Garage band 88 Balaz (八十八顆芭樂籽), indigenous punk trio Outlet Drift (漂流出口), and electro-indie band P.C.B. (理化兄弟) will be representing Taiwan at this year's Canadian Music Week.
88 Balaz is a beast of a band to hear live. Rocking the blues coupled with profound guitar riffs, 88 Balaz has an electrifying presence, partly thanks to the husky voice of lead vocalist Balaz Lee. Now entering its third decade, 88 Balaz remains a free-spirited ambassador of noise.
Punk outfit Outlet Drift was hatched among three young Amis musicians in Taitung. Their transformation of traditional tribal lore and songs into grunge rock gave rise to dangerously captivating performances, replete with swollen emotions and unfamiliar words.
P.C.B., or Physical Chemical Brothers, are a DJ-VJ duo sampling 8 bit sounds. From 8-bit house to 8-bit drum and bass, P.C.B. samples musical elements from legendary Nintendo games to give new life to retro themes. Their live performances are all-immersive, using 3D animations to woo concert-goers.
Under the banner of "Taiwan Beats,” the three bands will each give two Toronto performances between April 19 and 21.
Taiwan Beats @ Rivoli
Taiwan Beats @ CMW