Various - I Love Oscill8 (2020)

In a quick chat with Eine Kleine China's Charles Gunn, he mentioned Oscill8- which we were vaguely familiar with, but hadn't really dug into to find out more. Oscill8 bill themselves as a live music collective - they're based here in Calgary, but include artists from across Western Canada. This tape is the first of a series of compilations they've put out - and as you can expect from a collective, it's spans a bunch of styles within electronic music but all of a remarkably high quality. The standout tracks on here come from Jayne Murray's a toy rabbit (which blends samples and synths together in a compelling blend that's not unlike Eine Kleine China's work) and Michael Weicker's Weep o mine eyes (which keeps to a sparser sound that explores textures and nuances in sound).  

Get this tape via the Oscill8 bancamp and keep your eyes on their instagram for upcoming events.

David Lavoie and Carson Tworow - Urban Repurpose (2021)

Continuing our exploration of the Inner Ocean Records catalogue, we have this tape from Calgary-based trumpeter/guitarist David Lavoie and Vancouver electronic musician Carson Tworow. Despite being electonic-based, the songs on here retain an organic warmth as they bounce from lo-fi hip hop beats to neo-soul. A lot of this reminds us of the work of Kruder & Dorfmeister, which is a pretty great touchpoint.

Get it via the Inner Ocean Bandcamp. 

Carsten Rubeling - Volk//People (2019)

We've been following the work of Calgary's Inner Ocean Records for several years, but had neglected to feature them here at the CCPS - partly because (a) the label has a LOT of releases under their belt and (b) we had a hard time figuring out which artists were Calgarian. Well, we finally spent a bit of time and picked out a couple to feature here - and, yes, it's about goddam time, seeing as Inner Ocean is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. 

This first tape (from a few years ago) is from Calgary-based trombonist and composer Carsten Rubeling and it stays true the breezy feeling of Inner Ocean's releases, with a subtle but compelling soul- and hip hop-influenced jazz. Rubeling is backed by an excellent group of musicians that includes Sinistrio's Steve Fletcher (who we're kind of surprised we haven't mentioned before here). 

It's great listening for a lazy, sunny Sunday - and you can get it from the Inner Oceans Records bandcamp.

Cultist - Manic Despair (2022)

We went on a bit of a shopping spree last bandcamp Friday and picked up a few things that hadn't crossed our radar before. The first is this one from local death metallers Cultist. This is the band's third release (including a split EP with Victoria's Euthanized). As you know, we're not super conversant in metal, but we can report that this is everything we'd hope for in the genre and more - the added synth textures that sneak in on occasion are a tasty addition to the mix. If you're looking for a better sense of what this sounds like, we'll point you over to one of the many reviews from more knowledgeable sources.

Or you can just hit the Cultist bandcamp for a listen or to get your own copy.

Garry Jones and Doug Wong - A Wedding Invitation (1981)

Well, here's the last Doug Wong-related single in our archive (to date!). This is a fun one, produced for the wedding of teacher and children's entertainer Garry Jones to Barb Craig. Wong and Jones had collaborated on the 1979 children's album, Wanda the Little Wizard, which gets referenced on side one of this single. Wong narrates the invitation (right down to reciting the number to call to RSVP) before turning side two over to Bev Sjoberg for the Richard Harrow-penned "Wedding Song."

It's a pretty fun and unique way to celebrate a wedding.

Billy Stone - Denim & Lace/A Face In A Picture (1977)

We've got a few more Doug Wong-produced singles to go before we move on to... well, we're not sure what we're moving on to after this. 

Mootown Records was kind of a pre-cursor to all the Doug Wong Music releases we've been featuring. Around 1977, it looks like the label released at least three singles including this one and another from Judy Reimer (who we've since learned was one of the Reimer Sisters - which we SHOULD have been able to figure out, but we're slow).  

We're not sure if the Country Music Lovers Association mentioned in that article ever came to fruition - or if there were more than three singles on Mootown. In 1979 Wong switched gears and put out a fwe singles on the Aurora Records imprint before going with DWM. 

Get Billy Stone's single here.