5th PROJEKT

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5th PROJEKT
Origin Toronto, Ontario, Canada Flag of Canada
Genre(s) Neo-Classical Romanticism
Neo-Shoegazer
Cinematic rock
Progressive rock
Psychedelic rock
Alternative rock
Art rock
Years active 2003–present
Label(s) Organik Rekords (Independent)
Website Official site
Members
Tara Rice
Sködt D. McNalty
Peter Broadley
David Pake
Former members
Nathan Kaye

5th PROJEKT are a conscious cinematic rock band from Toronto, Canada. The independent band consists of primary songwriters and composers Tara Rice (vocals & guitars) and Sködt D. McNalty (guitars & vocals), with Peter Broadley (bass) and David Pake (drums & percussion).

5th PROJEKT formed in 2003. The band has since released 3 EPs, 1 LP and has become known for their unique 'cinematic' sound, strong songwriting,[1] distinctly poetic lyrics,[2] Rice's haunting vocals, and McNalty's textural guitar work.[3]


Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Formation (2003)

5th PROJEKT formed in early 2003[3] when Sködt D. McNalty approached former band mates Nathan Kaye (of 3rd Day Induction) and Peter Broadley (of The Leaving Projekt). They commenced auditioning musicians and vocalists for 6 months before Tara Rice responded to an on-line advertisement listing an eclectic array of musical influences.[4]

5th PROJEKT's original drummer, Nathan Kaye, married and left the band shortly after the launch of their debut album CiRCADiAN in the 3rd quarter of 2006. After a year of playing live with various drummers, 5th PROJEKT replaced Kaye with David Pake.

[edit] Organik Rekords, DEMOn001 & DEMOn002 (2004)

In 2004 members of 5th PROJEKT formed the independent label Organik Rekords to release 5th PROJEKT's first EP DEMOn001 on September 14, 2004. The album was self-produced and recorded by Mark Mclay (Headstones, Jeff Healey, Ronnie Hawkins) at Velvet Sound, in Mississauga, Ontario. DEMOn001 made the list of CJLO FM (Quebec) Music Director Omar Husain's Top 10 EPs of 2004. Husain is also credited for dubbing 5th PROJEKT's eclectic sound as "cinematic."[5] The duet "Skepticosm" from DEMOn001 made John Sakamoto's respected Anti-Hit List in Toronto's Eye Weekly. National radio support of DEMOn001 and DEMOn002 (November 11, 2004) followed on Canadian college stations and CBC Radio, including a feature on DJ Sook-Yin Lee's Definitely Not the Opera.[6] Both albums DEMOn001 & DEMOn002 are hand-made, packaged in recyclable cardstock and limited to a run of 200 each.

[edit] the Tales of Don Quixote (2005)

the Tales of Don Quixote (2005).
the Tales of Don Quixote (2005).

5th PROJEKT released the collection of their previous demos as a limited edition hand-made extended EP entitled the Tales of Don Quixote (tToDQ) on May 5, 2005, 400 years after Miguel de Cervantes' classic was published. The album included a total of 5 additional tracks in demo form produced by 5th PROJEKT, which consisted of 2 additional full-length songs, "Madness" and "One to Throw Away" recorded at Toronto's Nucleus Studios by engineer GvB, and 3 instrumental segue tracks recorded and produced by Squirrel & Khitten. tToDQ was well received by underground press throughout Canada for its creativity, independence & thematic conceptual approach.[7] As the album began to receive attention, so did its challenge for classification, despite the musically stylistic consistency.[8]

tToDQ appeared on Canadian college radio charts throughout the summer and autumn of 2005, garnered a nomination for Best Alternative Artist from the 2005 Toronto Independent Music Awards and invitations to showcase at the 2005 North by Northeast festival, the 2005 ROCKRGRL Music Festival in Seattle and the 2006 Canadian Music Week festival. [9] In addition to the music, the album's artistic hand-made packaging was taken note of as well, which featured a removable dust jacket, illustrated cover and inlaid Buddhist prayer, all printed on recyclable cardstock & papers and limited to a run of 700.[10][11] The album is considered a collector's item and carries a list price of up to $107.97 USD.[12]

5th PROJEKT was approached by CTV to license the song "DISTRAKTid" for an episode of the premiere season of Whistler. The scene in which the song was to appear was cut during final edit.[13]

Cinematic being the easiest way to describe it, 5th Projekt has created a style of music that is part goth, part folk, part drama and part spiritual. It is the kind of music that you can imagine Shakespeare’s tragedies being played to, containing lyrics that would please Silvia Plath.

