Population II - Maintenant Jamais - VINYL LP

A crisp, spellbinding intro sets the mood for the first song on Maintenant Jamais, Population II's third album. With the guidance of producer Dominic Vanchesteing (Marie Davidson, Chocolat, Peter Peter), the turbulence of the band's previous releases is structured and refined. The result is a sophisticated rock album that surprises with it's languorous grooves, as heard on Le thé est prêt, while staying true to the raw power for which the band is renowned, as demonstrated on vigorous tracks such as La Trippance and Rédemption naturelle.The album follows with Prévisions, a song that ripples with finesse before abruptly transitioning into the instrumental number Macavélique rock. While Haut-fond and Cardinaux are true feats of elegant prog rock, Mariano (Jamais je ne t'oublierai) and homme étoilé prove that Population II is also endowed with a profound melodic sensibility capable of creating catchy and explosive hooks.On this new album, the trio fine-tunes the distinctive style they've been developing for several years, thanks in part to a fusion of shared influences - from Soft Machine to MC5 to L'Infonie - but also to a rare complicity that can only blossom between such close friends. This creative chemistry is what makes the band's complex songwriting seem so fluid and supple. Population II breaks through their previous sonic frontiers while remaining true to their roots.A1. Maintenant et JamaisA2. PrévisionsA3. Macavélique rockA4. Haut-fondA5. Mariano (Jamais je ne t'oublierai)A6. La TrippanceA7. Poudreuse BluesA8. i + iB1. Le thé est prêtB2. Homme étoiléB3. Rédemption naturelleB4. 13 1 3 1B5. La CacheB6. Cardinaux

Electrons Libres Du Quebec - Population II - More straightforward than À la Ô Terre, it's predecessor released on Castle Face Records back in 2020, Électrons libres du québec is Population II's sophomore album. On this new effort, produced by Emmanuel Éthier, the three-piece band - made up of singer/drummer Pierre-Luc Gratton, guitarist/keyboardist Tristan Lacombe and bassist Sébastien Provençal - delivers a heavy, psychedelic rock infused with feverish funk rhythms, a hint of jazz philosophy, a burst of early punk energy, and a love of minor scales that harkens back to the roots of heavy metal. With Électrons libres du québec, Population II showcases once again their sharp sense of songcraft and an undeniable expertise in their instruments. This is an album that effortlessly maintains a balance between challenging compositions and instantly memorable melodies. - Bonsound

After releasing their third album, Maintenant Jamais, and touring in Europe, the United States, Canada, and Mexico in 2025, Population II now announces Gimmicks, a new synthedelic rock EP.Blending vocal and instrumental tracks, Gimmicks is a companion piece to the Montreal band's latest full-length. It's an extension of the electronic sounds we explored on Maintenant Jamais, with tracks like Inch13 1 3 1Inch and InchPoudreuse Blues, explains Pierre-Luc Gratton. Even though we added upright piano and fuzz bass to some of the songs, our number one rule for this project was keyboards and synthesizers, first and foremost! This is why they decided to ditch the guitar completely on these new songs, once again demonstrating the extent of their versatility.Rhythm-wise, the use of a drum machine allowed the musicians to push their own boundaries and take this exercise in style to a higher level. It made us rethink our rhythmic habits and add bursts of intensity by experimenting with timbres and sound dynamics. The result is an EP at times unsettling, at times dreamy, but perfectly calibrated, where constraint gives way to ingenuity, freedom, and friendship. Although prog and krautrock fans will recognize the influence of Syrinx, Tangerine Dream, and Cluster, Gimmicks is, above all, the affirmation of a band capable of looking back to move forward.