence of banjo often contributes the defining quality to the group's sound. The music is complicated but without undue pretence or gymnastics.

When: We are currently playing a string of shows in and around Toronto to promote our new album Invocation/Transformations and are planning a Canada-wide tour for summer 2012.

Currently: Invocation/Transformations is an attempt to recreate my own adolescent fantasy band, imagined in solitary summers full of Michael Moorcock novels and doodles recreating the inside cover of Burnt Weeny Sandwich. Muskox is cast as an early-‘70s prog band, as best as it can be disguised, and the compositions are designed as miniature snapshots of past-future fantasy.

Musical philosophy: In composing instrumental music, I attempt to make the same sort of emotional or narrative connection with the listener that one might do with lyrics. Each collection of pieces I write is done so under a particular theme—Invocation/Transformations is to fantasy as Five Pieces was to Fibonacci, as Gallantries was to baroque dance. I have a definite aversion to aggressive timbres or purposefully destructive instrumental actions; I feel music should draw a listener in to the composer's ideas, rather than present arms.

Influences and inspirations: My own musical development continues to be influenced by heroes and role models which always seem to be embarrassingly obvious in the music. That said, five years of a dedicated group playing my music is more inspiration than I could ever find elsewhere.

---

8 Sep 2011

Feature from NOW

LOCAL QUINTET SCRAMBLES JAZZ, FOLK AND PROG ROCK ON NEW LP

by Benjamin Boles

When NOW named Muskox Toronto’s best jazz act in 2008, it was done in the spirit of keeping the genre’s definition as open as possible. Jazz may not be the most accurate category for their sound, but where else are you going to slot instrumental banjo prog folk?

Luckily, Muskox main man Mike Smith is getting used to the label, even if the band was originally supposed to be an escape from the genre for him.

“At first I found it really frustrating, actually, because at the time I was coming from a place where I was tired of playing jazz. I got over it after a while and realized that it doesn’t really matter. I don’t know what else to call it either.”

Muskox’s newest disc, Invocation/Transformations (independent), finds the group in more of a rock mood, wrapping their trademark intricate polyrhythms around the wide-eyed, then-futuristic vibes of 70s prog rock and the Canterbury scene.

Not the most expected place for a banjo-led band to go, but then again, considering that the instrument was once as integral to Dixieland jazz as it was to bluegrass, why not bring it into jazz fusion?

“It certainly was big in early jazz, although that would be the four-string tenor banjo. It was all over the place back then because the instrument was loud enough to be heard within a band, whereas guitar didn’t really come into play until amplifiers were invented.

“Because of the rhythmic nature of the music, it’s an appealing instrument for me. There aren’t any sustained tones, but it still has the ability to play pitches and function in both ways.”

Considering how integral the banjo is to Muskox’s sound, it’s surprising to learn that Smith, originally the bass player, only took it up after his original player quit. While the concept of the band had always been built around the banjo’s tones, Smith says the switch to playing it himself opened up a new world of possibilities.

“From a composer’s standpoint, it’s a much better position to be in than playing bass. I can get a much clearer picture of what the overall group is sounding like.”

---

1 Sep 2011

Invocation/Transformations review from Spontaneous Combustion

INVOCATION TRANSFORMATION

By Matt Fong

Who?

A Toronto-based quintet that draws on the sounds of 70’s prog rock, jazz, and more, but with... a banjo? Mike Smith (banjo, Dano 6, synth flute), Jeremy Strachan (guitars, flute), Pete Johnston (bass), Ali Berkok (keyboards, synth), and Jake Oelrichs (drums, percussion). Invocation/Transformations also features a number of guest musicians.

What?

Invocation/Transformations has all the things we love about great prog and fusion, but without the cheesy production value and over-the-top drum solos. This is what fusion is supposed to sound like! Composed by bandleader Mike Smith, the music is intensely rhythmic and driving, and there is a nice contrast between the angular rhythm section parts and smooth melodies. Where this music gets really unique is the surprisingly successful use of banjo – Smith’s agile fingerpicking sits right in between the melodies and grooves, filling in the space perfectly. I/T also leaves room for some very tasteful soloing - listen for Berkok’s organ solo on ‘Buff Stop’ and Smith’s banjo solo on the breakdown in ‘Zephyria Tholus.’

