L'emubscade

¨This ain´t no jam band, and this ain´t no psychedelic hardcore. I basically sat through the show chewing on my glass in disbelief how a band could pull off songs that ring with the precision of a terrorist strike and sound basically like the tightest knit sweater coming out of the musical Godzilla that is Montreal. There is legit musical talent happening with this band and it´s clear these are musicians who have cut their teeth on a range of styles and assembled each of them in a winner-take-all fight to sweet death. ? Matrix Magazine

Four languages. Three members. Too many influences. One cathartic, undirected, democratic and organic process: L´embuscade comes from all directions and contradictions: tension, simplicity, noise, vocal orchestration, percussive dissonance, melodic instrumentation. Take cover.

From its inception to its creative process, L´embuscade is multi-faceted, somewhat disorderly, complex and coming from all sides, and it works. In September 2005, Jesson Moen (bass, guitar, piano, vocals), Julien Landry (drums, vocals,) and Nick Kuepfer (guitar, bass, vocals) were introduced and then seduced into a dingy basement by the sweet smell of mould spores and locked up for 6 months of intensive musical pondering. The band learned to write in a process new to the three musicians: undirected, democratic and organic, producing a mostly instrumental sound that is entrenched in each member´s individual style, spanning from noisy, dissonant, mathematical and aggressive to simple, stripped-down and carefully textured melodies and vocals.

The band has since taken their sound through a pan-American voyage: recording and pleasing crowds in Montreal; having a song featured in the National Film Board feature film ¨Wal-town¨?; a reunion of writing and recording in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where a rich musical landscape shaped a broader musical perspective, a renewed confidence and a drive that L´embuscade has channelled towards a very active 2008. Arriving back in Montreal generated a writing blitz in four languages, this time incorporating a broader instrumentation by joining forces with two of Montreal´s finest string players, John Corban and Kristina Koropecki, as well as Ryan Frizell on Trumpet, Natasha Landry and her sweet sweet voice, and Mark Berube on Accordion and vocal chords . Having now completed several successful tours of Central and Eastern Canada, L´embuscade is now setting itself up for the release of their debut full-length album. If this has been a long-distance love affair, marriage and children are finally on the way.