{{Short description|Canadian musical group}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Esmerine | image = File:Esmerine stage photo.jpg | image_size = | landscape = yes | alt = | caption = | background = group_or_band | alias = | origin = Montreal, Quebec, Canada | genre = {{hlist|Chamber music|post-rock|indie rock|folk}} | years_active = {{Start date|2003}}–present | label = Constellation, Madrona, Resonant | associated_acts = Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Set Fire to Flames, Silver Mt. Zion, Saltland, Fifths of Seven, Mile-End Ladies' String Auxiliary, Rebecca Foon | website = {{URL|esmerine.com}} | current_members = Bruce Cawdron, Beckie Foon, Brian Sanderson | past_members = Sarah Pagé, Andrew Barr }}
'''Esmerine''' is a Canadian modern chamber music group that incorporates genres such as post-rock, drone music, post-punk, and Turkish folk. Founded in Montreal in 2000 by Bruce Cawdron (drums) and Beckie Foon (cello), the band has released six albums.
==History== ===2000–2002: Founding=== The chamber rock group Esmerine was formed in 2000 and was initially a duo consisting of percussionist Bruce Cawdron and cellist Beckie Foon. The two had recently met in Montreal while both were recording the debut album of Canadian post-rock band Set Fire To Flames.<ref name="esmerinecom"/> Cawdron and Foon had independently contributed to other Montreal based groups as well, notably Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, Saltland, Fifths of Seven, and Mile-End Ladies' String Auxiliary. However, instead of using the guitar-focused sound of their other projects, the duo initially focused on percussion and cello, drawing on minimalist classical music and chamber music. The band initially performed their original music in gigs around Montreal.<ref name="esmerinecom"/>
===2003–2010: Early releases=== {{See also|Aurora (Esmerine album)|If Only a Sweet Surrender to the Nights to Come Be True}} Esmerine recorded and released their debut album ''If Only a Sweet Surrender to the Nights to Come Be True'' in May 2003. It came out on the UK label Resonant Records, as well as the band's newly formed Madrona Records imprint.<ref name="esermine"/> Allmusic gave it 4/5 stars.
In 2004, the duo recorded their second album at the Hotel2Tango studio in Montreal. They released ''Aurora'' in May 2005 on Madrona Records, with a vinyl version released by Ninja Tune.<ref name="esermine"/> In the mid-2000s, Foon dedicated more time to Thee Silver Mt. Zion, while Cawdron continued to work as an acupuncturist. At the same time, they continued to occasionally perform in Montreal, often bringing in guest artists or collaborating with other groups.<ref name="esmerinecom"/>
===2011: ''La Lechuza''=== Foon and Cawdron began writing new music together in earnest in 2010.<ref name="esmerinecom"/> For their third album, ''La Lechuza'', two new members joined the group: Sarah Pagé, a harp player, and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Barr (both of The Barr Brothers and the Lhasa de Sela band).<ref name="esmerinecom"/> Album producer Patrick Watson also contributed vocals on two songs, with other guests including violinist Sarah Neufeld (Arcade Fire) and saxophonist Colin Stetson. Mark Lawson of Arcade Fire mixed most of the tracks.<ref name="esmerinecom"/>
===2012–2014: ''Dalmak''=== ; Recording process After Barr and Page became occupied with their other projects, Esmerine added two new members to their touring lineup: percussionist Jamie Thompson and multi-instrumentalist Brian Sanderson.
