ProJect

"Listened to your record about 10 times yesterday. Love it."
-Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad; HevyDevy Records) - Devin Townsend

In an age in which personality and packaging are key to so many acts and albums, it's refreshing and rare to come across a disc full of music that's intended to speak for itself. And if the music speaks volumes, as it does on ProJect's Alchemist EP, then so much the better.

Maybe the veterans behind the debut five-track EP were simply confident enough in their musicianship to let it take centre stage. After all, electronic artist/filmographer Matt Rosen has been recording as Liar's Rosebush for nearly a decade, and drummer/composer Mike St-Jean has worked with too many musicians to count in such a small space.

Together, and with the support of an extensive group of session musicians, Rosen and St-Jean have teamed up to create a lush and evocative debut that succeeds on its own terms.

Dressed up with nothing but sparse liner notes and a photograph intended to represent each of the disc's five tracks, the music on Alchemist is virtually free of any context other than its own — but it succeeds in creating whole worlds within that otherwise empty space.

Think Tortoise, Four Tet, or maybe even Final Fantasy, and you're getting there. But to say ProJect sound a lot like any of these acts, or anything else out there, doesn't quite get to the heart of this compelling and promising collaboration.

Reportedly, work on the group's first full-length release is already in progress. If the Alchemist EP is any indication or teaser, then it's going to be well worth a listen. - CHARTAttack : : Matt Blair

The latest entry in the admittedly elusive jazz-electronica genre, Project is the Vancouver pairing of composer and drummer Mike St. Jean and electronic artist Math Rosen (Liar’s Rosebush), who together have created a lush soundscape that engages the ear as much as it does relax the mind. While only a five-track EP, Alchemist stands as a solid addition to any musical library that already includes the likes of Cinematic Orchestra, Cobblestone or Tom Middleton. Neither full-on beat-laden electronica nor anything in the traditionally laid-back jazz vein, Alchemist (much like its namesake) is an engaging blend of rich styles, guaranteed to intrigue anyone looking for a mature listen. The worst thing about this disc is that it’s so damn short, but it works great if you put it on repeat. - Monday Magazine : : John Threlfall

Locally produced electronica for a universal audience. A collaboration between composer/drummer Mike St-Jean and electronic artist/filmmaker Math Rosen, a mini-orchestra of jazz musicians fleshes out the soothing sample-and-loop-laden grooves and dream-inducing keyboards. Stunning photos in the package hint at the outfit’s multimedia performances.
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