From Chimpan- A to Chimpan-Z

Local band gets a little help from their friends
The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon)
Thursday, February 2, 2006
Page: C4
Section: Lifestyle
Byline: Silas Polkinghorne
Column: nightshift
Source: The StarPhoenix

It was a Friday afternoon right around exam time, and they probably should have been studying.

Instead, a 10-piece choir of high school students was in a recording studio belting out vocals for a rock song.

Levi Soulodre, the guitarist for local band From Chimpan-A to Chimpan-Z, had made the request to his 16-year-old sister, a St. Joseph High School student taking a vocal jazz class: "If you want any of your friends to be on this ambitious rock record, come on in."

After recording, "they couldn't wait to hear it," recalled guitarist Jared Beattie. "We had to go right into the computer room."

The students' vocals will be part of a new, mostly instrumental song on Chimpan's debut full-length album, a work in progress with a release planned for late March or early April.

The band has been recording at S.J. Kardash's Living Space Studios since early January, and the choir is not the only unexpected appearance.

"My mom dropped accordion," said Soulodre, and the album also includes xylophone, strings and a piano being bashed so it sounds like a herd of elephants.

But don't forget Chimpan's hard, melodic rock 'n' roll, with its punchy guitars, loud-soft dynamics and powerhouse vocals from Elsa Gebremichael. It's heavy music for people who don't like heavy music.

"We had high expectations and high hopes," Soulodre said in an interview this week. "Working with S.J., it's coming out brilliantly."

Soulodre adds the band wants to bridge the gap between indie rock and the "more hard rock, metal, emo style."

Chimpan's first recording, released as a demo EP, was hastily put together last year, but the band feels more confident with the new tracks.

"Last time was just rush, rush, rush just to get the parts we had to have, and this time we can actually spend at least a little bit of time and try a few different things," said Gebremichael, who also sings in Surface, another Saskatoon band.

Soulodre says the band got a good response to the first recordings, but "if they liked that, then when they hear this they're going to have their heads blown off, I think."

Chimpan, which also includes Tim Arsenault on bass and Jordan Schenstead on drums, has applied to Toronto's NXNE and other festivals, and hopes to tour as much as possible this summer.

"I think it's a great opportunity, not only to play music, but hopefully to see the rest of Canada, and just have crazy adventures and stuff. I want to do it as long as possible," said Beattie.

The band has also been asked to play in New York this year after filmmaker James Spooner -- the creator of Afro-Punk, a documentary about African-Americans in the punk scene -- stumbled on the band's website.

He noticed Gebremichael, whose parents immigrated to Canada from Ethiopia before she was born. He liked the band's music, so a Chimpan song has been included on a compilation CD that accompanies the Afro-Punk DVD.

From Chimpan-A to Chimpan-Z plays Friday at Amigos and Saturday at Louis' for the X-Jam Battle of the Bands.


- The Saskatoon Star Phoenix

From Chimpan-A to Chimpan-Z is more than just a local band; they
are a local supergroup. In the past, the only way to listen to Chimpan was seeing them live at various shows around Saskatoon. But luckily for all us local scene snobs they have released some of their work on a much more convenient audio format (i.e. an EP).

For many bands, capturing their live sound on an album is somewhat of a difficult task, especially when their recording budget is less than substantial. Yet somehow, Chimpan has been able to capture their live essence (for the most part) on their EP. Elsa Gebremichael's vocals are
clear and distortion-free, Levi
Soulodre's violin parts translate very well, and all the layered vocals and anthemic yells remain intact. Everything you hear at a Chimpan show you get on this CD.

Though there are only four songs on this EP, it contains well over
twenty minutes of high quality
punk rock. And despite the limited amount of songs, Chimpan dishes out a very diverse track listing. “Barf Mitzvah” is an
energy-driven, head-thrashing track, while “If I Can't Live Without You Then Why Aren't I Dead Yet?” is
a medium-paced track with a very
mellow outro. I can say with emphatic honesty that Chimpan is an extremely talented
band. It is very rare for such
a young band to be able to craft epic songs that stretch past the seven minute mark. I can also say with emphatic honesty that Chimpan is much more talented than at least half of the bands that were on Warped Tour this year. If you can find this EP, buy it.
- The Sheaf (University of Saskatchewan students' paper)

From Chimpan-A To Chimpan-Z - Designs
Written by tolesscharacters

Friday, 21 April 2006


At a glance From Chimpan-A to Chimpan-Z could be dismissed as just another scene all-star act, with members from now defunct acts that spread across the genre map. On closer inspection this band is rarity, their debut full length simply titled ‘Designs’ demonstrates that passion can be the cream that rises to the top of the coffee cup that is modern music.

‘Designs’ is at root a rock album, but layered beneath lie many facets that truly expose the talent these Chimps possess. It would be oh so easy to be hypnotized by the enigmatic guitar riffs that serve as the backdrop of these 9 tracks, the confident crooning, or the hook that always find a way to get you. But the one thing you realize listen after listen is that these songs are written to the full extent of the band’s talent and should be recognized as inspired and inspiring.



I could hammer through each track, but there’s no need – each song stands onto itself adding something unique to the mix, just like each member adds a unique quality to the band. The production is top notch, proving nine-thousand dollars isn’t required for a great sound. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if ‘Love is a Fire!’ was hearing blaring out many a car window this summer.

Track Listing:
1. Berlin
2. May We, Mae, on this Good Friday?
3. Dead Eyes
4. Aurora Boreaopus
5. Love is a Fire!
6. Bar Mitzvah
7. Dreamcatcher
8. Designs (i) If We Are All Designed For Living, Why Are We Destined To Die
9. Designs (ii) If I Can’t Live Without You, Why Aren’t I Dead Yet?


- www.threeohsix.org

FROM CHIMPAN-A TO CHIMPAN-Z Designs (Somnambulist Sound System/Scratch)
This album has a definite dual personality. The first half is filled with yelps of angst traded off between a guy and girl singer while the melodies swing and sway wildly underneath. The catchy "Love Is A Fire!" revels in its unevenness. However, it's the latter half of the album (the two lengthy composite tracks titled "Designs") where it all pulls together. The ethereal and chilling instrumentals are in a class of their own, creating the sort of atmosphere that makes the hair on your arms stand up. Instead of struggling to overpower the music (or the male vocalist), the female vocals are used sparingly to make for a beautiful enhancement. When she's in control, they're like another band altogether. Conclusion: Less faux-anger mall punk, more lush soundscapes.
-Caitlin Hotchkiss - Chart Attack