 |
|
| |
 |
SHIRTLIFTER was Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's capital. He was first influenced by electronic music with the invasion of electro-pop disco and punk back in the early 80's. His first DJ residency came at the age of 18, and soon after started creating music as part of a prolific production team called Boy's Life. In the late 90's Shirtlifter teamed up with U.K. legend DJ Paul Walker to pursue more underground musical interests. Now, as a solo recording artist, Shirtlifter continues to push his diverse-influenced house music sound, and re-mix internationally from his Toronto base.
SHIRTLIFTER is a red jello addict , and his mantra includes : "I wish I were an Oscar Meyer wiener". His biggest pet peeve is a barbed wire toilet seat. The band enjoys watching the Price is Right while formulating new ideas for up-and-coming Shirtlifter material. Bad is good...good is better. Shirtlifter, also a magician, continues self-levitation, and wishes to one day recover his crashed UFO . |
| |
 |
PRESS
Brett Thompson, The Muse's Muse, UK
Shirtlifter knows what it's like to dance on the beach on a balmy summer evening, cocktail in hand, trivial thoughts far, far away. Or at least that's what I get from this cool, clean, crisp brand of electronica.
Shirtlifer's latest recording ‘Fans in the city' doesn't ask you politely to dance with it, rather choosing to grab you confidently and encourage you to move. Simple beats are layered with curious sounds which at times can be distracting, but all in all the whimsical lyrics guide the listener through this comical maze of twilight tunes, even if you are laughing when you come out the other side.
The beauty of Shirtlifter appears in his unpredictability. What most ‘Sunday Session-ers' expect from a good track is something to unwind to but also dance to if they feel like it and this record proves that it is possible for background music to be enjoyed as foreground noise if you choose to let it.
If you like the indie trance slash alternative dance sounds splashed at you sparingly from commercial artists like Fatboy Slim and Chemical Brothers but also Theivery Corporation and Manitoba then grab yourself a pair of dark shades and turn this LP up loud.
One word of advice though, ‘Fans in the city' needs a suitable environment and headspace to be enjoyed as I found listening to it on headphones alone in a cramped London Studio Flat left me wanting more.
*****
Mike Bond, UK Musicsearch, UK
Much like Underworld being fronted by a camper version of Moby, Shirtlifter make music that blends progressive dance beats and stream of consciousness lyricism with a theatrical bent.
WASDANCE PSYCHO drifts along on a funk-lite bassline and washes of ambient noise, Jeffrey Leclair dropping in his vocals, a bizarre mix between David Byrne, Moby and David Bowie - at times deep and soulful, at others highpitched, camp and theatrical, with a lyrical flow that borders on the pretentious at times. The deep house of IT'S OK repeats the same trick, although the slight echoes of mid nineties dance -pop acts like The Beloved and The Shamen do stir up the odd feeling of worry, maybe it's something to do with the coma inducing vocal style at play here.
In what could be a worrying trend, ASK TO BE, brings up the same feelings - a progressive sounding dance track that's hampered only by less than inspiring vocals, kind of like Faithless on downers.
The stronger sounding, TWO STEP MONKEY, manages to overcome these problems instead delivering an atmospheric soundscape of driving beats and ambient soundwashes that sounds like the natural update to Kraftwerk's Autobahn, while GROWLER is a harder hitting experience that grooves along on clinical techno beats and industrial noise. The electro pop of STARTING FROM SCRATCH, is like Talking Heads reinterpreted by Depeche Mode - a definite eighties throwback, but one that at least does its retro chic with care and attention.
Exhibiting a wilful determination to cross genres and never stay stagnant, this is a record that shifts styles with regularity - from the industrial pop of VIOLATION to the cold funk workouts of OVER THE TOP and PIGGY ALIVE's techno flutters, Fans In The City certainly explores the far corners of electronica.
GOD A RELAX, again finds Jeffrey Leclair developing his stream of consciousness lyricism, although this time with a healthier sense of direction. While still hitting something of an over theatrical groove and sounding like a camper version of LCD Soundsystem, this nevertheless hits a funkier groove and exhibits a vitality and aliveness lacking in some of the earlier tracks.
