Chambers, a collaboration between Gabriel Saloman and Michael Red, debuts their EP Sigma Flare 1 October 2nd on Debacle Records. With a sound loosely described by the pair as “experimental dub,” derived by their mutual interest in the spacious hiss and tectonic bass of German outlet Rhythm & Sound, Chambers met for dusk-to-dawn exploratory recording and listening sessions in their home studios in downtown Vancouver and nearby Sunshine Coast. This mix of raw urban grime and sea-meets-mountain grandeur intuitively wove its way into the duo’s sound -- equal parts late night wanderings through abandoned streets and cold ocean waves crashing against stone.
The combination of these two musicians came about after what they consider a “dreamlike” introduction by their mutual friend Tusk (a fellow member with Michael of notorious bass-music collective, Lighta! Sound.) Gabriel Saloman is well known for his part in the seminal psych-noise duo Yellow Swans and has developed a strong reputation for his darkly cinematic solo recordings and intense live shows. In Chambers he plays guitar, tapes, and live analog processes, bringing elements of improvisation and noise that disrupt the mechanics of the group's sequences and patterns. Michael Red, who produces and performs sound system music under his own name and ambient-leaning music as Souns, is a well-respected Vancouver DJ. He uses a laptop with midi-controllers setup like a traditional dubwise mixing desk for Chambers, creating new "versions" on the spot and adding further processing to Saloman's signal.
Since their debut opening for Shackleton in 2012, Chambers has performed on bills with Kuedo, The Bug, Kangding Ray, and Kode9. On record their music enfolds ambient textures worthy of Eno or Gavin Bryars, and at the same time delivers propulsive, dub-influenced rhythms that emerge and disappear like phantoms, evoking contemporaries such as Deadbeat and Deepchord. This fall, thanks to Seattle's Debacle Records, a global audience will be able to discover for themselves what has until now been one of Vancouver's best kept secrets.
The debut release Sigma Flare 1, a three track EP, will be followed in the new year by Sigma Flare 2, an album length collection from the same sessions.