Ghislain Poirier

Last updated

Poirier
Birth nameGhislain Poirier
Born1976 (age 47–48)
Origin Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genres electronic music
Canadian hip hop
Occupation(s)DJ, record producer
Years active2001–present
Labels Ninja Tune
Website http://www.poiriersound.com/

Ghislain Poirier, often known simply as Poirier, is a Canadian DJ/producer from Montreal who is signed to the Ninja Tune record label. He has, however, also worked with other labels such as Chocolate Industries, Rebondir, Shockout, Musique Large, Intr_version and 12k. His work mainly consists of original instrumental mixes and mixes featuring Montreal hip hop MCs including Omnikrom, Face-T and Séba. He also has collaborated with Beans, TTC, Lotek HiFi and Nik Myo. He is noted for popular remixes of tracks of rock and hip hop artists such as Les Georges Leningrad, Clipse, Editors, Bonde do Rolê, Kid Sister, Pierre Lapointe, DJ Champion and Lady Sovereign. Though he has worked in many different genres of electronic music, he is known for his eclectic taste in music and appreciation of tropical bass sounds.

Contents

Career

Early work

From 1995 until 2000, Poirier was involved in campus community radio at CISM-FM (Université de Montréal). During this time he had a radio show entitled "Branché: Monde". [1] He began his career performing and recording under his full name with his debut album, Il N'y A Pas de Sud being released in 2001. It has been described as "an uncompromising minimal electronics record that fit part and parcel with the laptop zeitgeist". [2] Along with Deadbeat, Tim Hecker and Mitchell Akiyama, Poirier was part of "what became known as the Montreal minimal techno movement". [2] Sous le manguier features cover art by Poirier himself.

The middle few albums were more hip hop in genre. Conflits and Beats As Politics were all mostly instrumental, though Conflits features two songs with Poirier doing spoken word (he also was responsible for the cover art). Other hip hop vocalists who collaborated on these records are Québécois rappers Séba and Diverse. Poirier's fifth album, Breakupdown, was more a combination of hip hop and techno sounds, described as "big synth sounds ripped from angrily forgotten techno, gooey basslines, and choice samples". [3] Soon after the album's release, Porier was remixing Buck 65, Lady Sovereign, Pole, Bassnectar, Cadence Weapon, and others. He then founded Rebondir, his own imprint and released an EP. [3]

As well, during this time, Poirier was also involved in collaborations with contemporary choreographer and dancer Dana Michel. [4]

Ninja Tune

Poirier's first Ninja Tune full-length release was 2007's No Ground Under. Though rappers Omnikrom appear on the album, the record deviated from his previous work, focusing instead on dancehall, including vocalists Face-T and MC Zulu. In 2008, he was invited to perform at the New Yorker Festival. [5]

In 2009 Poirier began the release of three EPs to be completed over the course of a full year, the first of which was Soca Sound System (April 2009) which included guest appearances by MC Zulu as well as soca performer Mr. Slaughter. [6] Where Soca Sound System experimented with soca, the second Run The Riddim experimented with dancehall and the third, Low Ceiling, which came out in early 2010, focused on dance music with no vocals, "said to be inspired in part by his early years in the underground rave scene" [7] Run The Riddim was the first release under the shortened name Poirier. [8] All of the three EPs featured cover art by Montreal-based photographer Guillaume Simoneau. [9]

Also in 2009, he was featured on a Truckback Records remix project for dancehall artist Erup's hit "Click My Finger" alongside Grahmzilla of Thunderheist, Nick Catchdubs and Lunice.

In January 2010, Poirier's music was used alongside Flying Lotus and Roberto Carlos Lange, among others, as the soundtrack to New York artist Brian Alfred's It’s Already the End of the World, "a solo exhibition of new work by Brooklyn artist Brian Alfred...featur[ing] 14 new paintings, collage works, and a major new video work". [10] In March, Poirier released Running High, an album that brought together tracks from the previous three EPs as well as additional new material and remixes by "Wildlife!, Mungo, Uproot, Marflix, Maga Bo, Stereotyp, and Poirier himself". [11]

Bounce Le Gros and other performances

Poirier is well known in Montreal for a series of successful club nights entitled Bounce Le Gros (roughly translated as "Bounce Dude"). At these events Poirier experimented with "grime, crunk, hip-hop, ragga, reggae, booty house, Baltimore breaks...original urban music from all over the world". [12] Bounce Le Gros began in 2005 at small local club Zoobizarre [13] and then moved to larger venues as Poirier experienced increasing success. The last edition was held in the summer of 2007. During the same summer, Poirier, alongside Megasoid and DJ Khiasma held a large illegal outdoor party on St-Jean Baptiste Day, 24 June. The party was so well received that it recurred in August 2008 and again, alongside Pop Montreal on St-Jean Baptiste in 2009. As Megasoid's Speakerbruiser Rob describes: "Bridge Burner has really become an amazing event, mostly because it has received support from a good diverse group of people...with great promoters getting on deck, Pop Montreal, RedBull, Mike D, Khiasma, Ghislain and a lot of heavyweight local volunteers. [2009] was the biggest, and most visible, and most successful, but truthfully, the first one will always hold the space in my heart." [14] In October 2009, Poirier introduced a new event called Karnival. Paul Devro (Mad Decent), Dub Boy (Ruffneck Diskotek, Bristol) and Face-T were featured. The second edition was held in February 2010 and included performances by Bonjay, Ghostbeard, Boogat and Face-T as performers and was filmed for a video for the new single "Arena" by Crookers featuring Poirier and Face-T.