Fans In The City, while flawed in some areas, is a record that excels in others. Some of the weaker sounding vocals are upstaged by the quality of the music on offer, proving that what Jeffrey Leclair may sometimes lack in the vocal department he more than makes up for in creating progressive dance floor fillers with impeccable production technique.
*****
Tyson Lynn, Splendid Magazine, USA
Is Shirtlifter really making European-style house music in Canada? Isn't that a contradiction in terms, or a violation of genre/national boundaries, or at least kind of odd? Apparently not for Ottawa-born Jeffrey Leclair, the man behind the Shirtlifter mask. Fans in the City may not clear new musical ground, but it firmly establishes Leclair as a DJ and producer to be reckoned with.
Sashaying in on a Latin beat, "Wasdance Psycho" wastes no time dropping in the four-on-the-floor drums and the echoing, hollow-sounding chimes. Leclair's voice slips across the top, down into the cracks between the notes. It's a thin whisper of a vocal, except when it's doubled or otherwise f**ked-with for menacing effect. The result of such tinkering can be deeply ambient and darkly propulsive. "Ask to Be", by comparison, is nearly bombastic. The tempo picks up, the bass line bobs and weaves along the drum programming, and the reverb is turned way down. Still, no matter how upbeat the music gets, the vocal tone remains hollow, and the addition of random synth stabs preserves the sinister club nature of song and album alike. This is a dark collection, but perfectly in tune with the work of Leclair's (true, European) contemporaries.
*****
Shaun Proulx, Xtra Magazine
Fans in The City ..."this is music money well spent."
*****
Vishwanath Iyer, The Daily Vault, USA
Shirtlifter's music is unusual for the place he comes from. He hails from Ontario Canada, but Fans In The City, Shirtlifter's third effort, is as European as any house-music record could be.
Each track on Fans In The City has all the typical attributes of what defines "house-music." His beats aren't too addictive, but have a strangely attractive tempo to them. His songs do lack the sense of melody that is commonly associated with music driven by the synth, but this is house music, which isn't supposed to be melodious.
Though Shirtlifter's music strongly adheres to the rules of house music, he thankfully doesn't integrate two key elements, which make the music of this genre painfully monotonous, not to mention annoying: eight-minute songs consisting of a cycle of thudding beat-pattern, repeating again and again, with nothing else happening to the song; and "synthesized" vocals that sing a couple of lines in, which go unnoticed, due to the boredom-driven beats that seem to last for eternity.
Fans In The City, with a total of ten tracks, is less than fifty minutes in long, with each number having some identity of its own, differentiating from the others, which is saying a lot for an album that could easily have been fraught with unbearable ennui.
Fans In The City is more than decent as a whole. But it has weak points, which don't ruin it, but could have been improved to a great extent. "God A Relax" -- a song about Shirtlifter's frustration on not being able to find a parking spot -- and "Violation" fall into the category of songs that lack any basic structure. Such songs, however, if treated in a right way, could also be the an album's best; for example U2's "Mofo" (from Pop) or New Order's "Fine Time" (from Technique). But, on the other hand, if not treated right, these numbers could sound slapdash, which is the case with "God A Relax" and "Violation."
Fans In The City lies somewhere between the hardcore house music style of the likes of Daft Punk and the rather accessible form of house music like that of Dirty Vegas, with a stronger inclination towards the latter style than the former one. Shirtlifter's music could do with further honing and polishing; nevertheless he is a mature artist who aims to make dance records for serious listeners.
RATING: B
*****
Dan MacIntosh , Indie-Music, USA
Shirtlifter's, Fans In The City is the electronic pop music of Jeffrey Leclair. Recorded in Toronto, this CD is filled with disco-y musical grooves, which bounce along beneath Leclair's deadpan, nearly spoken, vocals. This music is stripped down, with sparse beats, minimal effects, and droll vocals. It's a project clearly aimed at dance music fans, yet it's certainly not something one can mindlessly dance to. Instead, it has the claustrophobic feel of introverted bedroom expressions.
