Background and early history Montreal DIY music scene

— sebastian cowan in 2013 dazed magazine interview

in 2007, many artists including sebastian cowan, alexander cowan, ezra gray , jeff boyd, video director emily kai bock, formed artist collective , venue space lab synthese in mile end, montreal, quebec. acts mile end neighborhood such godspeed you! black emperor , arcade fire considered diy scene s ancestors. kai bock recalled place being intense , beautiful. highlighted glow of inspiration filled [bedrooms] during shows, , rich conversations lasted late night leave me deep sadness such oasis of collaboration couldn t last forever.

several acts of montreal scene started performing in parties @ lab synthese , other venues close it, , dazed magazine described live shows forcefully human , overly theatrical. artists performed @ these parties more secure them, explained musician cfcf, instead of touring in other places; because, dazed analyzed, audiences outside of montreal didn t know these acts never care them. lab synthese shut down on october 31, 2009, 2 years after founded, due evidence police of crimes such heavy liquor drinking going on @ venue. lab synthese has been compared chart attack andy warhol s midtown manhattan-based studio factory.

in 2008, sebastian cowan influenced concept of constellation records form arbutus records part of lab synthese art collective; intention of label release music artists each had own individual style of music instead of focusing on issuing records of 1 type. in words of dazed, music has been distributed arbutus include luminous lullaby techno works of blue hawaii, provocative cabaret confessionals singer-songwriter sean nicholas savage, energetic sample-heavy music airick woodhead s project doldrums, , indie group tops hazy dream pop; however, feel enchantingly disparate. silly kissers, defunct group members included savage , people later form tops, labeled dazed inspiration arbutus acts experiment pop music, ethos of montreal scene.