Holy F--- Spark Makeshift Rave at Pop Montreal Loft Party

Posted on Oct 1st 2010 5:30PM by Jonathan Dekel

Young Turks

As a city that birthed a scene bred in cheap-rent lofts and government-assisted artist spaces, Montreal has earned a reputation for great late-night parties. So when the city throws its annual Pop Montreal festival, attendees can expect a certain degree of loft action. But while yesteryear saw diverse acts like Patrick Watson and Hollerado keeping the party going way past last call, this year's officially sanctioned nightly shindig at the Little Burgundy POP loft at Espace Reunion had the added cachet of live electronic dance masters Holy F--- headlining their Thursday night event.

While the crowd warmed up with former DFA1979 member Sebastian Granger's Bad Tits and the psychedelic freak-out of Texans Indian Jewelry, the rave atmosphere really came to a head when the Toronto group took to the stage, causing the sweaty room to break out into a humid dance explosion.

Mixing traditional instrumentation with a slew of effects peddles and unorthodox sonic manipulation techniques, the group's deconstructed electronic -- think avant-garde krautrock with a free jazz mentality and post-rock grime -- managed to exploit the packed, sweaty atmosphere. Flashing LED lights timed to coincide with the Matts rhythm section (McQuaid plays bass, Schulz drums) made the pulsing manifest and surely enhanced the late-night delirium effect.

In a bizarre twist, timed to coincide with the announcement of its new 'Electronic' category, the evening was sponsored by the Junos. If any perspective jurors were there, Holy F--- clearly made a strong case for their newest album, 'Latin,' by indulging the album's throbbing grooves in a live setting while recalling some of the more impressive instrumental breaks from Pink Floyd's 'Meddle'-era.

Closing the hour-long set with a simple, "Cheers," the group gave way to the hip-hop-pumping PAs and claimed their place in Pop Montreal loft party lore.

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Pop Montreal 2010

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Richmond Lam

Christian Charisius, Reuters

Pop Montreal 2010

Germany's Atari Teenage Riot (also known as ATR) were ready to rock when they tore threw their set with all the energy you'd expect from a hardcore techno band.

Pop Montreal 2010

The band, which started out in the early 90's, are very political and have used their powerful lyrics in the past to speak out about their anti-nazi and anti-facist views.

Pop Montreal 2010

By Saturday night it wasn't really a secret anymore, but the secret Deerhoof performance at the Little Burgundy Loft at Espace Reunion for Pop Montreal saw a gradually filling venue that was never fully packed.

Pop Montreal 2010

The San Francisco quartet took to the stage at their non-secretive 2AM time slot, playing to the late partygoers celebrating the second-to-last night of the festivities.

Pop Montreal 2010

The band's playfulness and youthful vibrancy shone as they jumped around playing hits spanning their entire 15-year discography.

Pop Montreal 2010

Lead singer Satomi Matsuzaki may be tiny in stature and practically invisible to people standing at the back of the venue, but her remarkable child-like singing and bouncy robotic dance moves is what sets this band apart.

Pop Montreal 2010

Every step and hop was met with quirky force of riffs and catchy rhythms as Matsuzaki's meek and whimsical voice poked through.

Pop Montreal 2010

Pop Montreal won't be the end of for the band. The San Francisco rock group will continue performing across the U.S. this month alongside Xiu Xiu and Father Murphy.

Pop Montreal 2010

Clad in all white, a glossy blue Miami Dolphins jacket, his signature blond mohawk pouring over to one side and a face coated with bright dramatic make-up, O'Regan dazzled the Pop Montreal crowd with songs off his upcoming record 'Special Affections.'

Pop Montreal 2010

O'Regan gave the audience a true performance, jumping between playing behind his keyboard and doing his choreographed moves which consist of lots of dramatic poses and voguing.

Pop Montreal 2010