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles

Remixes

Related Research Articles

In Jamaican dancehall music, a riddim is the instrumental accompaniment to a song and is synonymous with the rhythm section. Jamaican music genres that use the term consist of the riddim plus the voicing sung by the deejay. A given riddim, if popular, may be used in dozens—or even hundreds—of songs, not only in recordings but also in live performances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reggaeton</span> Music genre

Reggaeton, also known as reggaetón or reguetón, is a modern style of popular and electronic music that originated in Panamá during the late 1980s, and which rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s through a plethora of Puerto Rican musicians. It has been popularized and dominated by artists from Puerto Rico since the early 1990s.

Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon OD, better known by his stage name Shabba Ranks, is a Jamaican dancehall musician. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was one of the most popular Jamaican musicians in the world. Throughout his prominence in his home country as a dancehall artist, he gained popularity in North America with his studio album Just Reality in 1990. He released other studio albums, including As Raw as Ever and X-tra Naked, which both won a Grammy Award as Best Reggae Album in 1992 and 1993, respectively. He is notoriously popular for "Mr. Loverman" and "Ting-A-Ling", which were globally acclaimed and deemed his signature songs.

Sixtoo was the main project of Canadian underground hip hop DJ, producer and rapper Vaughn Robert Squire between 1996 and 2007. He has since retired the Sixtoo name, and is pursuing other directions in electronic music, with a large genre shift from experimental hip hop to deeper club sounds of various tempos. He has also released music as Speakerbruiser Rob, and Prison Garde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian hip hop</span> Music genre

The Canadian hip hop scene was established in the 1980s. Through a variety of factors, it developed much slower than Canada's popular rock music scene, and apart from a short-lived burst of mainstream popularity from 1989 to 1991, it remained largely an underground phenomenon until the early 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TTC (band)</span> French hip hop duo

TTC is a French hip hop group from Paris. It consists of Tido Berman, Teki Latex, Cuizinier, Orgasmic, Para One, and Tacteel. In 2007, Les Inrockuptibles described it as "one of the most fascinating developments in French music of the past ten years."

Om Records is an American record label, established in 1995, which releases electronic music, dance music and hip hop. The label was founded in San Francisco in 1995 by Chris Smith. Om Records releases both artist albums and compilations, including the Om Lounge and Mushroom Jazz series. Om's roster of artists includes Groove Armada, Underworld, Dirty Vegas, Bassnectar, Indiana Taurus, J Boogie, People Under The Stairs, Samantha James, Amp Live, Greenskeepers, Hot Toddy, and Wagon Cookin. Past artists have included Kaskade, Wolfgang Gartner, Ladybug Mecca, and Juan Atkins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pop Montreal</span> Annual music festival in Quebec, Canada

POP Montreal is an annual music festival occurring in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the early fall, usually at the end of September or the beginning of October. More than 400 bands are scheduled to play in more than 50 venues across the city, mostly located in the Mile End area. Along with music, POP Montreal has music-related film, art events as well as a conference and a cultural fair called Puces Pop. The initial festival in 2002 saw 80 musical acts performing in 40 venues around Saint Laurent Boulevard.

Rodney Panton, also known as Rodney P is an English MC, as well as a radio and television personality who first gained attention via the UK hip hop scene in the 1980s. A former member of UK hip-hop group London Posse, Rodney P is known for rapping in his London accent.

Bouyon is a genre of Dominican music that originated in Dominica in the late 1980s. Prominent bouyon groups include Windward Caribbean Kulture (WCK); Roots, Stems and Branches (RSB); and First Serenade.

