a prototype - becoming a new prototype

Description: An update about Prototype and where I've been, and my desire to come back and be a proficient writer. Learning about trauma but also learning about love; pursuing a career in live sound and how leaving a hurtful situation was a blessing that took some time to reveal itself. A failed outlook on plans, dates, learning how to take up space in a place where everyone feels like they already know each other. Too many mentions of the universe, and next steps on music pieces.

I haven't written anything in a long time. Not even the releases that were on my mind that had been on my radar for years now. I wanted to do music analysis pieces on everything from Strawberry Cough's Life is Worth Living to the newest Dogwhistle EP. And I haven't done any of it. It was more than just writer's block—I developed skill regression after learning about my autism and after all these years I still haven't bounced back to myself, and there was a time I was a lot more capable of being myself than I am now. Life hit me in a lot of different ways: I went to school for music production, I was getting more consistent hours at my job that I just now lost, and got more in touch with myself spiritually which I think left me more aware and stunned of the hardships that surrounded me, and I got off my anti-depressants after 2 long years of being on them (which was a whiplash I was not prepared for in the slightest).

    I picked up journaling again (well, properly this time) after going through something really traumatic back in February. I completely lost who I was after pouring so much of myself into someone who never had my best interests at heart, and I've spent the last ~6 months accepting that I am no longer the same person and I'll have to put in some work to find who that is again. From the horrid breakdowns to pacing back and forth, I realized I couldn't do anything with the thoughts quite literally overflowing in my head. It got to the point of suffocation for me to realize I should probably put it all down on a page, and I did. I was relieved at how much weight it had lifted off, even if it was not the most profound thing I had written—and that was the point—that I just wrote without a clause. Alas, I kept at it out of necessity, and then out of desire. I go to random parks and bring a picnic blanket and an incense and write whatever comes to me, and now that it's sort of habit, it made me realize how much I miss writing more sophisticated and planned-out pieces.

    I miss blogposting, and I disappeared when I dropped out of university and started school for music production. From feeling lost and out-of-place to unexpectedly throwing myself into college and it suddenly taking up all of my time. While it was super fulfilling, I totally went off-grid, unaware that the local music scene would change so drastically when I was finally ready to come back. And then I felt lost all over again. I had not properly harboured the friendships I had made around me and I was too nervous and in-my-head to come back to them with open arms, afraid everyone had forgotten about me. I became a recluse, disconnected, after opening myself up to so many great people and I began to regret what my life turned into. My job made it difficult to come out and support my friends I had committed myself to supporting whenever I could. Showing up and coming out is the whole point of local music and all of it was moving really fast. They had gained new support systems and with people I felt were too out of reach for me. I still am very afraid to take up space, despite being known to people I have met before. All of a sudden I was a punk veteran in a scene with an entirely new wave of bands, hardcore taking over, an overwhelming amount of photographers, zines and promoters took the spotlight, and I did not know where to dip my toe in anymore. My chronic pain does not make me much of a hardcore dancer and I was out of the loop for the first time in my amateur-music-connoisseur-career. The idea of running Protopunk under the new light felt overwhelming to me and it seemed like people started doing it better than I ever was capable of.

    I know this sounds like a lot of self-loathing but part of my journey in finding who I am again was realizing that it was just a different person entirely, and I think I'm still getting used to that idea. Things got a lot better a lot more quickly than I anticipated, and I was scared of letting go, as if it was already done so easily. I went on the best four dates I had ever been on, but the person was meant for greater things in their career, and my schedule quickly changed right after too. I was given clemency and I still proceeded to embarrass myself one too many times in front of them, but I also think I needed to experience some good after everything I had gone through. I think all of the universe's answers to my pain were starting to reveal themselves and I began to experience a lot of blessings through the hardships, and I've been on a never-ending journey of growing-pains since. After going to school I knew I wanted to work in the scene in some capacity and had an eager eye for recording and live sound, but after all the changes I mentioned I was lost on where to start or go. Bands all of a sudden were getting recordings done before even playing a show, and my DIY recording plans were no longer needed with everyone's newfound self-proficiency. It felt like the mentality I went into school with was nowhere near the same as coming out. I realized my connections were no longer the same, and some friends were no longer friends with other friends that were friends. It's complicated. All of a sudden I do not know how to face people and take up space. I feel like everyone already knows each other and I have no place to interrupt. I had forgotten how to use my voice and it's a growing-pain that I am still trying to navigate.