Amidst all the rocking grooves, there are plenty of moments of subtlety, showcasing Smith’s remarkable melodicism. The beautifully layered ‘Fever Dream I’ is a great example – the analog synth drones, banjo picking, and double-tracked guitars have a glassy minimalist quality that builds nicely into its counterpart,‘Fever Dream II.’ Also noteworthy are the guest musicians, who fit right into the 70’s prog rock vibe. In particular, Mark Laver’s sax intro on ‘Buff Stop’ and Erika Nielsen and Lisa Conway’s strings on ‘Generic Organs’ stand out and add some interesting timbral variation.

When?

Muskox will be releasing Invocation/Transformations on September 14th at the Tranzac. Also appearing is experimental string group LCON.

---

11 Feb 2010

5 Pieces review from Adequacy.net

Muskox – 5 Pieces

by Greg Argo

Toronto’s Muskox is a wily musical beast using acoustic instrumentation to explore overlapping jazzy and minimalist structures. With instrumentation provided mainly by banjo, harmonium, saxophone, double bass, cello, vibes, and other mallet instruments, the band eschews drums altogether, though that doesn’t mean they’re lacking in rhythm. In fact, the rhythms shift deliberately and frequently enough to fall out of jazz territory into something more akin to progressive fusion. If Muskox wasn’t so earthy sounding, it would be easy to say they sound slippery, but I’ll settle instead for adventurous. Their debut album 5 Pieces ranges all over the map, and delights in its scope, with audacious combinations which look strange on paper but sound natural coming out of the speakers.

5 Pieces is great music for active listening. It’s unpredictable, and would be difficult to memorize on a song-by-song basis. The payoff is more in anticipating the next surprise than in listening in order to make it your own by supplying a stable meaning. Pushing the limits of pattern recognition and playing around with subtly strange juxtapositions while downplaying any traditionally emotional signifiers is the name of the game here, although at times an undeniably human element isolates itself, like in the dirge-like opening to “Humphries’ Tide” or the 2-minute breakdown of “Slinger” where the harmonium, cello, and vibes bring things down to a pensive calm. I read someone refer to this as post-folk, but the only resemblance this has to folk is in the acoustic instrumentation. In any track you’ll probably find jazz, prog, American minimalism, and ethnic folk musics comingling in polyrhythmic arrangements. It’s easy to convert this to electronic music in your mind, especially if you’ve spent any time absorbing Toroise’s TNT and Standards, of which 5 Pieces is reminiscent in approach, if not in sound.

Much of the uniqueness of Muskox comes from the coupling of Rileyan and Reichian minimalist structures with more free-form sounding jazz and modern classical themes. The vibes and especially the banjo hold down the fast-paced repetitive phrasing on the minimalist side of things, all the while conjuring Jazz and Americana melodic traditions. Over these fast sounds the sax and cello usually, though not always, couple and counter with longer, more drawn out phrasings. The harmonium, perhaps the only instrument a little overused here, gets a workout in both modes, acting as a vessel both for solo digressions and droning moodsetting. But these are just the main contours. Muskox is dynamic enough to switch around these roles as much as composer Mike Smith feels, and the vibes are likely to sound like Philip Glass one minute and Lionel Hampton the next.

Overall, this is a fairly enthralling musical trip, though it only hangs loosely together more like the title 5 Pieces suggests than in the rockist notion of an album which, thanks to sequencing and songwriting effort, flows meaningfully from front to back. It even seems like it’s probably even more fun to play this than to listen to it. Its technical proficiency is tangible, so much so that the music almost has a modular feel, with each part asserting its own worth independently of the others, even while they combine with each other for a stronger effect. In a way, it would have been more fitting if they would have included one more song and called this 6 Pieces instead of 5 Pieces. It would have been a fine allusion to the 6 band members, and to the way the music feels like the playful piecing together of the distinct pieces of a puzzle. But like a puzzle, just seeing it finished doesn’t seem as enjoyable as putting it together, so instead of simply appreciating this music, I feel like I want to jump in and start conducting it myself. That would be a fun exercise until I realized how difficult it is to mesh things together with the meticulous effervescence Smith has nailed on 5 Pieces.

