The Sonic Collective

Send us Fan MailSonic Collective Album Pick (June 2026): David Byrne & Brian Eno — My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (1981)The Sonic Collective hosts Alain, Scott Gregory, Darren, and Scott Coates discuss Scott Coates June 2026 album pick, David Byrne and Brian Eno’s 1981 collaboration My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, chosen after Scott got tickets for a David Byrne concert and wanted to explore beyond Talking Heads hits. They frame the record as an early blueprint for modern sampling and loop-based production, built from funk grooves layered with found audio like radio voices, sermons, and other global influences, created with labor-intensive tape techniques and with attention to sample licensing (including removed tracks). While acknowledging its innovation, historical importance, and influence on later hip hop/electronic production, they largely find it challenging and not very enjoyable to listen to, scoring it low overall. 00:00 Welcome to Sonic Collective00:57 June Pick Reveal02:04 Album Context and Setup03:04 Alan Reaction and Critique08:20 Scott G Context and Favorites17:22 Darren Historical Perspective22:47 Scott Coates Final Take25:38 Scores and Ratings33:47 Next Month Pick Traveler36:10 Theme Music and Sign OffOverall Scores:Recommend: 2.1Influenced: 2.1Overall:  1.9Scott CoatesRecommend: 1Influenced: 1Overall: 1Darren ScottRecommend: 2Influenced: 4Overall: 2Scott GregoryRecommend: 4Influenced: 2Overall: 3 Alain DupuisRecommend: 1.5 Influenced: 1.5Overall: 1.5The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/Support the show

Send us Fan MailSled Island: The Festival That Changed Calgary Music | The Sonic CollectiveDarren Scott of The Sonic Collective introduces a solo Sled Island 2026 segment. He frames Sled Island in Calgary as an affordable, volunteer-driven, multi-venue “festival of discovery” that prioritizes community, diversity, and intimate live experiences over headliners, algorithms, and phone-first “Instagram moments.” The episode traces Sled’s origins in 2007 under Zak Pashak, its evolution beyond indie rock (including a 2017 Flying Lotus curation), and its resilience after the 2013 Calgary floods, while spotlighting local voices: Conrad Montana of Les Gigantiques, Cartel Madras (discovered at Sled and signed to Sub Pop), K-Riz, Brock Geiger, and Sun Glaciers. Darren highlights venues, local sponsors, CJSW, and argues Sled’s impact is cultural—building connections, collaborations, and changing perceptions of Calgary. If you want to understand what Sled is all about and hear the story from local Calgary artists, then you came to the right place.00:00 Welcome to Sonic Collective00:41 Darren Goes Solo01:08 Why Music Matters02:33 Sled Island Vibes04:31 Calgary Music Community07:23 What Is Sled Island09:08 Calgary Before Sled12:13 Conrad Montana Memories18:12 Festival of Discovery21:03 Cartel Madras Breakthrough31:29 Calgary Grows Up34:38 K-Riz and the Family40:59 Artists Watching Artists41:32 K-Riz New Album Plans42:54 Human Scale Festival44:39 Venues And Local Sponsors47:23 Serendipity And Safety50:16 Volunteers And Traditions52:18 Brock Geiger Interview01:00:28 Creativity Without Boundaries01:02:54 Sun Glaciers On Scene01:08:22 2013 Flood Turning Point01:10:54 Why Sled Matters Now01:15:39 Final Takeaways And ThanksPhoto Credit: Kelly Shaw - Clipping performing at The Palace with Cartel MadrasThe theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/Support the show