    My schedule quickly changed when I got a connection to Houndstooth through my beloved friend who I quite literally owe my life to for doing so, and they did it without me even asking. I went from shadowing to being mentored by one of the best sound techs in the game. If you have ever been to Houndstooth you would know that the long room with a glass wall should not sound as good as it does, but the main sound tech there has engineered their PA system perfectly, and I have come to learn that they are a sound wizard and very proficient at what they do. I still do not know how I was granted such a blessing and how I got so lucky, and I probably cry every time I go in out of pure gratitude for the opportunity. I went from barely navigating how I would even get started, to now having some idea of where I could go, and an environment I did not expect to be so open for me to learn, and that everyone including the owner wants me to be there to harbour my skills, and make dumb mistakes. I was so devastatingly unprepared starting at Houndstooth—I threw myself into it because I had to. I am a year out of school and had not touched anything music related in an embarrassingly long time, probably since I graduated, and it was scariest thing I have ever done for myself, and I knew it was something I couldn't pass up. Nobody else was going to be there, it really is just me this time, and up to me. I still have a hard time taking up space when I go in. I think about my first line to say hi to everyone, and I have probably had a breakdown in their washroom stalls too many times to count on my hands now. I am not great at talking to the staff despite everyone being really welcoming and friendly. I sit alone a lot reluctant to join conversations I'm too scared to interrupt into but probably have a lot to say. I messed up a soundcheck once that left me devastated, and other nights I felt so much love I could burst. I feel so fulfilled doing anything with sound and I don't know where else I would be without pursuing music in general. I got so lucky being able to start in a place already within my niche, and avoid the venues without the punk music I am really looking for. I don't only want to be good, I want to be reliable, and I want to be a community member people turn to. One day I will be really great at sound, but I also plan to be really great at a lot of things. Houndstooth is slowly showing me that I can be, despite the immense growing pains it's taking for me to get there. When I talked about how the universe revealed its answers to me, I knew that my life needed to shift to make space for all of...this.

    One of the first journal entries I wrote after February was about how life keeps moving regardless of your misalignment with it. Life will let you catch up, at your own pace, and it will give you present reminders that it's still moving. I was crying on the subway platform and I did not notice the train arriving until this wave and rush of people got off—it was my reminder that life keeps moving, and I was not going to miss it and wait for the next one. I think about how we feel silly for crying after the session is interrupted by something that made us laugh, because you're capable of seeing that life is still moving. A really good friend of mine and I were talking about everything that happened to me, and they sort of went "life is just so chaotic, you know?" and all of a sudden cars started honking on the road nearby, and these crazy loud motorcycle engines hummed and echoed the entire area and filled in the gaps of the honks. We stared at each other for a moment and started laughing, as if the universe gave us the divine reminder then and there, that life is in fact chaotic, and that it's going to keep moving. I think about the justice we seek instead of making peace with those that didn't make the cut; I think about how we let ourselves surrender and to go without closure—trusting the universe—not realizing that time will reveal the answer unrelated to what you originally sought. And it won't come from the person who made you feel small, but the thing 6 months later that changes your life for the better. And you will know it's the answer because you will see clarity for the first time in a while, and that's when you will know that you have caught up with life's movements.