---

1 Jan 2010

5 Pieces review from Textura

Muskox – 5 Pieces

One naturally is reminded of Tortoise when confronted with Muskox's intricate compositions but the Toronto-based progressive acoustic jazz outfit is hardly a one-dimensional knock-off of the Chicago group. On Muskox's debut full-length 5 Pieces, echoes of Steve Reich-influenced ‘systems music' also are audible, though the material's intricate melodic patterns call English composer Michael Torke to mind more than anything else. That's never more apparent than during the second composition, “Stat Cam,” which, like much of the material, eschews individual soloing for tight compositional structure and ensemble playing. That the album is polished can be attributed in part to the groundwork laid by three previously issued EPs. Ostensibly led by Mike Smith, who composed the material and plays banjo, harmonium, and guitar, Muskox's sound is fleshed out considerably by five others who contribute mallet instruments and percussion (Jamie Drake), double bass (Pete Johnston), alto sax (Mark Laver), cello (Erika Neilsen), and electric piano (Ali Bertok) to the concise, thirty-seven minute set; of particular note is Laver's alto sax playing, which often stands forth from the motorik background to etch out the compositions' themes. In “Humphries' Tide,” banjo, harmonium, alto saxophone, marimba, hand drums, and double bass conjure a Moroccan-meets-Manhattan vibe in a through-composed travelogue of maze-like melodic patterns and rhythms. Though the group's sound is refreshingly singular, it can at times feel a tad suffocating when every moment is so precisely mapped out; a moment or two of breathing room wouldn't be unwelcome (as occurs when Laver's saxophone glides over the changes in “Ghost Ride”). Even so, 5 Pieces' acoustic, banjo-driven mix of post-rock and classical minimalism definitely rewards one's attention.

---

12 Dec 2009

5 Pieces Review in the Montréal Mirror

Muskox - 5 Pieces (Standard Form

by Gordon Allen

I listened to this several times before noticing that it involves almost no improvisation. Somehow, though, it all feels improvised. Must be how organically the banjo, harmonium, marimba, bass, saxophone and cello blend together—and how naturally the music unfolds through its many repetitions that constantly refresh and reinvent themselves. This young Toronto six-piece has its own sound and an intriguing potential for boundless future explorations. 8/10 Trial Track: “’72-’76”

---

1 Dec 2009

Feature from Steel Bananas

Braving the Harshest Sonic Textures and Minimalist Permafrost with Toronto's Muskox

by Curran Folkers

If there’s one thing I can really appreciate in music, it’s things that cannot be described easily. Musical projects that defy the classic Who-Meets-Who model and that cannot be tied down accurately without necessitating a lengthy explanation are likely to intrigue me the most. I suppose by that measure then, I must be totally flipping my shit when I meet someone who is not only a part of one such act – one that so flagrantly flaunts categorization – but is also just as stumped as me when it comes to describing his own music.

I know that no one feels really comfortable describing their own art, but if you happen to be privy to the genre-bending glories and technical brilliance of Muskox, you’ll no doubt agree that it would take a music writer of Herculean literary prowess, with monstrous prose of steel in order to tackle the very surface of this Toronto-based sextet. And with this chaotic yet monolithic concoction made from the finest Americana, Jazz and Avant-Garde Minimalism, to listen is to be as rewarding as it is baffling.

“Essentially it’s just whatever I’m hearing that’s interesting me,” explains an exacerbated Mike Smith, chief composer and banjo-player for this unique outfit, “But also within the shackles of that group of instruments that I’m working with and going by the music I’ve written already. But in terms of where it started, I started this project initially the first time I started hearing things like Steve Reich. And this was years and years ago, but I started thinking about taking that and applying it to a jazz equation.

