Disaster Pony

Disaster Pony is a new jazz/EDM band led by Gordon Hyland, a saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist and composer based in Toronto. With a Masters in Jazz Performance under his belt from the University of Toronto, Hyland has built up a reputation as an in-demand session player in Canada’s live music scene, playing hundreds of shows with the popular cover band Dwayne Gretzky. It was while touring with this band that Hyland connected with his main Disaster Pony collaborators Adam Hindle (Born Ruffians) and Ian Docherty (July Talk.) After all of their shows were unceremoniously cancelled in 2020 (due to a global health crisis that shall not be named…) Hyland and Hindle decided they needed to follow through on an idea they had of making a danceable saxophone record. The album was recorded over two weeks in February and March of 2021. The sessions were meant to be experimental from the beginning. Their thesis was to learn and try to do anything and everything that came to mind, then figure out how it all worked together after the fact.

The Disaster Pony ethos is anchored in the electronic music of artists such as Amon Tobin, Bonobo and The Herbalist: artists known for combining hip-hip, downtempo, and jazz samples. Instead of sampling other artists, Hindle, Hyland, and a roster of other musicians performed their own grooves and improvisations using tracks by the likes of Madlib, MF Doom, Beastie Boys, and WuTang Clang as jumping off points. The recordings were then disassembled and reassembled, resulting in a record that  is groove-focused, tape drenched, saxophone friendly, and – above all – beautiful.

This record features several of Hyland’s closest musical friends. Andrew Roorda is heavily featured with his use of FX pedals, bringing the bass into the sonic world of synthesizers. Vivienne Wilder adds her voice as a double bassist on the album providing everything from Amon Tobin-like double bass-grooves to soundscapes of layered bowing. Electronic artist Acote adds sound design to several tracks, further hybridizing the album and bringing it into the world of experimental UK  electronic Jazz. The album also features special guest appearances by cellist Liza McLellan (Quartetto Gelato, Devah) and violinist Eugene Draw (Dr. Draw).

Tags