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David Kristian "Music from the Mermaid Room" The Series on WiKKiD   --> "This collection gathers the best of David Kristian's back catalogue of unreleased tracks from the early 90s up to the present. The selection process required many hours of listening, transfers (sometimes from disintegrating tapes), re-mastering, and editing. Although the material which appears in this series has been reformatted, no enhancements have been made. The only changes which were brought to the tracks were in consideration of length and sound quality. Also, we have chosen to "shuffle" the material on this and other volumes in order to present the wide variety of styles which characterize David's output. This is not a greatest hits compilation, nor is it a retrospective; it is simply a collection tracks we believe have a timeless quality about them, which is why we omitted the dates and chronological info which normally accompanies this sort of collection." "The first release highlights tracks from the rest of the volume series, and vinyl cuts from the "Micronymph vs. Meganymph" EP , and the upcoming "Cumberform" EP, both on WiKKiD Records." (Chris Spelay, Label Manager)   Wikkid Records "The Wikkid label reboots itself" Rupert Bottenberg - Mirror   --> "The Wikkid record label has already made a name for itself in Montreal as the former home of both the Urbanauts and Bollywood breakbeat boys Hadji & Lmo. Both projects imploded before Wikkid could bring them to fruition, leaving behind some sweet plastic and a bittersweet tear or two for what coulda been. No fear, here comes round two. Over the last year or so, the label's boss-man Julian Paige has been consolidating a fresh batch of acts to further his Wikkid intentions. There's David Kristian obviously, but there are other names on Wikkid's soon-to-be-hits list, local or otherwise, that merit your attention. The name Blake Markle pops up all over the Montreal music-scene radar. He plays with live prog-jazz-D&B unit Dr. Noh, makes up half of downtempo duo dB and records and spins the drum and the bass as Black Market, the tag he's using for his Wikkid releases. With solid schooling and a musical vision that reaches way past jungle-for-jungle's-sake. On a similar tip is RCola - Wikkid's phone soldier, organizer of the Wikkid Drumz crew and half of the Chopstick Dubplate operation. Judging by his tracks on the comps Something Wikkid This Way Drums and Wikkid Massive, either of which serves as a solid primer on the label, RCola goes for a weird, lively and colourful approach to drum & bass (do I dare classify it as "fizzy"?). Pivot is a newcomer, but his dangerous but tuneful drill & bass caught the ear of Kristian himself, leading to a Wikkid hook-up that should soon bear fruit of the full-length variety. From the T-Dot comes Capital J, touted as Canada's number-one scratch jungle DJ. His own powerhouse blend of jungle and hip hop gets twisted even further when he's at the decks displaying his furious, physical scratching style (no limb or appendage goes unused!). Wikkid's wickedest score in my book, though, is AÔwa - two France-based Iraqi brothers, Wamid and Naufalle, whose mashing of jungle, dub and all manner of Arabic sounds breathes new life into the "oriental breakbeat" approach. They've gathered a full band (including the remarkable singer/producer Severine) and have shared stages with folks like Rachid Taha, Natacha Atlas and Tricky. Considering how boss their Yi Yi EP turned out, their full-length debut, due before too long, can be expected to rock. We may well see them live this summer, insh'allah. ( RupertÝBottenberg, Montreal Mirror )   Wikkid Records "No Rest for the Wikkid" Lalla Land - Hour   --> "With the spring releases of label comp Something Wikkid This Way Drumz and David Kristian's Music From the Mermaid Room, Wikkid Records has exploded onto the international scene with the promise of bringing long-deserved recognition to some of Montreal's most talented breaks and d'n'b producers. Chris Spelay spoke at length about the label's history, future and ideology. "Wikkid Records was started at the beginning of 1999 by Julian Paige," recounts Chris. "After moderate success and the subsequent breakup of local bands The Urbanauts and Hadji & Lmo, Paige refocused his efforts internationally and in 2001 signed the French band Aiwa, Capital J from Toronto, the Nuskool Players from the U.K., and Montreal electronic-music pioneer Kristian. Since 2001, I have acted as label manager, handling North American operations, working closely with Paige on A&R, and setting up the new Wikkid offices and recording studio in Montreal." Like virtually every other electronica-industry insider I've spoken to in the last year, Spelay lauds Montreal's growth and standing. "I believe Montreal has been coming up in the music world for years and gained a certain notoriety for electronic music. Due to the success of our festivals and local heroes, many more ears have been tuning in to what's coming out of this city." While Misstress Barbara, Akufen, Fred Everything and Tiga have brought acclaim to techno, house and electro here, one is hard pressed to find a label pushing experimental breaks and d'n'b as Wikkid have done. "We're not so genre specific as many other small labels," says Spelay. "Our scope is broad enough to include many styles and methods. For instance, Capital J is a scratch junglist, so for him we're putting out a barrage of hard-hitting underground dance records and a mix CD. Aiwa, on the other hand, is a nine-piece band that fuses organic d'n'b with traditional hand drumming and ethnic rhythms. This requires a more methodical approach to capture their live essence in the studio... Finally, Kristian has worked on sound design and songwriting for over a decade, and has basically handed over this amazing collection of electronic tracks for us to compile and present." Wikkid hosts a CD launch party for David Kristian and Capital J at the SAT tonight, April 24, also featuring Wikkid recording artists Black Market and Pivot performing live drill'n'bass, with Rcola DJ-ing. ($10). Info: wikkidrecords.com. (Steve Lalla, Hour Magazine)   Wikkid Records Something WiKKiD This Way Drumz Review - Hour --> " A much needed showcase of Montreal-based d'n'b and electronic producers, "Something WiKKiD This Way Drumz" features crispy frenetic rollers by Black Market, Pivot, R.Cola and more, sandwiched in between two whimsical gems by David Kristian. WiKKiD has done a great job of assembling the music of diverse artists into a coherent whole as the comp flows smoothly from beginning to end, serving to highlight the talent's of the label's roster. The reigning mood is one of spidery techno-doom - just how I like it." (Steve Lalla - Hour Magazine)   David Kristian Meganymph vs. Micronymph ep Review - XLR8R --> "With the release of an eclectic series of records that range from abstract sound design to IDM/Techno, Montreal wunderkind David Kristian has made a name for himself as the master of all things analog. His latest 12" finds him creating dystopic synth tracks inspired by early new wave, and are in a vein similar to releases on Suction Records or his own earlier work, Beneath the Valley of the Modulars. All three tracks evoke the dread and pessimism that pervaded early new wave, combining retro-futuristic synth melodies with oppressive, relentless, skittering beats. An apt soundtrack to late-night future-angst." (Susanna Bolle XLR8TR, Issue 61)