“At the time I was interested in writing large-ensemble jazz music, like jazz orchestra stuff and looking at how the rhythm section functions within that, like piano, bass, guitar. I thought, ‘OK, their job is to provide harmonic accompaniment, what if I make these constructions minimalist pieces and have that as sort of the engine that the melodic stuff can form over.’ So it keeps the same function but does it in a much stricter way; it’s a heavily dictated way, but it’s also a lot freer rhythmically, it’s a little more floaty. So I was playing off of that idea but at the same time got really into Captain Beefheart and listen to the jagged, irregular rhythms and basically played around with that kind of stuff for quite a while trying to find something that worked.”

You see what I mean? Muskox is not an easy act to wrap one’s head around; though let’s be honest here for a second, that is not something that any Steve Reich fan would really want of his audience. Unfortunately, or perhaps extremely fortunately, the plot only thickens from here as Reich and Captain Beefheart are only the beginning for this, the mysterious case of the perplexing, gorgeous Muskox. Smith continues:

“And then I saw a band called Town and Country, from Chicago, they’re this sort of crazy, I guess kind of improv band but that did really slow, long pieces with a very similar instrumentation – that’s where I first saw someone really use a harmonium. They had a couple of bass players, they were all playing hand bells; just a lot of stuff from the same sort of pallet that I was into and that sort of got me thinking that I could do this too. Since then the music I’ve written doesn’t really – well, there are similar characteristics, but it’s a lot faster, a lot more rhythmically active. Just hearing music like that inspires me, now it’s the same thing: I’m listening to tons of calypso now and really drawing a lot from those rhythmic textures.”

Utilizing an extremely idiosyncratic lineup of instruments and musicians – banjo, upright bass, cello, vibraphone, saxophone and harmonium – Smith is able to gain access to sonic territories that most have rarely experienced, and without fail these powers are used exclusively for good. Five Pieces, the first full-length release from Muskox after a slew of EPs over the past three years, released by local boutique label Standard Form, is a dense, intelligent and technically magnificent record that stands as both a fear of musicianship and composition. Smith’s composing is erratic but deliberate and his band is here in top form as they navigate Smith’s uncompromisingly demanding rhythmic and melodic feats of strength.

Each of the record’s five pieces stand out individually as being perfectly-crafted and isolated incidents of unheard glory (the tense, immediate “Slinger” is especially able to run on its own two legs as it pulses and churns with almost paranoid urgency), but taken together Five Pieces is a workout, an intense marathon of intricacies and wonder. It is a challenging album, but it is also an extremely rewarding one and it is a record that matches its own skill with an ever-present sense of whimsy and discovery.

“In some ways [switching to the full CD as opposed to the 3” mini-disc which all previous Muskox offerings have been released on] it was to get away from writing twenty minutes of music in one chunk,” Smith says of the new form of Five Pieces, “It represents stuff I’ve written roughly over the last year whereas on the three previous EPs it was more like a single idea stretched over three or four parts. This one is five distinct… pieces, or whatever, really trying out different concepts for each one.

Recorded at 6 Nassau, a relatively new studio in Kensington, Five Pieces certainly marks a distinct turning point in Smith’s composing. But as the soft-spoken, quirky banjo-player notes, his career with Muskox has hardly been constant.

“It’s funny because I never studied banjo, I studied double bass, that’s what I played at school and that’s what I played in this band for the first year and a half. Originally the group was just four and it was people who were really interested in approaching the type of music I wanted to make and one of them was a friend of mine – great banjo player. After a while – and everything’s written down, it’s all pre-composed, everyone just gets music in front of their faces and he was the only one who wasn’t a trained guy and he ended up getting – I don’t know if he got frustrated, but he left the group in any case.

“But I had all of this music I had written with banjo and just didn’t know anyone who could sort of play this stuff; but I knew the part so I said ‘OK, I guess I play banjo now.’ But in terms of where it fits in with the music… it’s definitely the oddest one, from the core of it and that’s because it has a fairly percussive sound, but it’s also very melodic so it fits in with the mallet percussion really well and with piano too, it’s a similar sort of sound. It’s suited to doing these really repetitive, kind of minimalist textures and then it’s just about countering that with long sounds as well, there’s the harmonium and the saxophone there now. Since then it’s only grown so I think we’re going to cap it at six people.”