Send us Fan MailConrad Montana (Les Gigantiques) on Sled Island, Calgary’s Music Scene & a 20-Year-Old Album Finally ReleasedDarren Scott of The Sonic Collective continues the Sled Island series with a conversation featuring Conrad Sawatzky (Conrad Montana of Les Gigantiques), a longtime Calgary musician who has been active in bands including Anxious Poets, the Shinolas, Cripple Creek Fairies, and The Deadly Skulls. Conrad shares his musical beginnings, his role in local preservation efforts like the Rat’s Nest Recording Society, and his early connection to Sled Island through Zach Peshack and Pop Montreal. He recalls standout Sled memories (Guided by Voices, Television, Yo La Tengo, and more), highlights Calgary venues supporting live music (Loophole, Blocks, Palomino), and discusses what makes Sled unique, including its diversity and discovery-focused playlists. The episode also covers Les Gigantiques’ newly released album—recorded 20 years ago, rediscovered by Trap One Records—now streaming, with vinyl coming in August and a release show August 23 at Blocks.https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/00:00 Show Intro01:08 Sled Island Series Setup02:13 Guest Conrad Montana04:12 How We Met04:48 Conrad Music Origins07:12 Preserving Calgary Tapes09:08 First Sled Island Connection10:50 Favorite Sled Memories12:53 Calgary Venues Today14:43 Day In The Life17:03 What Makes Sled Unique20:17 Les Gigantiques Album Story22:32 Sound And Stage Energy24:44 Tour Plans And Sled 202626:15 Local Band Shoutouts28:24 Advice For New Musicians29:34 Show Plug And Farewell30:57 Host Wrap Up32:44 Subscribe And Closing CreditsThe theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/Support the show

Send us Fan MailCartel Madras on Sled Island, Sub Pop & Their New Era - The Sonic Collective InterviewDarren Scott of The Sonic Collective continues the Sled Island interview series with Cartel Madras, the Calgary-raised, Chennai-born sister duo Eboshi and Contra, discussing their roots, early hip hop influences, and rapid rise from SoundCloud demos to their 2018 debut show and a standout Sled Island performance that led to being noticed by Ishmael Butler and ultimately signing with Sub Pop Records. They reflect on Calgary venues and Alberta’s broader music scene, share artists they’ve discovered at Sled Island, and describe the festival’s unique audience, community, and role in creating career-changing opportunities. The duo previews their return with the new single “Evident 2 Me,” leading into a new chapter and a debut full-length album planned for 2027, plus upcoming festival and tour appearances.Evident 2 Me Releasing June 18. Pre-save here: https://music.subpop.com/cartelmadrasandjide_evident2mehttps://www.instagram.com/cartel.madrashttp://www.youtube.com/@cartelmadrasCartel Madras BioBeckoning you down narrow hallways and into smoke-filled, bass-pumping rooms, Cartel Madras returns with a new world and a new sound. After four years of experimenting, traversing, and creating since their 2021 EP, The Serpent & The Tiger, sisters Eboshi and Contra emerge from the smoke of a shattered global era with vengeance on their mind and adventure laid out before them. Building off their signature experimental electronic hip-hop foundation, the duo expands their sonic domain, summoning listeners onto the blazing hot tarmac of their motherland and into a seductive world, they call you to the beach, the streets, and the uncertainty of this timeline through a new sound. Radical, racy, and raucous as ever, Cartel Madras continue to unfold an uncharted epoch entirely their own.Born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and raised in Alberta, Cartel Madras crafts a cultural syncretism of house, trap, punk, industrial electronics, and razor-sharp rap. Known for explosive live performances that channel the energy of underground queer and punk scenes, the duo have built a reputation for music that is confrontational, playful, cinematic, and impossible to pin down. After being scouted during their 2018 Sled Island performance, they signed to Sub Pop Records and have since released three acclaimed EPs alongside a growing body of striking visual work directed and produced through their own multidisciplinary practice.Cartel Madras have shared stages with artists including M.I.A., JPEGMAFIA, Jack Harlow, Wu-Tang Clan, clipping., Mac DeMarco, and toured with Sudan Archives. In 2023, they returned to India to open for M.I.A.. Alongside their music career, Eboshi and Contra have expanded their artistic universe into film, installation, and visual storytelling through their production house FOREIGNERZ, creating immersive worlds that blur the boundaries between music, cinema, fashion, and contemporary art.Their full-length studio album is set for release on Sub Pop Records & Royal Mountain Records in 2027.00:00 Show Intro00:42 Cold Open Track01:12 Sled Island Series Setup03:46 Origins and Influences05:50 First Shows and Breakthrough08:26 Discovered at Sled Island11:00 Sub Pop Signing Story14:00 Calgary Venues and Scene15:47 Sled Island Discoveries18:01 Festival Crowd and Etiquette22:13 New Era and Upcoming Music23:33 Shows and Tour Plans25:05 Local Artist Recommendations26:38 Final Thoughts and Farewell28:03 Outro and CreditsPhoto Credit: Michaela Neuman @EquidemThe theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/Support the show

