Canadian musician Ouri premieres ‘Ironic’ as part of Re:Conceive 2, a fundraising compilation of cutting-edge electronic music from artists based in, and orbiting around Montréal. Re:Conceive 2 will activate its broad stylistic range into social action by donating all net profits to The Native Women’s Shelter of Montréal and Just Solutions, a pro bono refugee legal clinic.
Contributing artists range from world-renowned to best-kept secrets. Opening with an orchestral bang, a long and hot fire of tracks 2–17 then burns out into the steam of tracks 18–23, before being capped by a chapter of amorphous and watery sound baths. The dance floor is almost always present: at times practically; at times abstracted and imagined; at other times very, very far away. The through line of the album is that of Montréal, where we lay our scene. It is the sound of this time, in this place. We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
“I made ‘Ironic’ with the memory of a euphoric walk I took years ago, the first time I left a party at sunrise, experiencing Montreal’s gorgeous underground rave scene. Still on a high, buzzing and sweaty from dancing, the hostile frosted streets of Montreal’s in winter became home.”
Ouri began playing the harp and piano at 5, but at 7 she found unity in the cello. A self proclaimed introvert who’d rather dash off on her own than feel disconnected in the wrong crowd- she arrives in Montreal at the age of 16 to pursue a degree in composition. Montreal’s rave scene is where her artistry began to take shape – establishing herself in the community as a producer, DJ, and composer. Lending her skills to various collaborations, she strengthened her sense of self, but also her affinity for transforming sonically into any genre, playing any role.
After scores for Ganni, MoMA, Swarovski China and Truly, she also produced her first film scores since then. Evolving beyond her affirmed DJ persona, she breaks out of the underground to come up for air – where she collaborates with folk artist Helena Deland. They merge in a dimension of their own, and Hildegard is born.
In 2021, she released under her own imprint BornTwice her debut album Frame of a Fauna and an ambient tape Self Hypnosis Tape, reminiscent of melodies found on the main album. In March 2023, her latest release Twin establishes her unique production as well as her vocal presence. In 2018 she was invited to MISM x Boiler Room’s Montreal show, participated in one of the last Red Bull Music Academy cohorts, and signed to Ghosty (international) & Make it Rain Records (Canada) for the release of her EP ‘We Share Our Blood’ and was asked to make official remixes for the likes of Tokimonsta. Her growing notoriety let her support Jacques Greene, Yves Tumor, Tirzah, Arooj Aftab, Yaeji, Smerz & Kllo live in concert.
Ouri is currently a monthly resident DJ at NTS, she preparing new solo and collaborative releases.
Ouri live
East Coast US & Canada opening for Yaeji May 10th-20th
BBK music festival Bilbao, Spain July 7th
Calas Mijas music festival, Spain Sept 1st
Format Festival, Bentonville, AR USA Sept 23rd
Re:Conceive 2 Shift Radio takeover
shiftradio.live – June 16th 6 pm EST
Boha, Mossy Mugler and Teo
Re:Conceive 2 launch party
Friday June 16th @ Nouvel Établissement, Montréal. $10. 10p-3a.
DJs: Odile Myrtil, Victor Bongiovanni and Boha
Follow
@ouri.riou
Re:Conceive 2 will be released June 15th 2023 on Bandcamp and SoundCloud exclusively
Pre-save it here: https://reconceive.bandcamp.com/album/re-conceive-2
Feature photo by www.instagram.com/feng_ish