So, I came up with a term for Muskox of my own and I’m going to try and coin it here and see how that goes. I’m not entirely confident about it, but I feel like it’s going to be the best we’re going to get for now: Post-Folk. I think Post-Folk is a pretty good way to go as far as Muskox is concerned, much in a way that the better Post-Rock groups blended elements of jazz and minimalism in with rock and roll instrumentation, so here does Muskox (to a degree) do with traditional folk. What we are left with is long, meandering (but always purposeful) pieces that utilize instruments – such as banjo – more commonly associated with Americana and fit them very successfully into an avant-garde mode. It isn’t easy doing your own thing against anything even resembling a grain, but with Muskox and their Five Pieces, Mike Smith is treading new territory hopefully, cheerfully and never without a sense of wonder.

---

17 Nov 2009

5 Pieces Review from Exclaim!

Muskox - 5 Pieces

by David Dacks

This is a thoroughly enjoyable work. Whether experienced as a tight, focused suite or track-by-track, the writing and playing are extremely strong. These are highly rhythmic pieces, despite the lack of a drum kit. The percussive aspects of electric piano, vibes and banjo dominate the proceedings by spinning an ever-expanding polyrhythmic quilt. The math rock-friendly rhythms consist of riffs in very tricky time signatures, which should appeal to some metal heads despite the very different instrumentation. On top of this latticework is a melodic presence of double bass (often bowed), cello and alto saxophone, pulling off the difficult task of creating memorable, even hummable melodies while frequently changing direction. You could call this "new music," but it exudes warmth and an engaging momentum that are so often only implied in post-contemporary classical sounds. When the chamber Afrobeat of "Slinger" kicks in, it sounds like the dawn of a new age of rhythm. This disc should find many ears. (Standard Form)

---

4 Nov 2009

Release show review from Now

MUSKOX with CANAILLE and DAMIAN VALLES at Music Gallery Rating: NNNN

by Carla Gillis

Album release shows are fun, since the bands involved try to make them extra-special. On Thursday, the Music Gallery was home to three of them. Kawartha Lakes sound explorer Damian Valles, who released Count(r)ies, began the night with a rare solo guitar performance involving ambient looping and laptop manipulation.

Led by humble reed man/guitarist Jeremy Strachan, Canaille followed with complex experimental jazz tunes that at times hinted at a big-band sound and were propelled by Michael Smith’s double bass and drummer Dan Gaucher’s polyrhythmic brush work. Gaucher flew in from Vancouver for the release of their Potential Things debut album.

But the night belonged to Muskox. The church, with its warm, clear sound and hushed ambience, was the perfect backdrop for their nuanced, impeccably arranged jazz-folk tunes. The Smith-led six-piece uses unusual instruments – banjo, harmonium, alto sax, cajón – in surprising ways, and the one-off inclusion of both a second percussionist and a five-octave marimba was genius. Run out and buy their new 5 Pieces disc.,,

---

6 Oct 2008

NOW feature

MINIMAL MUSKOX: Instrumental crew infiltrate the local scene 3 inches at a time

by Tim Perlich

Among the more intriguing music marketing enigmas to hit Toronto is the annual appearance on Soundscapes’ shelves of mysterious mini-CDs housed in matchbook-like packages emblazoned with the image of a hairy horned beast: the mark of Muskox.

“A lot of people seem puzzled because it’s such an odd-looking object to come across in a store filled with CDs,” says Muskox banjo player Mike Smith, who doubles as a Soundscapes staffer.

“It all started as a fun project to try something a bit different from the conventional CD release. But it’s disappointing when people say, ‘It really looks interesting and I’d like to buy it, but I don’t have a CD player.’ Unfortunately, 3-inch discs don’t fit in the drive slots of most laptops, so I kinda shot myself in the foot. I guess we’ll try 10-inch vinyl next.”

