NIGHTBOX @ HORSESHOE TAVERN, TORONTO – SEPTEMBER 28, 2012

Posted by Caelin Meredith

It’s always great to be there when the next big sonic wave hits. Which is what happened when rising local stars Nightbox played Toronto’s legendary classic rock bar the Horseshoe Tavern, flipping a joint known more for punk garage than UK garage. Those who were there witnessed something fresh and new in live electronic music: the emergence of a genre-bending band destined to pave new roads on the Canadian music scene.

They’d killed it at their Canadian Music Week at back in March, turning Wrongbar into a sweatbox and leaving me craving more. So it was with bated breath that I waited all summer long for a chance to catch another gig.

Opening for them on this night was Brockville, Ontario’s Bravestation, another hybrid rock/electronica band, with a sound hat one partygoer likened to “a rainforest.”

Then Nightbox boldly took to the stage, opening with the ever-appropriate “Burning.”

From the first few notes, it’s evident that this is a band difficult to pigeonhole. Their sound is atmospheric, otherworldly, even angelic at times — but with all the passion of a rock band and a guttural, driving, dance beat. To watch drummer Nick Bitove keeping time at 150/160 bpm — practically drum-and-bass tempo — was transcendental.

Experiencing their live show, with its complex audio inflections, can border on sensory overload. Their sound seems emanate from three times the number of people who are actually on stage. Yet what could easily have end up sounding clinical or mechanical comes across instead as supremely humane and organic.

The crowd, like me, devoured every minute of every song, letting the music wash over them and move their bodies. Most were college age — no surprise there: it’s an audience that always seems to know what the next big thing is going to be. (Where would Zeds Dead or Deadmau5 be if not for their early campus tours?)

Nightbox rewarded the crowd’s enthusiasm, playing with such unbridled passion on tunes like “Relocate You” and the darker “Fumes” it was like they were living their last night on earth — feeling every note, every beat. At times, the guitar and bass supported one another harmoniously, complimenting the synth and evoking such familiar touchstones as Dark Side of the Moon or the immediately recognizable sounds of The Clash or The Jam. At other moments, one could easily picture the band playing at sunrise on the deck of Space in Ibiza.

“Are you guys ready to get slutty? Cuz I wanna get slutty with you,” joked lead singer Jacob Bitove. This threw the crowd into an even deeper frenzy, as excitable as teenagers experiencing their first makeout session.

The night reached its crescendo when the band dropped “Pyramid,” an African-inflected jump-up song with elements of new wave, punk and ska. The warm sound that expanded to fill the room was a rebuke to all that’s missing in mainstream music today. I could liken their joyously hyped-up sound to Vampire Weekend’s, or note that Jacob’s voice is every bit as distinctive as that of UB40′s Ali Campbell — but comparisons only do this band a disservice.

Nightbox aren’t currently touring; they’re hoping instead to focus on compiling  their full-length debut album, which should drop in spring 2013. In the interim, they’ll be releasing some new music for their fans. For now, I’d recommend checking out their Facebook page to find out where you can see them next. Mark my words: someday you‘ll want to be able to say: “I saw them when.”

Nightbox lineup: Jacob Bitove – Lead Vox | Nick Bitove – Drums | James Tebbitt – Lead Guitar | Andrew Keyes – Bass | James Shelly – Synths

Horseshow Tavern set list: Burning | Utopia | House | Pink Clouds | Body of a Man | Invisible Hands | Brush Me Up | Sister | Waves | Pyramid | Fumes | Relocate You

Check out Caelin Meredith’s site PUSH > PLAY.

Interview by Gosia Mrugala

Neon Knights is the dynamic rock/electro duo of talented drummer Kane G and rocking guitarist Sean L – both noteworthy producers and DJs. Watching them live is wild beyond words. To call the pair unique performers would be an understatement: they mix DJing with live instruments in a rock-grimy style, creating a powerful vibe between themselves and the crowd that’s a rare pleasure to witness. They’re going to be rocking The Hoxton in Toronto this Friday June 29. I can’t think of a better venue for these guys, so consider the show STRONGLY recommended. Look forward to seeing you on the dancefloor!

IAMMUZYKA: What’s the story behind the alias “Neon Knights”?

