Alex Stooshinoff
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Alex Stooshinoff

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | SELF

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada | SELF
Established on Jan, 2014
Solo Rock Ambient

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"Screening Room//New Canadiana: Living Room - Stasis"

One-man prairie dreamscape machine Alex Stooshinoff conjures hushed hymns and honeyed drone-worlds as Living Room. On “Severed”, stereophonic nü age vocal strata are paired with lush aquiline projections. Elsewhere, arboreal visions intersect with polychromatic mutations. Throughout the audio-visual experience of Stasis, the abstract and concrete are woven together to form a resplendent multisensory tapestry. - Weird Canada


"Album Review: Living Room - Stasis"

Living Room is the work of Saskatoon's Alexander Stooshinoff. I'm glad he chose to record with a name other than Alexander Stooshinoff. I just get the feeling that "Stooshinoff" is in the Urban Dictionary; and it's got something to do with what men do, alone, in front of computer screens...with half empty shampoo bottles.

One of two things is going on with this guy. Either he is the only other person in Saskatchewan who is as big a fan of The Microphones as I am or he simply hasn't been introduced to his favourite band yet. The Microphones were sort of a one man band from Olympia, WA. Just a kid with an awkward voice who wrote these really ambient, drone-laden lo-fi songs back in the early 2000s. He's since gone on to record under various other names; neither of which could match the greatness of his work with The Microphones.

Well, Stasis is the closest I've ever seen another album come to capturing the same feel as the early stuff from The Microphones.

At times I think Stooshinoff drags the ambience on a bit too long - it shouldn't come as a surprise, upon listening, that the album is intended to evoke some trips he took on ayahuasca. I suppose the meandering and emptiness might take on a whole new meaning if I was wacked out on extreme hallucinogenics generally reserved for Peruvian Shamans. But, alas, I'm just a poor Canadian kid who doesn't even have any weed. There is a visual component to the disc as well. It's quite breathtaking; but at the same time it made me paranoid. The last time I took hallucinogenics I spent six hours, naked, on a hotel toilet in New Orleans begging for a paramedic; the whole time I was seeing images similar to this...while simultaneously vomiting and shitting.

It's actually a fantastic album at points. The moment in "Moths" when he plucks that first guitar note sent shivers up my spine. Partially because it sounded so much like The Microphones but also more partially because it's this real haunting acoustic riff following 3 minutes of chilling atmospheric noise.

I'm pretty sure "Severed" is just Alex doing vocal warm ups. I tried something similar myself once; I just used the video camera on my computer and recorded myself moaning. Mine didn't have the same effect.

The Title track really is brilliant. I mean, really, really, really brilliant. Hands down the best moment on the disc. Possibly the best moment on any disc I've heard all year. "You can haunt my mind's eye/ I'm so terrified that you will die" has been stuck in my head since I first listened to it.

"Balance" is a little "cheerier". By cheerier I mean not nearly as depressing as the rest of the album but still desperately depressing nonetheless. If you know what I mean.

I really like some parts on this disc; other parts I just don't quite understand. Regardless, Alexander Stooshinoff is someone I look forward to hearing more from.

Watch the visual version for yourself. Or just start it at 8:50 to see what I mean about the title track. - Greengrass Radio


"Review - "Stasis" - Living Room"

Alex Stooshinoff’s debut release as Living Room is an ambitious combination of sounds that that explores the wide world of nature while sounding familiar as a cozy living room fireplace. The six songs on the release bleed together seamlessly and come with an accompanying full-length video that combines images of animals and trees with swirling overlaid kaleidoscopes.

Opener “Archangel” begins with found sound conversations, layering over each other to create the feeling of being alone in a crowded place, throngs of people moving around you. A growing drone, an air conditioner hum, grows steadily as the visuals of distorted colours and paint brush stroke stretch and appear.

When the guitar of “Moths” strums in, the visual immediately switches to a soft-focus moss-covered tree, a not-so-subtle indication that this is the organic sounding part of the record. As deer stare through the screen, Stooshinoff sings of accepting existence: “Always looking for something to reach, and yet the point is simply to be.”

The most haunting moment of the release is “Severed”, composed solely of a cappella notes sung by voices separated by which headphone they feed into. The visual is of darkly-filtered eagles, who at one point widen their beaks and appear to be the ones singing. It’s a bit surreal, and incredibly entertaining.

The album continues alternating between sweetly-sung folk songs and thoughtful ambient pieces, which beautiful visuals to go along with it. “Stasis” shows pinecones masquerading as cocoons set to lyrics about persistent thoughts of another, and “Pillars” shows coloured ink blots, rainbow octopus trails, with sparkling and slow instrumentals.

By the time the guitar kicks back in on “Balance”, it’s clear that this is an album capable of releasing a sense of wonder.

Top Tracks: “Severed”, “Moths”

Rating: Strong Hoot (Good) - Grayowl Point


"Living Room - Stasis"

‘Stasis’ is a wonderful debut album for ‘Living Room’, a musical project by Alexander Stooshinoff, who packs two Cds in one colorful and nostalgic packaging. One of the Cds has these six songs as audio tracks, while the other Cd offer this music together with a video that combines layers upon layers of nature, distorted imaging and live footage. Either way you choose to grasp ‘Stasis’, the sounds in this living room are beautifully organic and delicate even at their fiercest moments.

In ‘Stasis’ you can find pieces like “Moths”, which brings simple folk guitar and great singing, next to the ethereal ‘Severed’, with abstract vocal singing that allows us to discover more experimental sides to this project. “Archangels” comes from a very different angle, blending haunting voice samples with unsettling drones that feedback into a wall of noise for a short while. This is not eclectic in any way. Alexander Stooshinoff makes everything fit together perfectly into a dreamlike story. “Stasis” is an excellent debut for what seems to be like a very interesting project, and an album you should listen to time after time after time. Watch the video as well, while you’re at it, this is also a great experience. - culture is not your friend !


Discography

Still working on that hot first release.

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Bio

Alex Stooshinoff is a Canadian musician currently based in Saskatoon.Stasis, his debut e.p., is a six-part ambient suite that he home-recorded over a nine-month period.

Stasis is a meditation on the pillars that ground us, and a reconciliation of the forces that change us. It is an exploration of self, with songs that evoke the sounds and emotions of Stooshinoff’s Ayahuasca experiences, structural motifs that reflect an imbalanced, steady, yet unsettled headspace, and lyrics about value, loss, and the importance of self-control. Stooshinoff collaborated with visual artist Zac Knuttila to produce a full-length video designed to be a visual companion to the music. Stasis was self-released in the summer of 2014. 

In addition to releasing his own music, Stooshinoff has written music for short films, and created audio installations to pair with gallery exhibitions. He is currently pursuing a degree in philosophy. 

Band Members