The album showcases a variety of songs and structures, making it an intriguing experiment.
Gordon Hyland (Saxophones, Synthesizers & Piano on 1, 2, 4, 5, 7), Ian Docherty (Guitar on 2, 5), Eugene Draw (Violin on 3), Liza McLellan (Cello on 6), Acote (Modular Synthesizer & Sound Design on 2, 7, 9), Andrew Roorda (Electric bass on 2-5, 8, 9), Vivienne Wilder (Double bass on 3, 6, 7), Adam Hindle (Drums & Percussion)
Recorded February and March 2021
Disaster Pony is a jazz/EDM band led by Gordon Hyland, a saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer based in Toronto. Hyland and drummer Hindle decided to try to do everything that came to mind, then figure out how it all worked together after the fact. As Steve Jobs reportedly said, “Follow the dots.”
Disaster Pony is rooted in electronic music and conjured music from other artists who blend hip-hop, downtempo, and jazz samples. The musicians construct their rhythms and improvisations by manipulating tracks from different artists, breaking down and reassembling the recordings. The album includes special guest appearances by cellist Liza McLellan and violinist Eugene Draw.
“It’s Got Tentacles” opens with a bed of synth flourishes. The thumb piano erupts into an upbeat horn-driven section. Hyland on tenor emerges from the soundscape for a solo, taking the song into a spacey closing section. Interesting taste of what is to come on the album
“Robot Pain” opens with a fuzz bass before the saxophone enters and leads with a sax solo that various individual instruments follow. Over an exciting beat provided by bass, synthesizer, and drums, the sax swings over the beat.
“Hot Like Bugs” is a guitar-driven track with a funky beat. The guitarist carries the song throughout, probing the melody and reacting to the changing beat.
“Dead Neon and The Noon Sun” has a repetitive horn refrain over bass and drums before the tenor sax takes off. This is followed by an updated synthesizer wash played over studio-altered phrases—one of the more exciting songs on the album.
“Fruit Flies in Cola” is more laid-back than other songs. The saxophone trades phrases with the cello to an interesting effect. As the song unwinds, the background effects continue and slowly lead the song to a close.
The album showcases a variety of songs and structures, making it an intriguing experiment. Whether it successfully achieves the goal of being a collection of danceable tunes is subjective. Still, adding saxophone and studio enhancements makes this album an exciting and delightful surprise.