Send us Fan MailSun Glaciers’ Evan Resnik on Sled Island, Calgary’s Music Scene & New Album “Spiritual Content” | The Sonic CollectiveThe Sonic Collective hosts Darren Scott in a Sled Island interview with Evan Resnik of Calgary band Sun Glaciers, discussing the group’s origins from early basement jams to evolving into a steady lineup, their early acceptance into Sled Island in 2016, and Resnik’s influences from grunge and classic rock to post-punk and eclectic artists. Resnik reflects on discovering Calgary’s scene through Chad VanGaalen while living in France, describes Calgary as a diverse “melting pot” of genres, and explains what makes Sled Island unique, including its curation, guest curators, and energized crowds. They cover Sun Glaciers’ fourth album, “Spiritual Content” (released late March), its more stripped-down live-ready approach, the “Only Love” video shot at a house on Mission Road, upcoming festival dates like Dandy Fest, and local venue shout-outs including Palomino, The Legion, Dickens, and Ship & Anchor.https://www.instagram.com/sunglaciers/https://www.sunglaciers.com/00:00 Show Intro01:06 Sled Island Series01:31 Meet Evan Resnick02:47 Band Origin Story04:51 Calgary Roots05:18 Early Influences06:20 Finding The Scene07:28 Calgary Sound Today08:41 Discovering Sled Island09:27 Festival Connections10:51 Playing Sled Crowds11:45 What Makes Sled Unique12:41 New Album Spiritual Content13:48 Only Love Video14:53 Upcoming Shows15:17 Venues That Support Music16:30 Diversity And Inclusion17:01 Must See Sled Acts18:18 Final Plug And Thanks19:20 Host Wrap Up20:58 Subscribe And Credits21:27 Signing OffPhoto Credit: Sebastian BuzzalinoThe theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/Support the show

Send us Fan MailBrock Geiger on Sled Island 2026, Calgary’s Music Community & His Debut Album “Some Nights” | The Sonic CollectiveIn this Sonic Collective Sled Island series episode, host Darren Scott interviews Calgary-based songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and audio engineer Brock Geiger ahead of Sled Island 2026. Brock shares how he started playing music in Calgary, learned touring and studio life through bands like The Dudes and Reuben and the Dark, and built his production practice into Studio B. He discusses making his debut solo album, Some Nights, beginning during COVID in his home studio and later expanding it at Sound City in Los Angeles with notable players. Brock reflects on Sled Island’s impact, memorable early festival experiences, what makes the festival’s audiences unique, and how it supports Calgary’s independent scene. He also previews current projects, his Sled Island 2026 sets, recommended local venues, and advice for emerging artists.Upcoming Performances 2026: June 17 - Dickens (Sled Island)June 20 - Dandy Brewing (Sled Island)July 25 - Calgary Folk Festival (as RALEIGH)https://www.brockgeiger.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brock__geiger/00:00 Show Intro01:03 Sled Island Series Setup02:33 Brock Geiger Background02:44 Calgary Roots Early Bands04:16 Touring Session Work05:37 Recording Producing Obsession07:56 Studio B Launch09:00 Solo Album Some Nights10:09 Sound City Upgrade Sessions12:06 Sled Island First Memories14:34 Playing Sled Island Community15:36 Festival Impact On Calgary17:51 Sled Audience Energy20:53 Networking Through Festival21:59 Current Projects LP Two23:01 Sled Island Shows Schedule23:54 Best Calgary Venues25:19 Must See Acts This Year25:58 Where To Find Brock26:33 Advice For Musicians28:26 Wrap Up And CreditsBrock Geiger Photo Credit: Sebastian BuzzalinoThe theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/Support the show