The first of Muskox’s three tiny EPs I picked up turned out to be 2007’s Fever Dream, and I was immediately taken by the instrumentation. The completely random assortment of banjo, double bass, saxophone, harmonium and Fender Rhodes sounded perfectly sensible within Smith’s carefully considered arrangements. After hearing 2006’s Caveman Caveman Crystal Skulls, you don’t need a road map to know these Muskox hombres have heard some early Town and Country and maybe even a bit of John Fahey.

“The first time I heard the sort of music I was hearing in my head was at a Town and Country show in 2003. Their concept of ‘backporch minimalism’ sounded appealing, so I went to see them and they blew me away. From then on I was hooked on the harmonium. Three years later, I got a call from Matt Dunn to put something together for Bummer In The Summer. I contacted my best friends from U of T and told them the sound I was looking for involved banjo, harmonium and some basic percussion – that’s how Muskox began.”

In the past two years, there have been a few Muskox sightings at local music venues, but most of the group’s time together has been spent rehearsing and recording. From the progress demonstrated by their most recent release, the Gallantries EP, the strategy has clearly worked to their benefit.

It’s hardly shocking that, with stellar material like The Wren, which could pass for a lost Mulatu Astatke classic from the golden era of Ethiogroove, Gallantries is the fastest selling Muskox disc to date.

“After doing the first two EPs, the idea for the third was to try to write seven shorter minimalist texture pieces based on different baroque dance suite movements. Then there was a change in the group that led me to rework the pieces, but I still wasn’t happy with a few of them.

“Of the four that loosely corresponded to the four essential movements – allemande, courante, sarabande and gigue – I expanded two of them, the courante and the gigue (Foot Locker and The Wren, respectively, on the disc), by adding a middle section and a recap at the end for both. Consequently, I wound up with music that’s completely different from what I originally intended, but I’m very pleased with the way everything turned out.”

---

25 Aug 2008

Interview with Pretending To Be Japanese

Interview: Muskox

by Jocelyn Pierce

On rare occasions, I find myself somewhat blown away by the quality and originality of new music I’ve discovered. But not since my friend Will made me listen to “We Tigers” by Animal Collective have I said to myself “holy shit, nobody else is doing this.” Enter Muskox, a big little band from Toronto who remind me of Animal Collective in the truest sense. No, not that they sound like them at all, but that they’ve managed to find influences from a variety of unlikely sources, and put them together to create something that is truly original (and perhaps the birth of a new genre entirely).

Mike Smith, their leader in crime, was kind enough to grant me an interview. Here is what transpired:

Jocelyn: Coming from a jazz background, how did you arrive on the kind of music you make?

Mike: Trial and error, I guess. For the most part, it’s been an ongoing search for a particular sound - it’s just that in the last few years I’ve realized that I need to go ahead and make it myself.

I mean, I’m still working on it - I ended up studying jazz as part of that process, I guess. It seemed to be the right path to go down when I started getting really serious about music.

J: How do you describe your sound?

M: That’s kind of the bane of my existence. Whenever possible, I just play it for people, but otherwise I’ll just string together a bunch of baffling strings. I really like the vagueness of “prog-Americana.”

Really though, what we do is play more or less through-composed instrumental music that combines elements of minimalism with heavy doses of traditional musics from all over the place.

The group has an unusual line-up - saxophone, banjo, vibraphone, double bass, harmonium and electric piano - which wasn’t arrived at for novelty’s sake, but rather as the most logical way to produce the kind of ensemble sound I am trying to achieve.

J: How does the song writing process work for you? How do your band mates participate?

M: More or less everything is dictated by what I write down and bring to rehearsal, although there are usually a lot of things there that were arrived at through talking with the other guys. I always have a lot of questions for Jamie, the percussionist, since I really enjoy exploring unorthodox techniques on his instruments.

Most of the music on the last recording we did was originally written with pedal steel guitar as the dominant voice, and the melodic and harmonic content came about as a way of exploring the weird hillbilly engineering behind that instrument. It was interesting to hear what happened once everything was rearranged for the way we play it now.