Leclair's lyrics are, for the most part, emotionally numb observations. He's speaking from the heart here. Titles such as “Wasdance Psycho” and “God A Relax” mildly hint at philosophical inspirations, although it doesn't appear as if Leclair has any overt lyrcal agenda. There's just something unusual about an introverted dance CD, since the act of dancing is normally associated with extroversion. Nevertheless, Fans In The City sounds a whole lot like music made by a lone man in his basement, which is why it is appealingly unique."
*****
Foo, Sounding Board, Germany
Violation" by Shirtlifter comes in with a complaint about the current sorry state of the music industry and puts it to a funky dance cut-up. Impressive for the argument alone, "Violation" shows potential at 70 mark. It will elicit a range of responses.
*****
Joe Roy, The Diversitys Review, USA
Shirtlifter's "Ask To Be" does a great job of creating a kind of house/techno beat production with stylized vocal tracks that make the tune interesting with a somewhat distance feel. Jeffrey Leclair did a great job of producing this interesting mixture of rhythm/percussion tracks that conveys a familiar sound but yet being very original. His voice tracks leave a lot of space for the song to breath and the arrangement flows with a professional air. I could very easily see myself busting a move to this track while drinking lots of water, if it were not for the fact I can't dance worth a crap. I was very impressed by the fact that the complexity of drum/percussion tracks still had space to move. A very interesting and dynamic tune well worth listening to or better yet dancing to.. I bet it would be fun to party with this guy...
*****
Dance Music Reviews, UK
This 8 track album Fuel is a bit of a mystery to me, you can find out more at www.shirtlifter.ca but I'll stick to reviewing the CD rather than their website. First up is "I Wanna Funk" and this is a great track to start off with as it just pushes on at an alarming rate for what is a club house cut with atmospheric deep overdubs. Ultimately you may find it too repetitive but it's uncommercial and I like it. While "Light My Fire (Shoo Be Doo)" is a slower sultry and sexy cut with a female spoken word vocal. "Hear Me" is more upfront, while retaining a house vibe it has a dancehall style male vox that is a bit too repetitive but is pukka club house which is great as this is the target audience!
"Funky DJ" is subversive with a deepness that is uncommercial but sounds great, being medium pace, it's just right for that house marathon and the minimalist approach lends itself to the progressive area but it's not a boring plodder. The pure club approach continues (thankfully) with some banging house, with different vocal styles to mix things up and this almost plays like a DJ set as the vibe just keeps on going, though "Feel The Generation" is the exception as it's a more electronica. So it's deep house with an electronic edge, very clubby and therefore OK by me. Just need some killer remixes and this'd be really cool, otherwise it's just good solid club house.
A solid **** outta five
*****
Great White Noise, Canada
Straight from the Toronto club scene comes Shirtlifter (obviously not his real name, but since I don't know if he wants his real name revealed, I wont) with a new CD entitled Fuel. A very aptly named disc it is, because if you are into the trance/dance thing then this is definitely enough fuel to get you moving.
Shirtlifter began as a DJ at the age of 18 and went on to become part of the successful production team Boys Life. In the late 90's Shirtlifter teamed up with U.K. legend DJ Paul Walker to pursue more underground musical interests. Now, as a solo recording artist, Shirtlifter continues to push his diverse-influenced house music sound, and produce internationally from his Toronto base.
Fuel is a techno, bass rich, well mastered collection of eight songs that is almost guaranteed to get many spins on the entire dance club and rave scene. Shirtlifter himself says that if House music is taken to seriously the fun will be taken out of it. Long a haven for DJ's and Mixers, the large cities of the country were perhaps the only places that this type of artist could find an audience. In the last few years, however, I think there has been a slow spreading into rural Canada that can only be good news for Shirtlifter and everyone creating this type of music.
Strengths: Strong production, well mixed, makes you want to move.
Overall, this disc is rated a 4 out of 5.
*****
Carlo Vega, Nocturnal Magazine, Canada
Fuel is one hell of a CD. Shirtlifter is an Ottawa-born music artist who now calls Toronto home, according to the CD which is enhanced with a bio, photos, and other ish on the man called Shirtlifter. Oh yeah did I mention there was music on this CD also? His sound is definitely clubby house with a tribal touch a some tech. You may pick on some samples from some very familiar house tracks if you listen close enough. A solid CD, not just for the music, but also the multimedia content.
