I was intrigued by the track titles on Mary Ancheta Quartet’s EP, Level Up, released on June 2; “Grease the Wheel” and “Gotta Get it” instil being in motion, which is exactly what the EP entails. It’s a mix of ‘70s jazz, electronic funk, and progressive tempos, ending with a gritty banger. Perfect for coasting through the day!
I interviewed quartet leader, Ancheta, ahead of her tour across the country, including an upcoming show for the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Ancheta is a renowned Vancouver-based film scorer and keyboardist, and has composed for local artists like rapper Kimmortal and singer-songwriter iskwē. Now, she’s setting the tone of a new sound with the band’s debut.
Ancheta said the title describes “when you’re struggling with something, like a thought process or practicing something — that moment right before, when you’re just about to give up — and you push through the process. That’s when you level up.
“I think it’s definitely been me levelling up in that sense of being a studio musician and session musician to band leader.”
Ancheta’s background in scoring film and TV bleeds into the tracks, which could fit into the Mad Men soundtrack. The EP has a bustling, mid century modern atmosphere with retro video game bleeps, a hurried rhythm, and brassy swing.
“I feel like I’m always trying to pull from certain things,” she said. She listed ‘80s synths, Aphex Twin, ambient, and baroque composers as some of her eclectic sources of inspiration. With technical training in classical music, you can expect inventiveness from Anchetta.
It’s also supercharged with emotion, reflecting feelings of “determination, joyful noise, and freedom.” It’s energizing to cling to the album’s whimsical melody. When asked to name some of the multi-dimensional instrumentation, she noted the use of vibraphone, which creates sharp notes by hitting felt beaters onto a mallet.
“Grease the wheel” especially struck me with its industrial sound, and how it holds feelings of strength and consistency amidst the chaos. Ancheta explained the organ runs through a Leslie, which is a rotating speaker that reverberates through a “woofer and a high-frequency horn.” The analog and electronic fusion add to this track’s addictiveness.
Ending the album is “Impermanence,” a pulsating, noise-for-your-skull track which alternates between groovy saxophone, and clashing drum and heavy bass. “I tried to encapsulate the fragility of life and of how quickly things can change in a split second,” she wrote on her Instagram about the track. Written at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it “encompasses the joy of having time to yourself, and the isolation that one can feel with too much time by yourself.”
See Mary Ancheta Quartet live on June 29 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, where she is opening for BADBADNOTGOOD. Purchase tickets at coastaljazz.ca. Listen to Level Up on Spotify, Apple Music, or Bandcamp and follow Ancheta on Instagram at @Maryancheta.