As for the actual writing process, I start with some sort of small fragment, or a particular rhythmic concept, and a duration of time. the time gets chopped up in such a way that hopefully produces a compelling structure, and then I fill it up with permutations of the original idea.

J: One of the interesting effects of the Internet is the availability of so many different kinds of music, somewhat independent of the popular marketing machines. How do you think this exposure to so many genres has effected your music? How do you think it effects the response you get from listeners?

M: It’s hard for me to imagine being without this sort of universal access to all sorts of music. It’s a little terrifying. I am constantly finding inspiration in these spontaneous YouTube binges where I just follow a trail through a whole whack of new music. Definitely this directly effects the music I’m working on - I just bought a second harmonium so we can produce the sound of Italian bagpipes.

It’s hard to say how this effects listeners. I’m always tempted to grill people on how they place my music in the overall scheme of things, but that’s a kind of creepy thing to do.

J: I didn’t realize Italian bagpipes were a thing.

M: Italian bagpipes are THE thing, as far as I’m concerned - zampogna. The Italians don’t mess around. They use THE WHOLE SHEEP.

From time to time I come across something like that which I suddenly realize I’ve been searching for forever, and I kind of add it to my musical clipping file - you know, “stuff to rip off later.”

J: As long as you steer clear of the pan flute, I think that’s pretty cool.

M: I try to steer clear of the Andes.

J: It’s probably safer that way.

M: Mind you, the cajon comes from Peru. I’m sunk.

J: Ah well, you can’t win them all.

If you could recruit one living artist to join your band, who would it be?

M: Tricky one.

Well, practically speaking, someone who plays the viola. The fantasy choice is a little harder…

J: Just say Slash. Everyone does.

M: No way. I want Izzy.

J: I think somewhere an angel just lost its wings.

M: Well, as long as the guy with the “Where’s Izzy?” sign is placated.

J: Yeah that poor guy needs a break.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In ten?

M: Of course there is no way to tell what may happen, but at this point I’d like to see myself continuing to write and perform my own music, with people still willing and/or interested in hearing it. I don’t have any lofty goals. I just hope to remain curious enough to keep at it.

Around four years ago, I got bummed out enough to attempt to stop playing music completely, so at present I’m kind of blown away to have such and amazing group of people to play music with.

J: Where did you find these people?

M: Well, the origin of this whole project was being invited by my pal Matthew “Doc” Dunn to play the Bummer in the Summer festival in 2006. I had been living in Montreal for three years with my head in the sand for the most part, and had very little clue what had been happening in Toronto, musically.

It seemed like a good opportunity to just go for it, and write the music I’d been imagining. So, to be on the safe side, I just gathered together the best sort of musical pals I had while I was at the University of Toronto - that was Jamie Drake, and bearded man and saxophonist Mark Laver.

Doctor Dunn filled out the group, and as time went on we added Ali Berkok on piano, who was a new friend made in various other random musical projects. When Doc left the group, I decided to take over his banjo duties and handed over the bass to Pete Johnston, who was another U of T guy of yore, and also someone who added to the band’s weird connection with the Annapolis Valley.

J: How do you fit in the Toronto music scene?

M: I’m still trying to work that out! Up until now, we haven’t played all that frequently - about once every two months - but it always seems to be in a different situation. We’ve done stuff in the sort of art music/experimental scene like the Bummer, as well as shows hosted by the Association of Improvising Musicians, as well as just straight up kind of indie rock shows like the recent Bruce Peninsula release show on Toronto Island.

Right now we are really lucky in Toronto to have a very open-eared audience for the most part. It’s quite common to see bills that feature completely disparate acts that can all keep the attention of the audience.

Also, for better or worse, we are a pretty unusual group so I’m not sure we really “fit in” anywhere. That said, I feel pretty comfortable.

J: What kind of response do you get when playing live?