Disc rating 3.5 out of 5.
*****
Daniel Paquette, Xtra Magazine, Canada
Local music artist/DJ/producer Shirtlifter, aka Jeffrey Leclair, is gaining international attention for some of his hot new funky house tracks that can be found in select record stores or online at www.shirtlifter.ca. His current album features a track with vocals by brilliant local singer Victor Crowl. It's worth checking out the website of this very talented artist who back in the early '80s helped launch Nuts and Bolts, one of the best all-time local dance clubs.
*****
Bulaka Music Magazine, UK
Sometimes you realise that a cd player and a set of headphones simply doesn't do certain types of music any justice. You lack the sheer bass, the volume and atmosphere of the venue. That's not to say there's no atmosphere on this album however.
There are also some really stomping tracks on Fuel, the latest release from Jeffrey Leclair (aka Shirtlifter). If you've even had the slightest exposure to house music, you'll instantly recognise the beats, sounds and rhythm on display here. Make sure you've got a sound system that can cope with this album, as you are going to want to play it pumped up. We were lucky enough to get the promo release of the album, which meant that along with the eight tracks, we also got the data from the website which saved a lot of surfing about!
Of all the tracks on Fuel, "Light my fire" most definitely deserves a special mention - this is an absolute belter of house. Trumpet blasts, some seriously funky bass lines and fantastic vocal breaks. If you're not inclined to get up and dance around to this, you've got a serious lack of musical taste. Listening to Fuel is like reliving the last fantastic club session. if this was the set that was being played, it's a miracle you'd still have any energy left in your body.
As Jeffrey say's himself "it's not really about the music now, is it? House... it's about having a good time. if you try to be too serious, you'll kill it." And that's something that's borne out in Fuel. This is seriously good music, but it doesn't take itself that seriously. For example, there are some excellently used samples ranging from the closing door sound from star trek to the intro break from that classic song, "Hitching a Ride". and as for the smooth "Funky DJ" sample (from the song of the same name) - class. hypnotic, engaging and downright low and dirty, this album is a great example of what house music should be.
*****
A&R Magazine, USA
Shirtlifter comes up trumps with an intoxicating mix of house and melodic driven club dance music. "Light My Fire" is the bomb! Turn it up but make sure your speakers can cope!
*****
Loren McDonald, Gods of Music, USA
"Light My Fire", has got to be one of the kickenest-groovy-beats to pull a House song that I have heard in along while. I'm of the opinion, if you are going to dance and groove, or listen at a loud party, ‘W' the EQ and you're set. Do that here and you had best have some damn good woofers... or you may not have any thing left of them but shreds. No distortion here, just straight, pure, thump that will probably make the thickest of speaker cones seem like tissue paper.
The beat is just one of a few good points that form this song. The actual House feel seems a little old style, but the overall effect is fresh, and strong, enough that you can't help but rock to it. I have caught myself, on more than one occasion, starting to bounce and be-bop around in my chair.
The vocals come across very clear and powerfully. They are a great element of the song. The effect on them is cut too short in a few places, but that is not really an issue, or damaging to the song. They do seem just a little over used, but only if you are concentrating on them all of the time. But at the same time, they keep the simplicity of the song from getting into a boring mode
.
A worse, but also not harmful, *bad-effects* condition, is where the music transitions abruptly, into totally dry sounds. This causes a very deadening effect that seems just outside of the range of, used properly. It provides change, is somewhat attention grabbing, but just a wee-bit too much. Then, there are the slight pop's in the percussion. This is either intentional, or else a slight sample problem. Either way, it is something that lightly takes away from the real range of sound contained in the drums. A listener, intent throughout, will take notice, but probably not a casual fan.
It is a difficult thing, to pull off something that can make you ignore any and all problems in a song, the way this one does. You have a sound here, with a moving feel and funk that reeks of greatness.
*****
Iwellius, Sounding Board, Germany
"Light My Fire" is a rather minimalistic house-track which is enriched with interesting sound effects, percussion and vocals that both generate and forward the rhythm as well as the repetitive harmonies. There's not really much to struggle about as the artist is well up in handling with music professionally. At least for this genre, it's hard to improve the track technically.