Send us Fan MailK-Riz on Sled Island 2026, Calgary Hip Hop, and One Way Ticket to Heaven | The Sonic CollectiveIn this Sonic Collective Sled Island series episode, host Darren Scott interviews Western Canadian artist K-Riz ahead of Sled Island 2026, discussing his journey from Edmonton and Toronto, his genre-blending sound (hip hop, R&B, pop, jazz, reggae), and his reputation for powerful live shows with K-Riz and the Family. K-Riz shares how he first connected with Calgary’s scene, his early Sled Island experience opening for Thundercat at the Palace Theatre, artists he’s discovered there, and how the festival helps build community and broaden hip hop audiences—especially through more artists performing with live bands. He also highlights key Calgary venues, his work as an educator at the National Music Centre, and details an upcoming album, Heaven, recorded at NMC, plus upcoming Sled Island and Stampede performances.June 18th Sled Island @ The Ship & AnchorStampede Coke stage July 10thInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/krizmusic/00:00 Show Intro01:07 Sled Island Series Setup02:32 Meeting K-Rizz03:25 Origins and Early Career04:49 Edmonton to Calgary Move05:50 First Sled Island Memories06:22 Festival Discoveries07:45 Hip Hop at Sled Island09:23 Calgary Scene and Venues12:28 Community and Collaboration15:39 New Album and NMC Work19:04 Upcoming Shows and Where to Listen20:27 Sled Island Picks and Wrap22:38 Closing Thanks and Sign OffThe theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/Support the show

Send us Fan MailOn this episode of The Sonic Collective, we head to the wide-open prairies of Saskatchewan to explore the self-titled debut album from one of Canada's most distinctive modern voices: Colter Wall.When this album was released, many listeners couldn't believe the deep, weathered voice coming from someone so young. Drawing heavily from the traditions of classic country, folk, and western music, Colter Wall arrived sounding less like a modern country artist and more like a forgotten legend from another era. His music evokes the spirit of artists such as Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Johnny Cash, and The Highwaymen, while telling stories rooted in the people, places, and culture of Western Canada.Our panel was impressed by Wall's authenticity, his unapologetically Canadian perspective, and his willingness to embrace imperfections in a musical era often dominated by polished production, pitch correction, and manufactured perfection. There is a rawness to these recordings that makes you feel as though Colter is sitting just a few feet away, playing these songs live for you.But does the album lean too heavily on the artists who inspired it? Do the slower tempos and similar song structures begin to blend together over the course of a full listen? And can an artist sound timeless while still bringing something new to the genre?Join Darren, Scott, Scott and Alain of the Sonic Collective crew as we discuss one of the most unique debut albums of the past decade, debate its strengths and weaknesses, and explore why Colter Wall has become one of Canada's most respected voices in modern roots music.This is Colter Wall. The album. The artist. And the legacy he may be building one song at a time.Darren Scott and The Sonic CollectiveAlbum Scores (Out of 5)Combined ScoreRecommend: 3.5Influence: 3.5Overall: 3.6Darren's ScoreRecommend:4Influence: 3Overall: 4Scott C's ScoreRecommend: 3Influence: 3Overall: 3Scott G's ScoreRecommend: 4Influence: 5Overall: 4.5Alain's ScoreRecommend: 3Influence: 3Overall: 3Support the show

Send us Fan MailScott led us into the neon‑lit, genre‑bending world of LCD Soundsystem with this month’s pick, This Is Happening — an album born from James Murphy’s insistence that it would be the band’s grand farewell. Whether or not that retirement stuck, the mythology around the record shaped how each of us approached it: as a supposed final statement from a restless, self‑aware creator who blurred the lines between punk, dance music, and art‑school irony.Across the episode, we wrestle with the album’s contradictions — its meticulous production paired with intentional imperfections, its dance‑floor pulse wrapped in deadpan wit, its sprawling track lengths that test patience as much as they reward immersion. We trace the fingerprints of Bowie, Talking Heads, and the downtown New York scene, while also confronting our own generational biases and blind spots around electronic music.This Is Happening sparked one of our most aligned discussions yet, but alignment doesn’t mean agreement. Did the album’s hypnotic repetition pull us in or push us away? Did Murphy’s self‑deprecating humor charm us or keep us at a distance? And did living with the record for a month change how we think about dance‑punk, electronica, or even the idea of a “final” album?Tune in to hear where we landed — and why this one surprised all of us in different ways.Scores⭐ Scott CRecommend: 4Influence: 3Overall: 2.5⭐ AlanRecommend: 4Influence: 2Overall: 3⭐ DarrenRecommend: 4Influence: 4Overall: 4⭐ Scott GRecommend: 3Influence: 2Overall: 3Support the show