Readable Ink

Du talent caché à l’Université d’Ottawa!

Bien que la scène musicale de la capitale nationale soit aussi vivante qu’un centre gériatrique, Readable Ink et Lonely F nous ont offert, vendredi dernier, un spectacle affirmant tout le potentiel et le talent présent à l’Université d’Ottawa.

De son côté, Readable Ink possède un répertoire plus éclectique. Les nombreuses influences du groupe, tant de la musique rock que classique, se succèdent dans chaque pièce. Leur approche sur scène s’apparente un peu plus au «jam-session» que celle de leurs collègues. Effets plus nombreux, chansons plus longues dessinant un paysage musical vaste et qui frôle parfois la disparate. Une chose est sûre, les gars de Readable Ink ne voient aucune limite à leur créativité musicale. Le batteur offre même une pièce reggae/drum’n bass dans laquelle il déploie ses talents de beat box vocal!

Les trois joueurs d’instruments à cordes n’hésitent pas à se relayer à la voix, chacun étant compositeur et chanteur, ni à s’échanger les instruments. Le claviériste Troy se débrouille admirablement bien malgré ses maigres deux ans d’expérience et amène au groupe une tendance jazz fort intéressante. Ensemble depuis moins d’un an, Readable Ink a enregistré cet été son premier album qui s’intitulera Painting Eerie et prévoit partir en tournée l’été prochain.

Lonely F, ainsi que quatre autres groupes, seront en spectacle le 13 novembre 2003 au Club Saw (67, rue Nicholas, à Ottawa) dans le cadre d’une production jointe de musique et d’arts visuels. L’entrée est gratuite. De leur côté, Readable Ink prépare un spectacle d’Halloween au Elbow Room (356, rue Elgin, à Ottawa) le 31 octobre 2003. Ne manquez pas la chance de les voir à l’œuvre, la scène d’Ottawa étant ce qu’elle est…(Marc-André Mongrain)
- La Rotonde - Culture/Societe

READABLE INK - A Journey West (Yummy Recordings)

This is the local Ottawa band's first full-length album and already they've staked out a little turf by sounding completely unusual among a fairly diverse scene. Very erratic mood wise, this album forgoes the straight rock approach with slinky guitar runs, off-key timing and almost operatic vocals, which works surprisingly well because the rhythm section is solid. Kinda like Queen meets Radiohead. They've also put a lot of thought into what they are saying, with abundant poetry in the booklet. There are some shining moments such as the smouldering S.B.B., and a few where a little restraint would serve them better, but it's a great debut. (Jeremy Milks) - Ottawa XPress

ALL THE MUSIC THAT'S FIT TO READ

They just ain't makin' phrases like Willie Shakespeare's unforgettable "On love's light wings did I o'er perch these walls" anymore.
Hence, when Kader Blaine of the local band Readable Ink sought appropriate words to detail in song the splendor of a brief encounter, he knew where to turn.
Of course, Shakespeare's Romeo did not add, "On love's light wings did I get high." But then, his was a somewhat less hallucinatory era.
Blaine's The Garden's Roof was first heard on an EP and can be found on Readable Ink's debut album, A Journey West, along with two related songs. The second track in the trilogy, The Garden's Sequel, makes allusions to Milton's Paradise Lost; the third was inspired by the life of Christ.
Clearly, there is more to Readable Ink (the name is an anagram of Kader Blaine) than meets the ear.
There is also more to the quintet than Blaine. The band, whose songs range from restrained waltzes to revved-up neo-psychedelia, is blessed with three strong songwriters -- guitarists Blaine and James Turner, and bassist Seth Desjardins.
And from the Morganna LeBlanc painting that graces the cover to the transcription of each songwriters' lyrics, A Journer West offers attention to detail that is rare among local indie releases.
"I read a lot and I guess I want others to read a lot," Blaine says with a shrug. "It's not done to be pretentious, but if you're going to make an album you should have something you'll be proud of later."
As for those lyrics, Turner, who slips references to Icarus and other mythological beings into his songs, nonetheless claims to be less concerned with a deeper meaning...to a point.
"When I write songs things just come to me," he claims. "As for lyrics, it's more about the sound of the words than it is about what is said. But there is that analytical mind and ethical mind telling me it all has to fit together and make sense.
"It's all good and well to have a song that's catchy, but once you can dance to it the next depth you have is the lyrics. If they're good too, you have a song that might hold up for more than a couple of listens."
This Saturday, Turner, Blaine, Desjardins, keyboardist Troy White and drummer Dave Koczij, plus a guest or two, will further aim to create lasting memories by incorporating visual art into their CD-release show at Babylon. Turner, for one, is particularly looking forward to the big night.
"I get lost in it," he says of the Readable Ink experience. "I'm our biggest fan." (Allan Wigney) - The Ottawa Sun