Introspective music you can dance to, qr5 is a singular combination of reggae groove, pop contagion, and folk sensibility - respecting, yet at the same time consistently defying what is expected from any of these genres.

After spending years perfecting an ambient electronic/indie folk sound, the band fused the style they had created with reggae influenced rhythms to create a truly exciting new voice in Canadian music. Heartfelt and pensive, sometimes even mysterious, but always energized with a life affirming force, this is striking, original, and emotionally evocative music.

The band's 2006 release Pharmakon infuses their thoughtful pop sound with more rhythmic influences, creating a recording that is emotionally involving yet upbeat and danceable. The strong songwriting at the core of the group means the simple, central themes of the music and lyrics are never overwelmed by the ambitious production values and their iconic visual identity.

Review

As a band of three white guys , Toronto's qr5 are playing with fire; i.e., reggae. But the gentle snare-rim tap and sultry instrumentation (mandolin! Xylophones!) of pharmakon never succumb to patois pabulum, the rhythmic ticks serving as appropriate complements to singer Matthew Maaskant's nervous but heartfelt vocal mannerisms. While post-punk hipsters plunder the Talking Heads' more trendy Afro-funk phase, qr5 seek solace in the tropical pop of the Heads' mid-'80s output, making them the ideal house band for urbanites who dream of island getaways but don't want to put up with geriatric tourists sporting fannypacks. "Time Is Coming" could give David Byrne legitimate grounds for a lawsuit, but chances are he'd be so charmed by its breezy lilt and call-and-response chorus that he'd offer these maestros a Luaka Bop deal instead.

Sound

Introspective music you can dance to, qr5 is a singular combination of reggae groove, pop contagion, and folk sensibility - respecting, yet at the same time consistently defying what is expected from any of these genres.

After spending years perfecting an ambient electronic/indie folk sound, the band fused the style they had created with reggae influenced rhythms to create a truly exciting new voice in Canadian music. Heartfelt and pensive, sometimes even mysterious, but always energized with a life affirming force, this is striking, original, and emotionally evocative music.

With their intimate yet expansive delivery, the vocals portray a new, almost post-modern point of view on the well-worn themes of love and religion. With lyrics that artfully delve into every part of our emotional lives, the instrumentation bobs and weaves with the singing - creating a subtle exterior for music with a fervent conviction.

The band's 2006 release Pharmakon infuses their thoughtful pop sound with more rhythmic influences, creating a recording that is emotionally involving yet upbeat and danceable. The strong songwriting at the core of the group means the simple, central themes of the music and lyrics are never overwelmed by the ambitious production values and their iconic visual identity.

Review

There's a quaint peacefulness that runs throughout Pharmakon, the latest, folk-infused album by Toronto four-piece QR5. It's the feeling conveyed by the tempered vocals of singer Matthew Maaskant as his words float over the band's multilayered arrangements that, while finding their roots in a folk tradition, are enriched by myriad sonic sources and influences. There are touches of reggae bass and guitar exchanges on both the skankin' "Revisited Gone" and on album opener "Living Large," where the reggae vibe is awash in a combination of restrained horn stabs, mandolin plucking, faint accordion chords and, eventually, a wave of stings. QR5 fight the urge to rock out on hiccup-y "Storyteller," maintaining their reserved composure through brief moments of heightened energy and guitar distortion over a beat that refuses to hold still. While the number of sound ideas poured into each track is commendable, the similarity between many of the cuts may be the album's one true drawback, a fact even further exposed by the album's relatively brief 40-minute runtime. That said, it's a sound that doesn't wear thin, keeping things fresh throughout.

History

qr5 started as a collaborative effort between Ben Bootsma and Matthew Maaskant. They produced music for theatre and film. The lineup grew by Keith Stirling on drums and Jonathan Weverink on bass when they decided to play their first show at the Emergenza Festival. After becoming semi-finalists they began booking shows at various Toronto clubs, playing, among others, The Reverb, El Mocambo, and The Silver Dollar.

Maaskant, also a photographer, gave the group's promotions a unique look that captured the band's music visually and helped them secure opening slots for Toronto bands like LAL and FIVE BLANK PAGES, as well as NYC's OUTERNATIONAL. With a strong web presence, the band booked headlining shows all over Ontario, while at the same time starting a weekly feature at College Street Bar in downtown Toronto on Wednesday nights.

The group independently recorded full length record 'Pharmakon' on their own label, Draft Tattoo Production Inc, and released it at the Drake Hotel to a full house. It received rave reviews in magazines such as Exclaim, Eye Weekly, Scene Magazine (London), and beyond - as far away as First Coast News (Jacksonville FL).

The group continued to promote their music on college radio stations, getting played on CIUT (Toronto) and CJSF (Vancouver), and American station KDVS (Davis, California). The album was distributed to record stores across Canada, selling out the first week in dowtown Toronto's Rotate This after being featured in their listening booth.

Throughout this time the band played benefit shows for non-profit organisations such as the Cambodian Land Mine Relief Fund and Artists Against War. The song 'Dreams' was added to L.A. based The Music Library, and is widely available to the film community.

The group plans to record over the winter and tour Canada in the spring. During this time the band will explore licensing opportunites in the U.S. and Europe as well as recording and releasing other acts in their studio and under their label.

Albums

This Artist has 1 Album
Clean Clean

Clean Clean

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