    I think me writing right now, regardless if I publish it on prototypewrites or not, is the clarity I really needed, to see it all laid out, that I did let life move, and I have caught up, and I am doing things for myself, and that I am different. I have a lot that I still deal with from that time, not to mention current and ongoing struggles, and I mean, it has not even been a year, and I honestly gave myself a way bigger window to "get better" (whatever that means), but I will say I am really proud of myself. I am trying to be okay with taking up space, and this little blog is a place I do feel okay with it. There are lots of roads I still have to cross, and there are lots of fears I still have to face, and I am trying to be okay with being unprepared, because I don't think I ever will be, and I would be waiting my entire life if that was the case. I am capable of going on second dates, and I am capable of being loved, and I am also capable of writing! I know this was not music related but I hope putting this out there is the push to get me back into it and be excited about it again. I love music analyses and it's something I do in my head constantly. I have been struggling with taking the time to put that all down into clear paragraphs for some lovely readers. I plan on sticking to music-centered pieces, but consider this a half-come-back. I don't know yet. Prototype is this 'brand' I created as an ode to all the versions we are and the works-in-progress we all are, to the places we want to be, and the prototypes we will continue to refurbish and refine. This is me, prototype, a new prototype, different from the other ones, thanking you for reading.

-Prototype

NOT A PROTOTYPE! - Please Don't Crash

 Description: Please Don’t Crash is not a prototype! With their ingenious sound, the only way to hear this commodity of a band is a live show. Read about an ensemble that is so good they don’t even need music released to connect with listeners.

Please Don’t Crash is a commodity in the scene—they’re valuable in a hidden way, since they have no music out, but I promise by the time you’re finished learning about them through a glimpse of a fan’s eye that fact won’t even matter, because everything about this band is good enough that it stands on its own. Though I could also see it ending in an upset because they are so good you’ll want to listen to them on your own time—at least I do.

While they’re hidden and deserve the exposure, people who know about Please Don’t Crash subsequently are integral parts of the local scene. Bands like this create hubs of safe spaces, because that sense of a commodity naturally creates very punk safe spaces, since most of the crowd is community. If you ever go to a show of a pretty high regarded band the crowd is very unified—in looks and in mind. We are all admiring the art in front of us and the only other band I can compare that feeling to is Burner. If you have ever been to a Burner show you know what I’m talking about—everyone’s pretty much huddled and enjoying, but giving that space of respect because you just have to let them perform their craft for you. Arms crossed, stank face, become one with the music. Basically, if you know, you know.

Hopefully I can try to make this easy to follow as I attempt to explain the fusion of noise, genres and rhythms that shape the sound of Please Don’t Crash. Simply put I think it is ingenious. Most of their songs are instrumental, at least majority instrumental. You might think that’s boring or a prototype but it is genuinely so intentional and put-together you immediately succumb and become enamored.

Their music is melodic but punk, sort of post-hardcore with slowcore elements, but it’s not necessarily slow-paced enough to be constituted as such. They also unexpectedly use metal elements that I think are so impressive. Some parts of their music can seriously be snipped into an edit and all the comments will be “what is that melody??” Because seriously, what is that melody?

Their new addition of a second guitar creates very beautiful harmonies that make the band sound very full. A lot of the melodic parts of their songs lead into a thrasher sound, but it still keeps main riffs tied into it. The beginning riff of ‘Deathblow’ by Deftones is very reminiscent of the type of melodies they come up with, but with a mix of the heaviness—almost grunge-ness and weight that comes with something by Electric Wizard, for example. They also play a lot with rhythms and will go into accelerandos, ritardandos, and back to a tempo, which can take you aback and out of a head-bopping rhythm, but you understand and fall for it right away. Now, everything I just said, note that they are able to simultaneously fuse these sounds together, but their songs vary so much they do them individually as well. I know when put under such analysis descriptions can be seen as meticulous or overwhelming; when you are able to hear it it just makes sense—Please Don’t Crash is utterly captivating and innovative.

When the lead does sing, it adds a kind of emo element to the song, but the vocals are also not clear enough to be something you would consider the average song with lyrics in it—it is sort of just another instrument added to the layers in a way, and I think that is really cool.

