专辑简介

DJ Champion - Montreal, Canada’s Maxime Morin-, ascended from the Montreal music scene over 10 years ago, and has been a dominant force there ever since. An accomplished composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist and musical engineer, Champion’s distinctive DJing talent was what ultimately separated him from the rest of the pack. Morin abandoned his early career as a self-employed carpenter after a musical rendez-vous with some New York Jazz musicians opened the door to further profitable music making contracts. Later, in a gutsy move, Champion turned away from those lucrative commercial composing opportunities to pursue a solo career. He started out pumping up crowds with his unique techno compositions and otherworldly live performances under the alias Mad Max and Le Max until the release of his debut album Chill’Em All, in late 2004. Chill’Em All brought a new level of exposure to his music, and with it, a large group of followers. Champion’s music was different, but accessible. It drew fans from dance and rock who took a liking to his new, familiar yet alien flavour. Champion conveyed those same sexy, rough ‘n smooth guitar melodies and percussive beats in his follow-up LP, The Remix Album, a recut of Chill ‘Em All. Released in November 2006, after Champion spent two years performing around the world, The Remix garnered him a Juno nomination for Best Dance Recording of the Year. It also won him a performance spot at the awards ceremony, where he showcased CASBY’s Favourite New Single: No Heaven, which employed the powerful bluesy vocals of Betty Bonifasi. The Remix Album ventured into more un-chartered territory with its nine collaborative re-works, featuring a variety of international artists from different worlds. Ghislain Poirier, Akufen, and Patrick Watson are among the Montrealers who jam on the disc. Champion’s exposure to American and German pop tech icons is revealed in the appearances of Detroit’s Grand Pubahs and Berlin’s Mocky. Now he returns with a project that showcases his intense and exhilarating live performance that is Champion et ses G-Strings Live. Taped at Montreal’s Metropolis, often called “The Church Of Champion” due to his affinity for the venue and due to his eight sold-out shows, it explodes on screen with visuals stemming from twelve cameras and mixed with 5.1 surround sound. The footage is especially stunning because this show was the celebration of Chill ‘Em All receiving gold status in Canada. Bandmate Barry Russell produced the package that includes two new unreleased tracks (on both the CD and DVD), one is entitled Barry’s Beach and the other Feeling Good, a remake of the song made famous by the remarkable Nina Simone. The CD/DVD combo also includes special features that take you deeper into the world of Champion. Not only is there a revealing documentary about his pivotal show at the Montreal Jazz Festival, but there is also an enlightening tutorial Sign Language that exposes Maxime’s hand gestures as he conducts his G-Strings. When he’s not dominating the outdoor stages at massive festivals like Switzerland’s Paléo Festival, Toronto’s Virgin Festival, Austin’s South by Southwest, and closing Quebec City’s Summer Festival, or receiving critical acclaim at Rennes’s Transmusicales Encounters, Champion is garnering accolades that exemplify his formidable talent. Morin played at the 2004 Academy Awards for Les Triplettes de Belleville, and received the Album of the Year award for electronic-techno music at 2005’s Autre Gala de l’ADISQ, he also was a Felix winner for Show of the Year at the 2006 l’ADISQ Gala - in addition to invitations to perform at other events including the ninth annual Interactive Achievement Awards (the video game industry’s Oscar equivalent). And DJ Champion’s shows are the real deal. Spontaneity dominates, with Morin assuming the role of composer/conductor, giving signs to his band while simultaneously remixing and looping. The percussion beat coming from his laptop is the only prefabricated track. Though his band knows what they are going to play, the song structures, under Morin’s direction, are completely improvised. His recent Exclaim! Spring Fling Tour with Chromeo, You Say Party! We Say Die! and Malajube was no exception. The techno dance tracks purred with sweet rock n’ roll tang, flowing together and bringing the audience along for a wild ride. Champion is looking ahead to the release of Live and to releasing a sophomore album, hoping to recall the success of his first two discs. His favourite guitar riffs and bluesy vocals will be front and centre, while the discovering of more un-charted musical territory is sure to be on the horizon. Champion et ses G-Strings Live is one party not to miss.