AZARI & III
EIGHTIES HOUSE MUSIC is seeing a revival in the form of Azari & III, a Toronto-based quartet specialising in club music.
The urban and gritty neighbourhood of Parkdale served as the background in which the group was formed in 2008. What was born deep in the recesses of downtown Toronto by Dinamo Azari, Alixander III, Fritz Helder, and Cedric Gasaida has now been recognized, in a rare fashion, by both the mainstream and underground music community.
Sound-wise, Azari & III mash up electric ‘80s dance vocals to more contemporary electronic pop. The melodious and sweet vocals from Helder juxtaposed with heavy pop synths and drumming beats make for an ear-gasmic match.
The band’s eponymously titled debut includes “Reckless With Your Love”, a track featured semi-permanently in the club music roster. The song, along with other Azari & III tunes, deals with the darker, less explored side to love and lust. Other standout tracks include “Into the Night” and “Manic”.
Azari & III are doing more than just revitalizing a tired genre and their recent nomination proves just that. The quartet is up for best Electronic Album at the Junos and judging by the group’s warm reception by music fans all over the globe, Azari & III are here to stay.
Sounds like: If David Guetta ever remixed Grace Jones.
Check them out: Azariandiii.com.
JESSICA AUER
MONTREAL LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER Jessica Auer’s most recent collection of works titled Meadow is on display in Ottawa’s Patrick Mikhail Gallery.
The documentary-style artist’s most recent work is an exploration of nature, history, and genealogy. Auer’s last name roughly translates into “from the meadow,” serving as the starting point in photographing sites that share her name.
Interested in demonstrating images from idyllic, countryside landscapes to beaten and destroyed paths, the Montreal native aims to portray how human waste affects the environment. Auer’s photos interweave our own imagination and mystical impressions about the peaceful meadow and the realities of contemporary landscapes.
Having graduated in 2007 from Concordia University with a MFA in studio arts, Auer is no stranger to success. With many accolades under her belt, Auer’s works have been exhibited across Canada and south of the border. In her latest exhibition, Auer invites spectators to bring their own history and imagination to the Meadow.
Looks like: Images of the countryside and meadows.
Check her out: At the Patrick Mikhail Gallery (2401 Bank St.) from March 7 to April 16.
—Sofia Hashi