A Please Don’t Crash set usually goes as follows: the drummer is not at the drums, but at a pedalboard with a tape recorder: a head-turning intro of reverb, noise, distortion, midwest-emo unintelligible talking, 8-bit horror video game ambiance, a spirit box trying to talk—a preface into wondering where this set will take you. Taking a look at the instruments in their individual aspects, I would love to take the time to elaborate on their sound, as there can never be enough to say. Please Don’t Crash’s bass is super post-hardcore and melodic—a feedback-generator and thrasher—kind of an anchor to the rest of the band but it stands out enough on its own too, because I think it emulates a very unique layer to their sound and I do not think it would be anywhere the same without it. When people say bass is a very hidden integral instrument to bands I think Please Don’t Crash is a great example of that. The guitars’ tones are fuzzy but clear, there are harmonics within chords and between both guitars, and it adds a romantic touch to the types of melodies I’m trying to describe. There’s a lot of switching from strumming, finger-picking and varying tempos between the two so there’s always a lot going on. And I don’t mean to say that in a sense where there is too much going on and it is messy, but rather that they are able to perfectly balance all these complex elements that quite literally melt together. I think I would also describe such a sound as satisfying—the notes blend and melt, and the tempo changes become charming and expected.

The drumming I have a lot to say—it is not the drumming you would expect with the sounds I mentioned, but it is perfection to me and I will just start off by saying Please Don’t Crash’s drummer has some of the coolest style and sheer technique to their playing; I am floored every time. The drumming, as the other instruments do, vary a lot in its dynamics—they are able to switch from very complimentary elements that cater to the rest of the band and is expected in its context, to straight up death metal-esque drumming. The band’s thrashing element definitely comes from its drumming and at least for me, it is one of the most standout parts of their sound. I kind of hate saying unique because it can be such a non-word, but in its most genuine way possible I’d like to describe it that way. They do these crazy thrash and metal sequences, fast double bass kick drumming (forgive me for I know nothing about drums) but also can go kind of mellow and groovy. They have one song where the drummer literally alternates between standing and sitting as a build-up to a breakdown, it is just some of the coolest playing I have ever seen. The drums are so intrinsic and essential, and I think their particular style of drumming is indispensable to Please Don’t Crash. They will start going buck out of nowhere and as a metalhead it just does something to me. If you are someone who never really notices or pays attention to drums, I promise Please Don’t Crash will change your perspective almost immediately.

Call my music taste narrow but I have honestly never heard anything like Please Don’t Crash. They were one of the first bands I saw in the local scene that really made me start analyzing, dissecting and overall think differently towards music. It made me further appreciate community around me; be thankful I can be exposed to talent so close to me, and privileged that I am part of it! I cannot emphasize enough when I truly believe something is innovative and exciting, but also meaningful and passionate and spontaneous.

Please Don’t Crash has not only given and brought out emotions in me as a listener, but community along with it. Nobody in the scene is doing it like this ensemble and from their own integrity are probably too humble to admit it. They are truly innovative in their sound and with the formal talk aside, can someone get them into a studio? This instrumental-and-sometimes-singing quartet is not a prototype, and not a band you want to miss out on. While my interpretation without a reference can be hard to grasp, I think it is all the more reason to go out and see them. The FOMO is valid with these guys. Plus you can brag to the individualism in our society that you are a fan of a band without a Spotify monthly listener count. Give their socials a follow and go support their gigs! Don’t sleep on Please Don’t Crash, support your local music scene!

Check out Please Don't Crash on socials:
https://www.instagram.com/pleasedontcrash/
Support your local music scene!
Not A Prototype is a section where I talk about local bands in the Greater Toronto Area and how their refined sounds aren't just a prototype.

NOT A PROTOTYPE! - Waste Youth

 Description: Waste Youth is not a prototype! Read about this unique punk duo and their ability to be some of the coolest thrashers in the scene.

Picture this: a drummer and a bassist come on stage. You sort of pause and ask yourself, “where’s the rest of the band?” You then see the microphone at the drums and a crazy looking pedalboard for the bass—you realize this is the band. And then the music starts. You start to question where all the layers of noise are coming from and notice it’s probably the first time you’re hearing these instruments being used to their full potential, which is something you don’t come across often. Generally underappreciated, the drums and bass are instruments you tend to see as sort-of carriers within a full ensemble, but Waste Youth is a band that shines a spotlight on them (with some killer vocals alongside it).