— Julie Hunter, Tangible Sounds[14]

[edit] CiRCADiAN (2006-2007)

CiRCADiAN is a concept album and the first full length studio album by 5th PROJEKT. It was released on August 29, 2006 on 5th PROJEKT's Organik Rekords. It explores the metaphysical relationship of humanity as it coexists with its environment and the cycles of which both partake and create. As with previous releases, all music and lyrics were written by Tara Rice and/or Sködt D. McNalty. Produced by members of 5th PROJEKT, recorded from May-November 2005 at Toronto's Chemical Sound with James Heidebrecht, mixed by Ken Andrews (formerly of the band Failure) and mastered by Juno winner João Carvalho, the album takes on the themes of balance and discovery.

The departure of drummer Nathan Kaye shortly after the album's release restricted touring in support of the album to various locations in Southern Ontario and Montreal, however CiRCADiAN debuted on Toronto's CIUT 89.5 FM at no. 5.[15] The album continued to receive support from a number of Canadian college stations resulting in a no. 93 charting on Canada's !earshot Top 200.[15]

The album received extremely positive reviews from underground press in North America who responded to the lush atmospherics, progressive nature, and tribal percussion.[16] The dramatic dynamics, exotic sounds and cinematic nature inspired visions in listener and critic alike, while unexpected melodies, unconventional song arrangements, esoteric themes, Rice's impassioned vocals and McNalty's creative guitar work pleased most discerning music fans.[17] Lucid Forge gave CiRCADiAN a 4.5/5 rating.[8] The album also received international press, including a 4 star review in Belgium's Keys and Chords Magazine.[18] In an age of digital downloads and singles, the album's unique conceptual packaging, presented in a recyclable circular tin with circular booklet further emphasizes the theme of infinite cycles, did not fail to impress critics and fans alike.[1]

In the Spring of 2007, the video for the album's single "Broken Like This" placed in the Top 10 of the Universal Music Canada & Yahoo! Canada Up Your Music video contest. [13]

CiRCADiAN received nominations for Best Indie Band at the 2007 Ontario Independent Music Awards, Best Rock Song 2007 for 'In a Coma' by Toronto Exclusive Magazine, Best International Artist at the 2007 Orange County Music Awards in California, Best Alternative Artist from the 2006 Toronto Independent Music Awards, a feature on CBC television's 'Sounds Like Summer' music series 2006, and an invitation to showcase at Indie Week Toronto 2006.[19] The song "DISTRAKTid" was nominated for Best Modern Rock Song at the Just Plain Folks Music Awards in California 2006. [20] 3 weeks preceding the album's release, the song "In a Coma..." was featured on John Sakamoto's respected Anti-Hit List in The Toronto Star.[21] The band was also invited to play Project Potter, a release party for the final installation of the Harry Potter book series, held in Toronto at historic Casa Loma. The event took place on July 20, 2007 where the band debuted new material for their forthcoming 2nd LP.[19]

5th PROJEKT was commissioned to write two original compositions based upon partial lyrics by the film's producer Patrick Phillips for the Canadian independent film Good People, Bad Things released on October 11, 2007 by Opine Entertainment. "TV" and "Feel" were produced, recorded and performed at Organik Studios by Tara Rice and Sködt D. McNalty.

[edit] Musical Style

5th PROJEKT have developed a unique, yet eclectically distinct dramatic sound, characterized by tribal motifs, lush vocals and textured sonic soundscapes.[2][3][20] Rarely have critics named the same musical artist or band in comparison to 5th PROJEKT, resulting in their distinct signature sound.[9] Two exceptions to this have been Portishead,[1][16][22] and My Bloody Valentine.[23][5] Music journalist Leigh Johnsen stated that, "5th PROJEKT... have effectively evaded both classification and comparison."[7] Listening to their debut album, CiRCADiAN, reveals a familiarity of world music, alternating time signatures and poly-rhythms. Both live and on their studio recordings, the band use an electronic drum kit with effects in addition to a traditional acoustic kit to achieve real-time use of would-be sampled or sequenced sounds that are uncharacteristic in nature of an acoustic kit.

We literally have thousands of albums and hundreds of genres from which to draw from. But when it comes down to it, we're not all that choosy about the type of music we listen to as long as it's good music.

— Tara Rice on the eclectic musical style of 5th PROJEKT[3]

[edit] Influences

The bandmates' varied tastes are due mostly in part to their parents, who are all avid fans of various forms of music, or musicians themselves.[20] Nature and Her elements have also been listed as an integral influence to 5th PROJEKT.[24] The band have also named Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin,[3] Rachel's, Thom Yorke, Secret Chiefs 3, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Gordon Lightfoot, Nine Inch Nails, Beck, The Shipping News, A Perfect Circle, Matmos, Oscar Peterson, Three Fish, The Cardigans, Pearl Jam, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Primus, Radiohead, Björk, Sunny Day Real Estate, Jeremy Enigk, Mogwai, Failure, Ken Andrews, INXS, Tool, Tori Amos, The Ditty Bops, Deftones, Radius & Helena, Jesca Hoop, The Rolling Stones. The Beatles, Merle Haggard & Johnny Cash[22] as influences. Rice & McNalty have also stated that ALL live music inspires them.[22]

