Folks, if you don't know what to do on a given day, might I suggest you check out Beth's monthly preview of what's happening in the Toronto music scene. Lord knows when I can't find something worth listening to on my own, I always find something new and awesome buried in her posts. Today is no different, as I present to you the loopingly layeringly lovely work of Animal/Monster, who plays this Saturday, February 10th at Salem's Loft as a part of the Wavelength 350 series of events.

Alex Snukal, artiste extraordinaire, is the man behind the beast. When he's not contributing to OCAD art shows or playing in the black metal/a cappella/trance group Awesome, he's likely doing something dull and not of interest to most people. Unless he's screwing around with his sampler, then he's making some hot sh!t under the name Animal/Monster. With the upcoming show, it's high time we spotlight the feral musician's Myspace page. He's got three tracks for your listening pleasure.

Electrotron Screwed would make a great show opener. It's got all the sweeping arpeggiated synth lines needed to keep you humming along to what can easily be described as a very happy and uplifting piece of work. Very grin worthy and not something you want playing when you sit in a bathtub with a toaster. Mighty Magnificence continues the traditional of mixing happy with synth with a riff that got me thinking of this cheesy music that plays every time my fiance pops her Mahjong Master computer game into her laptop; she's since switched to WoW, thank the gods. The difference is that the cheese here smells and tastes good. It's becoming apparent that Animal/Monster knows how to build layers upon layers in his music without turning the mix into a mud puddle. Things get heavier (dare I say) when emphasis is added to cymbal crashes, thick bass, and a heavy kick drum, with the crazy arpeggiated synths becoming all the more frantic. Jumangi starts off a wee bit less frenetic, with a simple drum pattern and a uglyish synth patch with a long filter cut off. A wobbly synth follows, and the layer building continues as it has with the earlier tracks. Not long through, a bunch of layers are -GASP!- subtracted from the mix, followed by a mixing breakdown that's very Add N to (x)-ish.

You might have noticed that Animal/Monster has a bunch of bikers showcased in his top friends list. I don't know wtf is up with that, but it's moderately interesting, nonetheless. You also may have noticed that I use the word synth a lot this time around. That's because Alex doesn't see fit to include live trombones in his mix. Considered a tragedy by some, Animal/Monster remains ear-worthy even with the absence of wind and brass instruments.

-Myspace Page
He ain't got a home page that google can find...

Wave Length 350 7th Anniversary Festival @ Salem's Loft
Animal/Monster performs with Think About Life, The Guest Bedroom, Drumheller and The Winks
February 10, 2007
136 Geary Ave. (enter through side door off Salem St.)

Check out the previous Theirspace column, featuring Holy Fuck