Listen, a bit of a corny way to set the scene, but I think it’s kind of an ode to Waste Youth because their marketing is theatrical and silly and it’s just another thing I love about them. I’ll just start off by saying this band will change the way you look at drums, bass, vocals, the range of punk as a genre, and leave an impression on you that you won’t be able to stop thinking about. Waste Youth is not to be undermined—they are a duo that pack a punch and give you some of the coolest garage punk you’ve ever heard with just two instruments and vocals.

Waste Youth somehow does this thing where all elements of their songs go together, but it’s also as if they can be their own songs, a sort-of comedic 3 in 1 but I think it’s really cool. Isolating vocals and both instruments feels like they can exist on their own, but putting it all together just makes all the elements melt together into one performance. Next time you give them a listen try and isolate everything in your head—it’s pretty cool once you hear it. Hearing the music alone without watching them perform also makes you think there’s a full band going on. I know that all sounds contradictory—two instruments that sound isolated, but still go together, but also sound like a full band—what can I say, that’s Waste Youth for you.

Before I get into the music itself I’d love to touch on Waste Youth as a band in all its aspects—marketing being one of them. Their Instagram connects with their audience in a really fun way and I love bands that are able to create a fanbase with a theme attached to it. One of my favourite bands, Avatar, their motto is quite literally that they’re too fun to take things seriously—and I get the same vibe with Waste Youth. But don’t let that fool you, there is still an incredible amount of effort that goes into making a fun persona around your band, and you can tell just from their promotional content, even the most imaginative ideas come to life with this duo.

There is no limit with Waste Youth; get ready for story arcs you’ll want to follow as they come out, costumes, sarcasm, silliness, cryptic messages, and videos to fuel your nightmares. You might also get a threat from the goblin hand to buy their merch (you should). This point is merely to gas them up even more but I think their designs are some of the coolest. Have you seen their stickers? Yeah.

In other words, it’s nothing short of an artform in itself. I think an interesting part of their marketing is that it’s impersonal enough so you can focus on the music, but personal enough to give the band a personality. While marketing and social aspects of bands and music are seen as integral parts of the process, Waste Youth not only puts the fun in it but also demonstrates a further passion for what they do, and I think it’s part of my duty to recognize and put an emphasis on it so you can appreciate it just as much. It is a mistake to overlook efforts of something as seemingly small as an Instagram post because it plays a role in the budget as much as anything else, and as supporters of local scenes it is also part of our jobs to spread the word. Waste Youth gives the perfect formula to strengthen the connections they’ve already made and give the opportunity for us to further share their art.

Waste Youth has completely changed my perspective on the bass as an instrument, and how impressive it is to sing, scream and drum at the same time. I promise you will be mesmerized watching this band if you ever hit up one of their shows. Watching the bassist do their thing is incredible, not only through all the pedals that I don’t even know what each does at this point, but the sheer technique of it all. It is an aspect of the song that is able to be simultaneously hardcore and melodic, clever and witty, and creative and entrancing. Then there’s the drums that make their songs absolute thrashers. Every drum sequence is immediate head-banging material, while the bass is able to keep a melody to compliment it. The drummer also happens to be the vocalist, and while I could go on forever about the technique that comes with doing two complex things at once (and doing them well), they add a texture that makes the songs full and give it character. The bass always creates a colourful layer with its riffs, the drums a thrasher, and the vocals are punk as fuck (I was contemplating the swearing in a formal review but I realized I could totally make the rules here). There aren’t enough descriptions I can make to illustrate the music and its essence. In punk terms: they’re disgusting!

Waste Youth’s live sets will give you seamless transitions in between songs, some really nice moments of appreciation, jokes and an experience. Not to mention seeing huge smiles across the band’s faces, which gives that energy directly back to you in the audience. It isn’t a question whether or not they’re having fun on stage, because they are, the rest is up to you to make your experience as a listener just as exciting. The only rule during a Waste Youth set is to enjoy it as much as they do.

