Spotlight on
PAPER AND METAL
MUSIC LOVERS, TAKE note: a wonderful creation has descended upon Ottawa’s dance music scene. With their eclectic mix of heart-wrenching acoustic ballads and head-bobbing electronica, Paper and Metal are truly an artistic blessing.
The two-man band, which consists of brothers Liam and Kiente Sanipe, has a sound that suits their name. A mash-up of opposing creative foundations, Paper and Metal’s music is wonderfully varied: the band relies heavily on acoustic guitar and synth, but also uses varying vocal techniques, melodic piano, and occasional drum interjections to keep things different. The track “Love Will Pale” off the band’s EP Battles and Storms exemplifies their mix of sound. Featuring Kiente’s careful guitar picking and emotion-filled vocals, the track blends intertwining, atmospheric melodies with a synth-heavy back-beat to create a moving song.
The band has entirely changed their musical direction with their latest release, which has a much more electronic feel than their earlier tracks. But, while the band has integrated considerably fewer vocals and greater synthesizer, they remain true to their atmospheric roots. The song “We Are Wolves”— one of the few new releases including vocals— is a brilliant fusion of acoustic and electronic elements and includes an organ breakdown that will bring you to your knees.
Paper and Metal’s musical experimentation is a refreshing splash of ingenuity in Ottawa’s music scene. If you’re looking for something to fill the silence, you’ll want to keep your eyes and ears on Paper and Metal. Sounds like: An eclectic mix of electronica, dance beats, and acoustic guitar. Check it out: Listen to some of the band’s new tracks at myspace.com/paperandmetal.
TED DUNCAN
TED DUNCAN IS a major source of pride in the Ottawa artistic community. The realist painter’s engaging works show the kind of talent the nation’s capital harbours.
The full-time artist specializes in a number of different painting and drawing media. His work offers fleeting glimpses of the beauty in everyday experiences. Perhaps best known for his work in watercolours, Duncan’s artwork shows a great attention to detail and an emphasis on shape, colour, and texture. His piece “Haute Patio,” for example, takes a simplistic scene—that of an apartment complex patio—and gives it a rustic feel that immediately captures your attention. “Just up Main Street,” an alkyd and wax piece, emits a similar aura that gives urban scenes a small-town atmosphere. Similarly, Duncan’s depictions of nature, particularly “Lac Sheen, 7:15am» and “Winter #7,” reveal serene, peaceful images that are meticulously detailed and show an obvious love of the natural world. His portraits of nature are best described as realistic recreations of seemingly ordinary natural settings.
Duncan successfully takes images of the city and nature that one might otherwise overlook and creates meaningful, breathtaking works of art.
Looks like: A mixture of pre-Renaissance and realism.
Check it out: Many of Duncan’s works, as well as information about upcoming exhibitions, can be found at tedzworks.com.