After a number of live performances, the quartet began writing new material in early 2012.<ref name="esmerinecom"/> After performing in Istanbul, the band was invited to return for an artist residency later that year.<ref name="Vogt"/> After turning a rented loft into a makeshift recording studio,<ref name="echotic"/> the band recorded for two days in Istanbul.<ref name="Bantmag"/> The band's "song skeletons" were added to by Turkish musicians, who contributed instruments such as the bendir, darbuka, erbane, mey, barama, saz and electric guitar.<ref name="adampearson"/> Among the guest musicians were Hakan Vreskala, Baran Aşık, Ali Kazim Akdağ, and James Hakan Dedeoğlu.<ref name="omh"/>
The album, ''Dalmak,'' was completed in the winter of 2012 and 2013 at Breakglass Studios in Montreal with engineer Jace Lasek.<ref name="esmerinecom"/>
;Reception ''Dalmak'' was released on Constellation Records in 2013. It was awarded Instrumental Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2014.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Esmerine Juno awards nominations |url=https://junoawards.ca/artist-profile/esmerine/ |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=The JUNO Awards |language=en-US}}</ref> ''Tiny Mix Tapes'' gave ''Dalmak'' a score of 3/5. The review described the album as starting off with the band's normal style, before Turkish influences started to dominate in tracks such as "Lost River Blues II."<ref name="Vogt"/> ''The Line of Best Fit'' gave it 7.5/10 stars.
===2015: ''Lost Voices''=== ''Lost Voices'' was released on Constellation Records in 2015, earning their second Juno Awards nomination as Instrumental Album of the Year in 2016. The band composed the record at Le Chateau Monthelon in Montreal, France.{{cn|date=February 2024}}
=== 2017: ''Mechanics of Dominion'' === ''Mechanics of Dominion'' is the sixth studio album by Canadian band Esmerine, released on October 20, 2017, through Constellation Records.
=== 2022: ''Everything Was Forever Until It Was No More'' === Esmerine released their album ''Everything Was Forever Until It Was No More'' on May 6, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-01 |title=Esmerine - Everything Was Forever Until It Was No More |url=https://echoesanddust.com/2022/09/esmerine-everything-was-forever-until-it-was-no-more/ |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=Echoes And Dust |language=en-US}}</ref> The record was awarded Instrumental Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2023.<ref name=":0" />
==Style, live performances== Esmerine announced a series of tour dates for 2023, including around Europe and performances at the Live at Lost River Festival in Wentworth-Nord, QC (August 24-27) put on by Patrick Watson and Rebecca Foon.
''Decoder Magazine'' has described Esmerine as "new-classical, punk-drone-post rock."<ref name="adampearson"/> As a "chamber rock" ensemble, Esmerine's music consists mainly of percussion, cello, and marimba, lacking the guitars prominent in the members' other side projects. Esmerine's style shares many characteristics with minimalist classical music and chamber music.<ref name="esermine"/>
==Members== ;Current {{Col-begin}} {{Col-break}}{{Col-break}}{{col-end}} * Bruce Cawdron (2000–present) - marimba, drums, melodic percussion * Beckie Foon (2000–present) - cello * Brian Sanderson (2011–present) - multiple instruments
;Past * Jamie Thompson (2011–2020) - drums, percussion * Sarah Pagé (2010–2011) - harp * Andrew Barr (2010–2011) - multiple instruments
==Awards== {|class="wikitable" !Year !Award !Nominated work !Category !Result |- |2014 |Juno Awards |''Dalmak'' |Instrumental Album of the Year |{{Won}} |- |2016 |Juno Awards |''Lost Voices'' |Instrumental Album of the Year |{{Nominated}} |- |2016 |Juno Awards |''Lost Voices'' |Recording Package of the Year |{{Won}} |- |2018 |Juno Awards |''Mechanics of Dominion'' |Recording Package of the Year |{{Nominated}} |- |2023 |Juno Awards |''Everything Was Forever Until It Was No More'' |Instrumental Album of the Year |{{Won}} |- |2023 |Juno Awards |''Everything Was Forever Until It Was No More'' |Recording Package of the Year |{{Won}} |}