Make sure to add Waste Youth’s latest single “BFF” twice to your playlist because the only thing about it is that I wish it was longer. When I say that Waste Youth is some of the best thrashers in the scene this song utterly captures that element—one listen you’ll wish you were in the middle of a crowd at that moment. It opens up with the activity of the wonderful decorative vase (see, we already have inside jokes) that they were giving away during their promotion of this single, which seamlessly transitions into the drums and the rest of the song. The bass leans more into that hardcore essence it is able to carry, and it’s got these cool breakdowns that happen to mirror the vocals, and drums create the varying dynamics. The screaming in this song really carries and guides it, while I feel like the rest of their discography is steered more by the instruments. Yes: all of this and more happens in under two minutes.

Unreleased singles that can only be found through their live EP Live at the Mule Spinner on Bandcamp, my personal favourites are “Hounds” and “9 Lives.” The melodies just do something to me in those songs, and on top of that they are just so cool to me. These two definitely uncover their cleverness and wittiness. Waste Youth’s riffs can be sort of wacky in a good way. Per a lot of my other pieces, part of music is that there is so much I could explain but not enough until you actually listen to it. It’s unexpected but you end up understanding and falling for it right away.

Waste Youth is humorous and thrilling as much as they are captivating, impressive and inspiring. You might think a duo with two falsely limiting instruments is a prototype, but they are far from one—in all areas. Sometimes you don’t need a ton of profound emotion for a band’s music to connect with you; Waste Youth is one of my favourites in the scene because their emotions are shown with a ton of punk, noise, and… more noise. Their impression on me is long-lasting—no matter how many times I see them I am transported, immersed and floored. With energy as contagious as Waste Youth’s, do not miss the chance to see them if they perform near you!

Check out Waste Youth’s live EP and socials:

https://wasteyouth.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-the-mule-spinner

https://www.instagram.com/wasteyouthband/

Support your local music scene!

Not A Prototype is a section where I talk about local bands in the Greater Toronto Area and how their refined sounds aren't just a prototype.

NOT A PROTOTYPE! - Mntclr

 Description: Mntclr (Mont-clair) is not a prototype! Read about one of my favourite local bands in the scene and why their sound is so unparalleled. (read time: approx. 5 minutes)

Seriously bet you haven’t heard the fusion of genres that Mntclr creates through their music. Now I know this entire post I’m going to be boasting about how amazing I think this band is and what they have to offer so I’m just going to go off the bat and recognize the bias. Nonetheless I hope you can see the objective analysis of the instruments and music, but I love Mntclr and you should too. 

I couldn’t describe to you how cool I think Mntclr’s sound is. It’s a base of indie rock with elements of this jazzy-folk-indie-math-rock in it that I think is so refined, refreshing and special. They truly have a talent and a gift that not only deserves—but needs to be shown to the world. 

Starting with the band’s vocals, it is filled with technique and character, and the most impressive part is that it’s seamless and sounds especially effortless. The lead’s vocals have a beautiful range with low and high notes and everything in between; moments of belting, vibrato, some of the most interesting runs I’ve ever heard and some of the best songwriting I’ve come across. And when I tell you it comes so naturally you can tell they were meant for this role. Though many songs cover different themes all of them explore their respective motifs through thought-provoking metaphors and profound explorations of it within the lyrics. They’re also written in a really fun and catchy way so once you learn the lyrics, singing along is just as fun as any other band. I know I personally couldn’t write anything near so well-worded enough that it still flows with the music perfectly. 

