Day OFF

Bio:

Rachels’, Rob Dougan, God speed you black emperor, Peccatum, Sigur Rós are some of the artists whose music Day OFF's works have been compared to. Romantic, filmic, evocative are some of the adjectives used to describe the music of our trio of very classical instrumentation - violin, cello and piano.

Selected reviews from Garageband.com

Formula 1

GRABS YOU FROM THE START! Excellent work! This piece grabs your attention right out of the gate. Great use of counterpoint to make things interesting. The violin is beautiful……A brooding, dark composition that leaves me wanting more!!!

Phenomenal Doesn't Begin to Describe It A hard hitting beautifully played violin lead started this song off and I was instantly captivated. When the rest of the instruments came in carrying the same sort of intensity and vigour I was blown away. Literally, I feel this is the best song I have heard on garageband to date……

Cool. Very Amélie sound track worthy…..This piece is definitely a character piece. You feel exactly what the artists wants you to feel……This song is a great experience. The performance is great.

Industrial strength Paganini. Awesome musicianship….. The arrangement has a great effect of urgency, like traditional instruments emulating electronic ones. A very strong piece. ….. complex repetitive arrangement, its like Vivaldi's Nuclear winter.

Lost Dreams Awards: Best Production; Best Melody; Best Mood; Bitter Breakup Song

Blown Blown Blown away I was... I simply love this track……I listened quite a few times, and I love it all the way, you pass through some fantastic moods along the way. Very epic in a way. Kisses and hugs from me:-)

Nicely composed with attention to detail Very peaceful and reflective… Beautiful harmonies with layers building and becoming more intricate. Nice composition with attention to detail. ……evokes emotion……played with passion.

Great acoustic (orchestra-based) ambient cannon This is an easy to listen to orchestral cannon with good progression, and an over all ambient sound and mood.…. the ambience generated is stunning……

Parle Moi

Beautifully haunting. Beautiful haunting piano open… The interplay between the two string parts is captivating. I like the interesting arpeggios beneath the strings. It's really a nice dichotomy……The piece is excellent and performed superbly…

beautiful work …I could not stop myself to listen to it again….How not to appreciate this music?... beautiful melodies dances and mixes with each other with a marvelous softness. simple music, yet incredibly original, very emotional….

Beautiful Music. No comment...the Music is so beautiful, it made my day. so sensual. violins are breath taking … piano is so good. good harmony and the mix is great. seriously very very good job.

I love this. I love Piazzolla and all things that have come close. The arrangement is lovely, I like the crunchy bits in the piano, just enough edge…… the best thing I've heard on Garage Band.

So that's what some people have said about some tracks contained in this album. Let us tell you a little more about ourselves.

Day OFF is Montreal violinist Simon Claude, Montreal cellist Alexandre Castonguay and Toronto pianist/composer Njo Kong Kie.

The three musicians met while touring with La La La Human Steps. Between 2002 and 2005, the musicians performed with the company across Europe, North America and Asia. Apart from touring the show Amelia, we also recorded and contributed original music to the soundtrack of Edouard Lock ‘s award winning dance film of the same name. The film was nominated for an international Emmy Award.

Day OFF was founded during the tours with La La La Human Steps. The music of this album was written during the days off of the tours. The instrumentation is classical - a trio of piano, violin and cello. We perform only original music – a music creation guided by the classical traditions and the sensibility of the contemporary pop culture - old world in the new world.

A little note about me, the pianist and composer of Day OFF. I have been, since 1996, the pianist/musical director of Montreal-based modern dance company, La La La Human Steps. Excerpts of my compositions have been used on the web site of Margaret Atwood's novel, Oryx and Crake, on the promotional web video of the London International Festival of Theatre, the soundtrack of the award winning Edouard Lock's film, Amelia and the documentary series China Rises.

Kong Kie has five chamber operas to his credit, knotty together, Shattered Glass, The Futures Market, Silver Swallow and La Señorita Mundo.

The rest can be found at www.dayoff.ca where you can also buy CD. The tracks are also available at itunes and musicishere.com, etc.

Member Since:

September 26, 2006

Members:

Alexandre Castonguay (cello), Simon Claude (violin), Njo Kong Kie (piano and composition)

Influences:

classical repertoire, minimalism, operas, electronica, pop, world, rock, everything really except metal and reggae, well, not yet anyway

Sounds Like:

Philip Glass, Rob Dougan, Rachel's, Michael Nyman, Sigur Ros, David Lang, Gavin Bryars

Record Label:

Unsigned