SEAN: The name Neon Knights came from our background in rock music with the song “Neon Knights” by Black Sabbath. We thought this would be the perfect name for us, as we incorporate our rock influence with EDM and bring neon colours with our live instruments. Kane’s Glo kit is what really helped drive this name home for us. We hope to one day have futuristic knight suits that glow and tie into our neon theme.

IAMMUZYKA: Where did you meet and how did you guys start working together?

SEAN: We met in our first year at Ryerson in one of our business classes. We got along real well, had very similar musical interests and one day just decided to form Neon Knights. We haven’t looked back since!

IAMMUZYKA: Who are your biggest inspirations and what have you learned from them?

KANE: My biggest inspirations have to be drummers like Travis Barker, Neil Peart and Daniel Adair. These are the guys who inspired me to learn how to drum in the first place and I will always look up to them for the great musicians and role models they are. Through my high school days I would spend hours and hours improving my drum skills and it’s amazing to see where it has taken me today. Sean and I both look up to and respect Matt Jones and Pat Doody from the Sour DJs. They’ve helped us so much and we’re so happy they have taken us under their wing in the EDM scene.

SEAN: My biggest inspiration of all is Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin. He’s the reason I learned to play the guitar. The list could go on and on, but here are some more of my inspirations just to name a few: Angus Young, Jack White, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Metallica. Artists like these inspired me to want to learn guitar, which I would practice for hours and hours. I used to stay home Friday and Saturday nights in high school to study and master the craft of guitar. I wanted to learn everything from shredding, classical, riffs, etc. Music inspires and motivates us, and if it wasn’t for my inspirations I would not be where I am today.

IAMMUZYKA: How would you describe the sound of Neon Knights?

KANE: Neon Knights’ sound can be summed up in a few words: aggressive, heavy riffed, high-energy, in-your-face music. We thrive off the high energy at every show and transfer that into the music we make.

IAMMUZYKA: Which producing software do you prefer and why?

SEAN: We use Logic for producing as Kane has been using it in the past for rock music and drum cover. We’ve been learning it more and more as time went on and it is the main software we use. We hope to learn how to use Ableton as well so we have a few programs we can use when creating music.

IAMMUZYKA: DJing or producing?

SEAN: We feel there must be a solid balance of both DJing and producing. There is nothing like DJing to an insane crowd where you can feel crazy energy in the room. You also need that time in the studio grinding out hours on end finding that perfect sound and producing an awesome track.

IAMMUZYKA: Top three tracks at the moment?

KANE: 1.Hirshee – Bang This 2. Horny Sanchez – Caliburn (The Sour DJs Remix) 3. Nero – Must Be The Feeling (Delta Heavy Remix)

SEAN: 1. Topher Jones – Brohammer 2. Tiësto & Swanky Tunes – Make Some Noise 3. Laidback Luke – 1234 feat. Chuckie & Martin Solveig

IAMMUZYKA: In your own words, what does EDM represent?

KANE: To me, EDM represents a culture in which electronic music is what brings everyone together. It doesn’t matter the style of dance music you like, whether it be acid house or dubstep — the appreciation and love of dance music is what ties everyone together. The love I see when I walk out in front of an audience of 5,000 people or 50 people is always the same. People are there for the love of the music and that is why we do what we do.

SEAN: EDM is simply any dance music that is electronic. There are so many styles, which makes it difficult to simply define EDM. To me the EDM scene is like a family in which whenever I meet someone that is into the EDM scene there is an instant bond. EDM is my life.

IAMMUZYKA: What are some projects you guys are currently working on that we can look forward to?

SEAN: We are currently in the works of releasing the Limp Bizkit -Breakstuff bootleg that we are a part of with The Sour DJs. There will be a video made shortly for Sol Republic headphones that will feature this track. Also, our first release on Beatport is coming up. We are featured on The Sour DJs’ new single titled “Your Mum,” which has remixes done by Donald Glaude, FTampa, Andy’s iLL, Obsidian and Unit 42. We are very excited for these releases!!

IAMMUZYKA: Where do you see Neon Knights in the next five years?

KANE: We hope to see ourselves on bigger stages, bigger festivals, bigger events and all around hope to take our music to the next level. We would like to collaborate with various artist and continue creating progressive music. We will always keep our “Neon Knights” sound and look forward to whatever the future brings.

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.