Mains de Givre

Mains de Givre is a new thisquietarmy violin/drone side-project with the lovely violonist Émilie Livernois-Desroches, formely of Profugus Mortis fame & many other projects.

We've been jamming and working on tracks for a while, in preparation of albums, probably to be released in 2010.

Check out the tracks on our myspace & please add us: http://www.myspace.com/mainsdegivre

Also, here's a clip from our first ever impromptu live performance on november 28th @ Casa Del Popolo in Montreal:

The Musicians vs. The Masses (article)

I was interview recently for this article. Weird to be part of that, but an interesting read.

http://thevanarks.blogspot.com/2009/12/musicians-vs-masses.html

The synopsis is: "Montreal musicians Eric Quach (thisquietarmy), Patrick Krief (Black Diamond Bay), and Marcus Paquin (Silver Starling), share their views on the online music industry today"

Autumnal Tiny Tour w/ Aidan Baker + Animal Hospital

Last shows of 2009 for thisquietarmy with friends Aidan Baker & Animal Hospital:

Nov. 25th @ L'agitée, 251 Dorchester, Quebec City w/ Millimetrik
Nov. 26th @ L'app'art, 45 St-Antoine, Trois-Rivières w/ Korvette
Nov. 27th @ 443 Kent, Ottawa w/ We Fled Cairo

Edit: Due to family issues, Aidan will not be able to play Nov. 26th and Nov. 27th.

Also, with Aidan Baker & Animal Hospital, as part of Ghidrah (ambient/noise/experimental side-project featuring Aun, tqa & Maggot Breeder) & as part of Mains de Givre (violin/drone with Émilie Livernois-Desroches)

Nov. 28th @ Casa Del Popolo, Montreal

/// meanwhile...

"Meanwhile" is a limited sampler EP of edited versions of brand new tracks, untitled as of yet, to be released on separate work-in-progress albums, by different labels throughout 2010. self-released & handpackaged with tlc, on this lovely day of autumn, friday the 13th of november of 2009. this record is dedicated to those who, like myself, cannot wait... Limited to 50 copies, green CDR, via TQA Records (tqa011).

If you're impatient for the next thisquietarmy albums, grab it quickly. Some of the tracks may not even see the light for another 12 months or so... even though they are ready.

Running time: 33:00

Buy it now!

Saturday, November 14th

First SIANspheric show in Montreal since 2005.
Last thisquietarmy show in Montreal for 2009.

Live at Les Instants Chavirés, Montreuil (Paris / France)

short break from music: painting

before the whole music thing started, there was painting.
slowly, painting faded away then disappeared. work & music took priority etc.

i took a short break from music for the last week or so, and did a few, after a friend had commissioned me for one. i've never accepted before, but i thought it would be a good challenge, and i have a bit more time these days. maybe these can be used for album artwork in the future, who knows. so, here's what i did:

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the hawk & the fireball, 16"x16", acrylics & sharpies >>>>>
started - summer 2008?
completed - october 2009

entangled, 8"x16", acrylics >>>>>
october 2009

burial, 8"x8"x3", acrylics >>>>>
started - 2006?
completed - october 2009


untitled/for eld, 2x 8"x16", acrylics >>>>>
commissioned painting for eld - pre-selected colors by client;
october 2009


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you can check more selected works in this album.

ok, i'm going back to work on my next three or four records now.

thisquietarmy goes time-lapse in Esslingen, Germany

thisquietarmy

Live at Villa Markel
Esslingen, Germany
June 2nd, 2009

Shot & edited by thisquietarmy.

I left the camera on the soundboard, which wasn't the best angle, but it makes it for a fun "45 min. set condensed to 5 min." video. It's the only show I filmed during my European tour.... Day 2, Esslingen (near Stuttgart), a beautiful outdoor space connected to the Villa Markel museum. See this blog entry for more info: http://thisquietarmy.blogspot.com/2009/06/esslingen.html

Audio is a live snippet of the actual performance.

Om/Lichens/thisquietarmy Montreal show review by The Concordian

The Concordian article by Candace Roscoe:
http://www.theconcordian.com/a-unique-experience-to-remember-1.710221

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Here's the part about me:

The video installation and raw sonic emotion that is thisquietarmy opened the show. With Quach often crouched in the sidelines with his guitar, his multimedia installation took centre stage. As you are transported into waking-life by pulsing distortion and flashing images on screen, it becomes easy to forget that one man is responsible for the textured experience. Yet, every sound was being created in real-time with a dozen effect pedals and three loop-samplers.

Quach faces a number of challenges working alone. “The main challenge is to create something interesting despite the limitations of being one person, which is easier to do in studio. To bring the tracks into a live environment, it took an endless amount of experimentation to push the boundaries of a solo performance while still maintaining your integrity.”

Quach says being an army of one is the story of his life. “Which is why this project makes even more sense,” he said. “But it works for me as I’ve always been independent and done things my own way.”

Despite Quach’s ability to juggle layer upon layer of sound all by himself, thisquietarmy has no vocals. “The lack of vocals, in this case, is freeing because the emotions are rawer and it leaves the music completely opened.”

The audience is left to interpret the music as they wish, in the context of their own lives. Whether they did so Saturday night is unknown, but thisquietarmy did attract a silent and meditative crowd.

Chat Blanc Records/P572 Book + CD Available with exclusive TQA track

P572 & Chat Blanc Records, two labels from Quebec City, have put out a collective 166 pages book called "5 ans de musique et de révolution". It contains information on their releases, pictures of artists, manifestos, posters & a lot more. The book also comes with an exclusive CD compilation with exclusive tracks, including one by thisquietarmy: "Aluminum Twin Snakes".

Here's the complete tracklist:

P572
01. Darren Hayman - Zeros and Ones
02. Mathématique - Hands
03. PRINCESS & MURDOCK - The length of nature
04. Oromocto Diamond - Diamond March
05. Jane Ehrhardt - Emergency (live)
06. Keith Kouna – Petite Fée
07. (swedish) Death Polka - Columbia Final
08. Millimetrik remixe Auburn Lull - Grange arcade

Chat Blanc Records
09. Port-Royal - Putin vs Valery (Ambidextrous remix)
10. Electroluminescent - The trip and the toll
11. Epic45 - A clear day
12. DNT – Prise
13. Building castles out of matchsticks – The love of my life
14. Galerie Stratique - Caravane Hallucinée
15. thisquietarmy - Aluminum twin snakes
16. Le chat blanc orchestra - Crescendo's are prohibited (Aidan Baker remix)

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It's a heavy but beautiful book, which makes the shipping prices outrageous, sorry... We have a few copies available now via TQA Records' distribution --- the website is not yet updated but you can paypal the money to: thisquietarmy at gmail dot com.

28$ PP = Canada (CDN)
32$ PP = USA (USD)
25€ PP = World (Euros)

I'll even throw in some TQA goodies... stickers, flyers, pins, even random CD-Rs.