==Discography== ===Studio albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ Studio albums by Esmerine ! Year ! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:15em;"| Album title ! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:18em;"| Release details |- |2003 ! {{nobold|'' If Only a Sweet<br>Surrender to the Nights<br>to Come Be True ''}} | * Released: May 20, 2003 * Label: Madrona/Resonant * Format: CD, LP, digital |- |2005 ! {{nobold|'' Aurora ''}} | * Released: May 31, 2005 * Label: Madrona/Ninja Tune * Format: CD, LP, digital |- |2011 ! {{nobold|'' La Lechuza''}} | * Released: December 20, 2011 * Label: Constellation * Format: CD, LP, digital |- |2013 ! {{nobold|'' Dalmak ''}} | * Released: September 3, 2013 * Label: Constellation * Format: CD, LP, digital |- |2015 ! {{nobold|'' Lost Voices ''}} | * Released: October 16, 2015 * Label: Constellation * Format: CD, LP, digital |- |2017 ! '''{{nobold|'' Mechanics of Dominion ''}}''' | * Released: October 20, 2017 * Label: Constellation * Format: CD, LP, digital |- |2022 !{{Nobold|''Everything Was Forever Until It Was No More''}} | * Released: May 6, 2022 * Label: Constellation * Format: CD, LP, digital |- |}
===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ Incomplete list of songs by Esmerine ! scope="col" rowspan="1" style="width:2.5em;" | Year ! scope="col" rowspan="1" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="1" | Album ! scope="col" rowspan="1" | Release notes |-
|rowspan="1"|2012 !scope="row"|"Front End Loader" | 2 track single || Constellation Records (May 2012) |- <!-- |rowspan="1"| !scope="row"|"" |— ||— || — || || '' || |- --> |}
==References== {{reflist|1=2|refs= <ref name="omh">{{cite news | title = Q&A: Esmerine | first = Geoff | last = Cowart | url = http://www.musicomh.com/features/interviews/qa-esmerine | newspaper = Music OMH | publisher = | date = December 9, 2013 | accessdate = 2014-06-18}}</ref> <ref name="adampearson">{{cite news | title = Drones and Doumbek in December: An Interview with Esmerine | first = Adam | last = Pearson | url = http://www.secretdecoder.net/features/2014/02/06/drones-and-doumbek-in-december-an-interview-with-esmerine/ | newspaper = Decoder Magazine | date = February 6, 2014 | accessdate = 2014-06-18}}</ref> <ref name="Bantmag">{{cite news | title = The Constellation Interviews no. 1. Esmerine | first = J. Hakan | last = Dedeoglu | url = http://www.bantmag.com/english/issue/post/23/18 | newspaper = Bantmag | date = 2014 | accessdate = 2014-06-18 | archive-date = 2014-07-14 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140714120751/http://www.bantmag.com/english/issue/post/23/18 | url-status = dead }}</ref> <ref name="Vogt">{{cite news | title = ''Dalmak'' review | first = Adam | last = Vogt | url = http://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/esmerine-dalmak | newspaper = Tiny Mix Tapes | publisher = | date = 2013 | accessdate = 2014-06-18}}</ref> <ref name="esermine">{{cite news | title = Esmerine: Bio and Discography | first = David | last = Jeffries | url = http://www.allmusic.com/artist/esmerine-mn0000166308 | publisher = Allmusic | date = | accessdate = 2014-06-18}}</ref> <ref name="esmerinecom">{{cite news | title = Info | url = http://www.esmerine.com/info/ | publisher = Esmerine.com | accessdate = 2014-06-18 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140410111145/http://www.esmerine.com/info/ | archive-date = 2014-04-10 | url-status = dead}}</ref> <ref name="echotic">{{cite news | title = Interview: Esmerine | url = http://echoticmusic.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/interview-esmerine/comment-page-1/ | publisher = Echotic Music | date = December 3, 2013 | accessdate = 2014-06-18}}</ref> }}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * [http://www.esmerine.com/ Esmerine Official website] * [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Esmerine/115994205138357 Esmerine] on Facebook
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Esmerine}} Category:Musical groups established in 2003 Category:Musical groups from Montreal Category:Canadian post-rock groups Category:Juno Award for Instrumental Album of the Year winners Category:2003 establishments in Quebec