[edit] Lyrics & Themes

Rice & McNalty openly site metaphysical, esoteric & spiritual imagery in their song writing. [7] "In a Coma..." was inspired by Russian author Yevgeny Zamyatin's 1924 novel We, a precursor to such dystopian classics as Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four. Although "One to Throw Away" contains the lyric "the path to love" it was written before Rice was exposed to the book by Deepak Chopra, whom the band have listed in their website links.[13]

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio albums

[edit] Singles and EPs

[edit] Soundtracks

  • Good People, Bad Things (Independent) - contains the tracks TV and Feel (Opine Entertainment) (October 11, 2007)

[edit] Videos

In the spring of 2007, the video for the song "Broken Like This" from the album CiRCADiAN was entered in the Universal Music Canada & Yahoo! Canada Up Your music video contest where it placed in the Top 10.

[edit] Recognition

Nominations

  • 2007 Ontario Independent Music Awards Best Indie - Broken Like This
  • 2007 Toronto Exclusive Magazine Awards Best Rock - In a Coma...
  • 2007 Orange County Music Awards Best International
  • 2006 Just Plain Folks Awards Best Alternative - DISTRAKTid
  • 2006 Toronto Independent Music Awards Best Alternative
  • 2005 Toronto Independent Music Awards Best Alternative

[edit] Other projects

Tara Rice and Sködt D. McNalty are also members and co-founders of Toronto based band, Night Flowers. The two are also members of the web-based international digital collective, Los Angeles Digital Noise Academy (LADNA) founded by Ken Andrews.

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c Stephen Carradini. CiRCADiAN - 5th PROJEKT. Independent Clauses. Retrieved on 2006-11-01.
  2. ^ a b Dr. Liesa Norman. Toronto Arts and Entertainment : Music : 5th PROJEKT. Sugarcain Entertainment. Retrieved on 2005-10-16.
  3. ^ a b c d e Cameron Gordon. 5th Projekt Release Their Circadian Rhythms. Chart. Retrieved on 2006-08-21.
  4. ^ Quinto Giardino. Interview with 5th PROJEKT. Space Junkies. Retrieved on 2006-01-15.
  5. ^ a b Omar husain. 2004 Y/E Audit. Hooked on Sonics. Retrieved on 2005-01-14.
  6. ^ Karen Bliss. Canadian Musician Showcase-5th PROJEKT. Canadian Musician Magazine. Retrieved on 2006-11-10.
  7. ^ a b c Leigh Johnson. Toronto band pioneers a ‘cinematic’ style. The Martlet. Retrieved on 2005-11-24.
  8. ^ a b Adam Donaldson. the Tales of Don Quixote review. Lucid Forge. Retrieved on 2006-03-10.
  9. ^ a b Charmaine Merchant,. CD Reviews. The Spill Magazine. Retrieved on 2006-10-16.
  10. ^ Jaclyn Arndt,. 5th PROJEKT: the Tales of Don Quixote. Soul Shine. Retrieved on 2005-12-16.
  11. ^ -5th PROJEKT: The Tales of Don Quixote.
  12. ^ 5th PROJEKT / Tales of Don Quixote. Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
  13. ^ a b c New song: DISTRAKTid. Retrieved on 2007-05-21.
  14. ^ Julie Hunter. 5th PROJEKT Break The Mold. Tangible Sounds - Canadian Music Magazine. Retrieved on 2006-03-15.
  15. ^ a b CIUT FM 26/09/2006. Retrieved on 2007-05-21.
  16. ^ a b Amanda Terfloth. CiRCADiAN - The 5th PROJEKT. Lucid Forge. Retrieved on 2007-01-09.
  17. ^ Jeff Fitzgerald. 5th PROJEKT-"CiRCADiAN". Aural Innovations. Retrieved on 2007-01-16.
  18. ^ CD Reviews. Retrieved on 2006.
  19. ^ a b Biography 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
  20. ^ a b c Sarah Hanson,. Keeping CiRCADiAN Rythym (sic). Gauntlet Entertainment. Retrieved on 2006-10-05.
  21. ^ John Sakamoto. The Anti-hit List. The Toronto Star - A&E. Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
  22. ^ a b c Mike Bax. Reviews (Live) 5th PROJEKT. Fazer Magazine 3. Retrieved on 2007-05-06.
  23. ^ Ann Hui. Land mines, moles, and wormholes without sunlight. The Ubyssey. Retrieved on 2005-10-18.
  24. ^ MySpace 5th PROJEKT. Retrieved on 2007-11-01.