Every instrument creates a layer in Mntclr’s songs that come together in a distinct but simultaneously unified way. Every single guitar riff goes so damn hard I can’t even make up some well-rounded sentence with fancy words to describe how crazy and technical but fun every guitar lead is. It’s a lot of math rock and cool harmonics, but you’ll also get some odd jazzy parts that you wouldn’t expect. Every song is a journey with loud and quiet elements, ranging dynamics that you’ll want to hear how it changes from beginning to end. From my understanding everything out on their Spotify right now were solely recorded by the two founding members with the now-guitar lead who recorded and mixed every single instrument and that’s just simply insane to me. They now have a full band and I can’t wait to hear what they have in store for the future. I’d like to think I’m pretty well-rounded in music theory in my 12 years of playing instruments and I still can’t understand how bands, particularly Mntclr, come up with melodies so complex yet satisfying. ‘Goodbye, Goodbye,’ ‘Madrid,’ ‘Some are Sweet,’ and ‘Pomegranate’ have some of my favourites from the band and I’d take far too long dissecting each one than just telling you to listen to at least one thing from these guys. 

‘Shaded’ is a track that I think uses all those fusions of genres I had mentioned into one song. It brings in the main riff from the moment it starts and the drums unify it, then the vocals come in and the drums change to a really cool sort of jazzy-folky beat. The singing in this song ranges and uses some layered vocals as well to tie it together. It then hits you with sort of out-of-place unexpected chords that carry through the rest of the song, and soon after the instruments go into a crescendo. The song gives you a pause before hitting you with an eccentric bridge to the end of it and it’s fun, catchy, emotional and a production all at the same time. Other songs like ‘Thrice’ keep a pretty consistent jazzy-feel to it, or ‘Madrid’ which keeps a pretty indie-rock base to it. Every song takes a really unexpected direction but it somehow all flows into a very distinct and refined sound unique to Mntclr. 

While I can go on forever about their self-titled album (2021) and their two singles (2019) I need to talk about their live performance because I recently got the chance to at their Toronto show and I loved every moment of it. But as a last note, per my last local band review (go read!!) another one of my top songs of all time is ‘Goodbye, Goodbye’ by Mntclr. I feel like a lot of people don’t expect their local scene to be any different to things that are more well-known and it stops them from actually incorporating anything in their daily listening rotation; but I feel that’s the whole point. Plus for me, I really get to let people know that their music really makes me feel things. There’s passion in what these smaller bands do and there’s no reason that the passion can’t be shared both ways in an intimate sense like that. Like “hey, I’ve literally cried to your songs!” 

One of my favourite parts about any live show, big or small, is watching the people play their respective instruments. Mntclr’s guitarist and drummer were going absolutely buck during their set. The drumming in Mntclr ranges probably as much as the lead vocals. There’s some really math-rock parts, super jazzy-swift mellow elements and others that carry a really nice beat to accompany and carry the rest of the band. As stated before I know nothing about drums but I can tell you that it sounds seriously good and the drummer is incredibly talented. The basslines in Mntclr’s songs a lot of the time act as an anchor, but when it’s the main melody it always does something really impactful and pungent—it sort of creates a punch in those fragments of different songs. When it shines through it really makes sure it makes its point and I love it, like ‘yeah, this is the bassist’s moment right now, listen to this it’s cool as hell.’

The energy Mntclr brings to their live performances is some of the best you’ll come across. You’re bound to have a good time with these guys because the vibes are all the way up. The crowd was amazing and one of the best parts about it was afterwards I found out the main group having the best time (like seriously, one dude was dripping sweat) didn’t even know anything about the band. It made it that much more fitting to me because I think it proves how special this band is. Every member has great stage presence and it’s some of the most fun I’ve had at a local show. Plus it felt like a little concert to me considering I was singing along the whole time. Definitely don’t miss the chance to see these guys if they’re playing near you. For now, you can check out their Spotify and Bandcamp, and follow them on Instagram!  

Mntclr has seriously brought me a lot of joy and emotions since its beginning and I truly think their sound is timeless, and I will carry their music throughout my lifetime, subsequently attaching more meaning to it. Another unqualified-qualified Prototype stamp of approval. 

https://www.instagram.com/mntclrtheband/

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Not A Prototype is a section where I talk about local bands in the Greater Toronto Area and how their refined sounds aren't just a prototype.