The use of effects, drums and synthis is typical for house music, especially the kind of implemented voices and synthi-effects. The voice effects that are either implemented as a repeated ''sing-along'' or as a percussion support give the track it's unique kind of house style. All in all, the tuning is nearly perfectly. I don't want to criticize anything particularly.
Regarding the track as a whole, the composition is a bit one-sided and too repetitive for my personal taste. On the other hand, this is house music which is mostly constructed like that: Just good enough for the feet and less strenuous for the mind, you know ?!
To make this piece more interesting for those who just listen to the track, it would be advantageous to shorten the track by two minutes and reduce the intro and the end of the track.
Concerning the overall feel, this track can easily be released comically. The track is perfectly emulated to tracks of this genre but it's nothing more. You'll find quite a lot other tracks that are designed the same way. But this should not curtail the achievements. The track stresses out its genre completely."
Rating Scores (House): Total Score: 80/100 => 80%
*****
Jonathan Sanders, Gods of Music, USA
If you're a fan of house and trance, and if you feel like dancing endlessly, Fuel could be the album for you.
*****
Jason Thomas, Klublife Magazine, Toronto
Shirtlifter was a virtual unknown until this year, now with a barrage of House releases due this year and next, watch out, this guy could be the next Barry Harris and quite possibly the follow up to Hatiras! More commercially driven House sound with mainstream clubs in mind.
*****
Up Close, Bulaka, UK
Shirtlifter's first dj residency was at the early age of 18. Later he was to team up with uk dj Paul Walker to pursue more underground musical tastes. Now solo, shirtlifter continues making music on the Eastern Bloc label (set up by mancunian Paul Walker) and produces, all from his home base in Toronto. The shirtlifter songs vary from hard hitting disco house to almost tribal rhythms, with a slab of techno house thrown in for good measure, and you can almost feel the sweat of the dancefloor as you listen to them.
And there are certainly enough songs to keep you occupied on the Shirtlifter.ca site. Shirtlifter claims to take influences from, amongst others, Cameo, Boney M, David Bowie, Parliament (who doesn't!) and William Orbit.
For a slice of refreshing house music, check out the songs available for download on the Official Shirtlifter site at shirtlifter.ca.
*****
RJM, Shattered Dreams Music Magazine, USA
While not being a great fan of house music I still can appreciate when it's good and Shirtlifter is ! Entertaining beats, vocals well done (not too many, just enough). Three of my favorite pieces are "Alive" , "Gonna Party" & "So Good" (a bit repetitive but still good). "Alive" starts right off with the beat with a nice break at about 3 min. then start back again. Well done "metallic vocals" too. If you are looking for a song that could become a pretty good commercial hit ; "Gonna Party" has what it takes to make it there. The only thing I would have liked better, is lowering the sound of the beat track and having the vocals louder but something it has to be like that while dancing in a nightclub so figure it out yourself...
On another hand, his site is very cool with easy navigation, nice graphics (flash & html version available) and everything you would like to know about him, including his music available. Saying it in few words, I would tell you to go have a listen, browse Shirtlifter' site and enjoy House music ! I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
*****
DJ Sky, Club Virtual, UK
If you want to hear good house, listen to "Gid Up (a gogga maha)". It starts out sounding as if something came out of Armand Van Helden's studio. Strong beat abd bass, with great (and sometimes funny) vocals ("Oh sweety I don't wanna dance right now, I just wanna watch you"). Very catchy melodic house.
*****
Melissa Piazza, Listen.com , USA
High-energy House tracks equipped with pumping beats and speaker-busting basslines. Catchy vocal clips loop in and out of each driving, acid-lined mix.
*****
"Bangin beats!"
--Bad Boy Bill, USA
*****
"Slammin' Guy"
--Peter & Tyrone , Can
*****
"Bloody Wicked!"
--Anne Savage , U K |
| |
 |
|
| |
 |
|
|
Location:
Toronto ON, Canada
SHIRTLIFTER Website
shirtlifter@shirtlifter.ca
|
