Timber Timbre replays the ’80s for dystopian vibe
If a recent, jam-packed show in Hamburg is any indication, Timber Timbre is well on its way to becoming one of Canada’s hottest exports to Europe
The Montreal-based band regaled the sweaty Reeperbahn festival crowd with the dark, synth-laden strains of their sixth and latest album, Sincerely, Future Pollution. Although it’s a significant departure from their folksier early material, it seems European fans can’t get enough of singer-songwriter Taylor Kirk’s ominous musings on the disintegration of society.
“The record was released in April and we’ve been to Europe four times already,” said keyboardist Mathieu Charbonneau, 36, one of two Ottawa-area musicians in Kirk’s band. The other is Gatineau drummer extraordinaire Olivier Fairfield, who’s described as the “secret weapon” in Timber Timbre’s live show.
In the studio these days, they’re a trio, with multi-instrumentalist Simon Trottier rounding out the threesome. While much of Kirk’s past songwriting has come together during the recording process, another big difference with the new record is that the songs were ready before the tape started rolling. That’s because they were booked to record in a world-class studio in a town outside Paris.
“It wasn’t a friend’s studio, it was a real studio. You want to be prepared and you want to be effective, so we did prepare a lot beforehand,” says Charbonneau. “We played for three months, almost every day in Montreal, so once we got to France, it went fairly quickly.”
One of the attractions of the studio, La Frette — besides the fact that it’s in a 19th-century manor and the musicians get to live there while they’re working — was the owner’s collection of vintage synthesizers, and his willingness to dust them off.
“We’re always interested in using different sounds for each record, and with this one, we wanted to go deep in understanding and using these instruments,” says Charbonneau. “We have used synths before but we really wanted to go into detail. It was appropriate with the themes and the ambience that we were looking for.”
The sonic landscape they had in mind was inspired by classic ’80s movies like Terminator and Blade Runner, films that have a similarly bleak view of the future.
“We knew we were looking for something dystopian and industrial and dark,” says Charbonneau, at the same time noting that love, hope and heartbreak are also swirling throughout Kirk’s lyrics.
Charbonneau grew up in Cumberland, east of Ottawa, and, after graduating from De La Salle high school, moved to Montreal to study music at Concordia University. That’s where he met Trottier, who also played with Kirk. They recruited Charbonneau to help out with extra keyboard parts on the fourth Timber Timbre album, 2011’s Creep On Creepin’ On. He’s been part of it ever since.
But he also remains in touch with the Ottawa- Gatineau music scene, thanks in part to his younger brother, Phillipe, a member of the Hull-based experimental trio Scattered Clouds with drummer Jamie Kronick and keyboard wiz Michael Dubue.
Charbonneau is impressed with what’s been coming out of the capital lately.
“I’m just happy there is a scene now, and it’s alive and well,” Charbonneau says, lauding Hull band Fet.Nat as “one of the best live bands in Canada right now.”
Another noteworthy Ottawa-area act, Boyhood, opens for Timber Timbre at Bronson Centre. lsaxberg@postmedia.com Twitter @lynnsaxberg Instagram @lynnsax
We have used synths before but we really wanted to go into detail. It was appropriate with the themes and the ambience that we were looking for.