By: Jonah Lazar, Staff Writer
Turner Churchill has called Vancouver (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ Nations) home for roughly eight years. During this period, Churchill spent time working at Long & McQuade, where he met many fellow musicians and was frequently involved in Vancouver’s band scene. This led to him playing the organ, drums, keyboards, and synth for psych-rock outfit Wrecked Beach, as well as featuring in a number of other bands and projects over the years. About four years ago, he suffered a stroke, leaving him with limited mobility, and restricting his musical options. He has continued making music under the alias CRITTR, and has released a handful of electronic albums and EPs. The latest album of his collection, Bubblin’ Up, was released on September 4.
Immediately when I started listening to Bubblin’ Up, Churchill’s multifaceted musical background shined through. This record explores a plethora of different niches within, and outside of, the electronic genre. It collaborates with artists from Blues/Soul backgrounds, shifting tempos nearly into British rave scene territory, and often finds itself nestled into the footprints of electronic giants like Aphex Twin. Churchill views these varying backgrounds as vital to the production of his sound. “I draw from bands like Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, as well as ‘90s and current electronic bands like Aphex Twin or Boards of Canada. I also take a lot of influence from UK electronic bands [ . . . ] they’re very tasteful, they know how to do it.”
A standout song for me on this album is the third track, “Pacem.” In a departure from the dancey, energetic first couple songs that hold their rhythm firmly, “Pacem” instead explores a calmer array of intersecting melodies, tied together by featured vocalist Chantelle Ng’s trance-like chorus. The use of gentle vocals seems to appear with some regularity throughout this album, with collaborators Ng and blues singer Rachael Ransom featuring a handful of times on this record, adding a great amount of depth and variance to the album. Churchill justifies this decision rather plainly, “I find that instrumental electronic music can get stale sometimes; I like to get a singer on a beat even just for one bar.”
“It’s kind of a saviour for people with disabilities that you can still do art.”
— Turner Churchill
When reflecting on how his stroke has changed his approach to music, Churchill replied, “It just limits you, which is bad and good. Sometimes when you have too many options it’s hard to create stuff [ . . . ] it’s kind of a saviour for people with disabilities that you can still do art.” The Vancouver Adapted Music Society played an important role in Bubblin’ Up coming to fruition. The society, which has been operating since 1988, was founded by musicians who had suffered accidents, leaving them fully paralyzed, and has since become a place where musicians with disabilities across Vancouver can come and pursue their passions. “I did a lot of recordings at [Vancouver Adapted Music Society],” Churchill told us, “The people who run it are really cool guys.”
Churchill has a few ideas for what he wants his next steps in the music industry to be. “I’d want to get back into bands again at some point. Making your own stuff is the most freeing, but bands are the most fun you can have [ . . . ] I’d also like to play live more because I haven’t done that as much lately, I’ve only had four or five live appearances since my stroke.” He also has another project in the works, which he told us will likely come to fruition over the next year or so. As for the album, I’d encourage anyone looking to get into electronic music to approach this record as an excellent entrypoint to the genre.
Bubblin’ Up and Churchill’s other albums can be streamed on major music streaming platforms @CRITTR.