M: People seem attentive and appreciative. I kind of can’t believe it. Our sets usually consist of two or three uninterrupted blocks of twenty minutes or so, and for the most part folks seem to be listening. I mean, I guess the people who get bored or are otherwise turned off aren’t really going to approach us after the show and say so…

J: What’s your favourite Muskox song?

M: My favourite to play right now is “Foot Locker”, since I always screw it up and it is fun to be on my toes. I think I did the best job writing-wise on “The Wren”, since it has top-secret connections to all the other Gallantries tunes.

I’ve been trying to establish a tradition of covering a pop tune with a vocalist from whatever band we are playing with. It’s the best ever. Last time we did “Rhiannon” with Tamara from The Weather Station, and a few months there was a Kate Bush double shot with the amazing Isla Craig.

I think sort of shoe-horning tunes into our mutant instrumentation may be my favourite activity.

J: Well, I think that’s about it for the interview. Do you have anything else you’d like to add?

M: I’m good! Although I can’t help but feel like a jerk for talking about myself for so long. I guess that is how interviews work.

---

1 Aug 2008

Gallantries review from Exclaim!

Muskox - Gallantries

by Scott A. Gray

A refreshingly creative and adept collection of "post-minimalist" music, Muskox's Gallantries calls to mind Sufjan Stevens in his most fluttery instrumental moments, or a dreamier Tortoise devoid of drum shells. Torontonian Michael Smith leads a prodigious pack of musicians through four tracks dripping with creamy Rhodes, swaddled in gauzy layers of harmonium and double bass, punctuated by skittering vibraphone and banjo patterns, with warmly cutting saxophone and pedal-steel leads. The compositions are subtly mathematical, the complexity of arrangements demanding attention without resorting to pretentious showboating. Gallantries is an enticing offering from a promising group, and whatever it lacks in explosive "wow" factor it makes up for in tastefulness and consistency. (Independent)

---

18 Jun 2008

Gallantries review from Foxy Digitalis

Muskox - Gallantries

by Bryon Hayes

As Canadian as their cloven-hoofed namesake (but not as stinky), the gentlemen of Muskox hail from the flat lands of Southwestern Ontario – Toronto, to be exact. Formed as an outlet for composer and multi-instrumentalist Michael Smith to showcase his song craft, the group features Smith and a variety of talented friends – including MV and EE compatriot Matthew 'Doc' Dunn – manhandling a wide variety of sound generating devices. "Gallantries," the third Muskox mini-release, incorporates the most extensive array of instruments: sax, double bass, pedal steel, banjo, harmonium, marimba, xylophone comprise just over half of the tools deftly wielded on this disc.

A four-part suite composed entirely by Smith, "Gallantries" packs an immense amount of gorgeous music into an equally gorgeous deluxe 3-inch package. Rapid polyrhythmic passages melt into languid pools of sound, only to be reborn. These unexpected changes in pace are engaging, and the overall atmosphere of the record is eerily reminiscent of some of the better parts of Tortoise's "TNT" album, but not nearly as contrived. Muskox music is purely organic: a touch of jazz, a hint of classical, a whiff of country and a smattering of global rhythms are all combined by Smith and crew into an unnameable melange of sonic greatness. I'd call it easy listening, but that'd be doing everyone a disservice. 9/10

---

29 May 2008

"Perlich Picks" in NOW

Muskox in miniature

by Tim Perlich

You may have seen the recordings of Toronto's minimalist free folk collec­tive Muskox on the shelves at Soundscapes – where founding member Mike Smith works – and mistaken the cute little packages for expensive matchbooks. Actually, they're three-inch CD EPs of engagingly avant jams recorded with unusual combinations of instruments not commonly associated with improvisational music, including some they've built themselves.

The latest and perhaps best of the three Muskox releases is the home-recorded Gallantries (Woods and Waters), employing banjo, vibes, harmonium, pedal steel guitar, double bass, marimba, electric piano and alto saxophone. But more important than the choice of sound creation devices is that the mysterious Muskox crew have found their groove. The closing track The Wren , sounds like a Mulatu Astatke modal mover off an Ethio­piques disc. Small but mighty.