This is the discography of DJ Quik, an American hip-hop artist and Record producer. This list includes all of the official album and single releases, including his albums, Quik Is the Name, which debuted at No. 29 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and No. 9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in 1991. Way 2 Fonky, which debuted at No. 10 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and No. 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in 1992. Safe + Sound, which debuted at No. 14 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in 1995. Rhythm-al-ism, which debuted at No. 63 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and No. 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in 1995. Balance & Options, which was his first album not to chart and not to receive a RIAA certification in 2000. Under tha Influence, which debuted at No. 27 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and No. 7 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in 2002. Trauma, which debuted at No. 43 on the US Billboard 200 chart, No. 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, No. 9 on the Rap Albums, and No. 1 on the Independent Albums in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omnikrom</span> Canadian rap, crunk and electro group

Omnikrom is a Canadian rap, crunk, and electro group formed in Montréal. Omnikrom is composed of two MCs, Jeanbart and Linso Gabbo, and their producer Figure8. They are also produced by Tepr, Kid Rolex and Ghislain Poirier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hudson Mohawke</span> Scottish music producer

Ross Matthew Birchard, better known by the stage name Hudson Mohawke, is a Scottish-American producer, composer, and DJ from Glasgow. He is known for his work in 21st century hip-hop and electronic music. A founding member of the UK label collective LuckyMe, his fractured take on hip-hop made him a leading figure in the late-2000s wonky scene. He released his debut album Butter in 2009 on Warp Records. He has followed with the solo albums Lantern (2015) and Cry Sugar (2022), both on Warp.

"Tempted to Touch" is a song by Barbadian soca musician Rupee. The song was first released in 2002 on the VP Records sublabel Waist Line Muzik, backed with the song's riddim, "The Grippa Riddim". It also appeared on the compilation album Soca Gold 2003 before getting a slightly different sound for its 2004 single release. Upon its release, the song reached number 44 on the UK Singles Chart, number 39 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and number five on the Romanian Top 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mecca (musician)</span> Saint Lucian singer

The Mecca, formerly Young Mecca, is a St. Lucian hip hop/pop/EDM artist and songwriter. Growing up on the island of St. Lucia, he was one of the brave to defy norms and to move towards a more urban musical art form despite the dominance of other genres like soca and calypso. Part of his early popularity arose from his performances at stage shows opening for regional and international acts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DJ Buddha</span> American DJ and record producer

Urales Vargas, known professionally as DJ Buddha, is an American DJ, record producer, radio personality, music publisher, and record executive from Lawrence, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellowman</span> Jamaican reggae singer

Winston Foster, better known by the stage name Yellowman and also known as King Yellowman, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay. He first became popular in Jamaica in the 1980s, rising to prominence with a series of singles that established his reputation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walshy Fire</span> Jamaican-American DJ

Leighton Paul Walsh, better known by his stage name Walshy Fire, is a Jamaican American DJ, MC and record producer. He is part of the dancehall reggae-influenced group Major Lazer alongside fellow DJs Diplo and Ape Drums. Walshy Fire toured with the Black Chiney sound system beginning in 2004. Black Chiney is cited as a significant influence on the evolution of Major Lazer with its mashups that blend hip hop or R&B rhythms with reggae & R&B artist vocal tracks and its representation of the Jamaican sound system. The subsequent mix tapes that the Black Chiney collective of DJs, engineers and MCs would develop were the training ground for Walshy to become a remix producer.

Boogat is a Canadian-Mexican musician from Quebec City, Quebec, whose style blends hip hop with Latin music styles such as cumbia and reggaeton. He won the Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year for his album Neo-Reconquista at the Juno Awards of 2016 and the ADISQ Awards of 2016.

References

  1. ↑ Katigbak, R: "More Bounce to the Ounce" Archived 5 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Montreal Mirror, 21(7): 2005.
  2. 1 2 Nasrallah, D: "Poirier: Brave New World" Archived 13 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine , Exclaim!, April 2010.
  3. 1 2 Ranta, A: "Ghislain Poirier: No Ground Under", Pop Matters, January 2008.
  4. ↑ Jaeger, S: "The Spirit of Dance Weaves a Tale: Dance Immersion Showcase Presentation" Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine , The Dance Current, Summer 2006.
  5. ↑ Del Signore, J: "Sasha Frere-Jones: New Yorker Pop Critic" Archived 26 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine , Gothamist, 29 September 2008.
  6. ↑ S, Jack: "Introducing...Ghislain Poirier" Archived 21 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine , Altsounds, 8 April 2009.
  7. ↑ Fallon, P: "Poirier: 'Marathon'", XLR8R, 20 January 2010.
  8. ↑ "Ninja Tune". Ninjatune.net.
  9. ↑ "Overview - Guillaume Simoneau". Simoneauguillaume.com.
  10. ↑ "New Work by Brooklyn Artist Brian Alfred at Haunch of Venizon", Artdaily.org.
  11. ↑ Gompers, S: "Poirier, Running High", Impose, 29 March 2010.
  12. ↑ Barclay, M: "Ghislain Poirier's Bounce le gros" Archived 14 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine , Exclaim!, February 2006.
  13. ↑ Bottenberg, R: "Gizzy keeping busy" Archived 5 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine , Montreal Mirror, 22(32):2007.
  14. ↑ O'Keefe, L: "Q&A w/ Speakerbruiser Rob of Megasoid", LookOut, 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.