Montreal Cinematographic Trio, Caméra, Shares Melancholic Snapshot in “Carrousel”

Buried deep in Montreal’s lingering winters, a trio of musicians sat in a room together. Used to the crazy pace of working in the city’s hyperactive music industry, they might have been unconsciously looking to do something slower, calmer, and free from commercial constraints. Looking at the snow battering the wide windows by the train tracks, they spent the afternoon playing around with what was in the room: a slide whistle, a Juno, and some guitar pedals. The table was set for what would become Caméra. They eventually spent more time together, finding sounds, exploring bizarre ideas, but always seeking beauty. 

The song “Carrousel” from new album, Caméra, was composed in one snowy afternoon; it’s a picture of a moment that the trio spent together. It was actually the first song written together as Caméra. The band sat in a room not really expecting anything to happen. After a fun afternoon of playing around with bits and pieces of melody, this song came to life. It felt like they were digging up something that has always been there.

The three musicians had collaborated before in different contexts, but they wanted to try and see what would happen if they pooled their visions together. The Caméra LP was the result of meeting sporadically over the course of three years, when time allowed, and simply playing around with some ideas. Everything was self-recorded and happened on the spot when the idea arrived. It makes this work “imperfect,” but the band felt that there was no other way to capture the vibe.