From Bartender to Headliner: Montreal's Alix Fernz Turns Heads with Debut Album "Bizou" (Mothland)

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Alix Fernz by Antoine Giroux

Alix Fernz is the beloved enfant terrible lighting a match on Montreal’s music scene. Formerly performing as Blood Skin Atopic, Alix Fernz is the moniker of 24-year-old singer-songwriter Alexandre Fournier. Arriving April 19th via hometown label Mothland, Bizou is Fournier’s debut album under this new alias. 

On Bizou, Fernz leads us down a drainpipe into an unabashed, palpitating reverie of studded leather, troublemaking and lipstick-stained dive bar mirrors. Produced in the bedrooms of three different apartments, with vocals tracked on Fernz’s iPhone mic, Bizou fearlessly criss-crosses remnants of bratty 70s-punk with new wave romanticism in a blistering 32-minutes.

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Bizou album artwork, credit: Alix Fernz & Nora Mejdouli

Mixed by Emmanuel Éthier (Choses Sauvages, Corridor, P’tit Belliveau, Population II), Bizou is Fernz’s first studio effort. After parsing over Bizou for nearly three years, Fernz is anxious for its unveiling at his album listening party this Thursday at Montreal nightclub Le Système.

“I got signed to Mothland after the album was done, but it's been worth the wait to release it for real,” says Fernz. “Teasing things out single by single has worked well, I saw the [streaming] numbers and I was like ‘holy crap!’” he laughs. 

Beyond its subversive aesthetics, Bizou is a coming-of-age record for Fernz, expanding on his experiences and growing pains as a suburban outcast.  

“Bizou has helped me a lot, as a period of self-learning,” explains Fernz. “A lot of the songs are angry and bring up a lot of unsavoury old feelings. I don’t like writing from the first-person, so I’ve created other versions of myself—personas—to write about the tough stuff and disconnect from my teenage years—trying to figure things out, feeling out of place in private school, doing drugs and shit. When I’m onstage singing these songs, I feel like another person, like someone else.”

The characters of Bizou come to life in the album’s accompanying music videos, where Fernz takes cues from latex magazines and 80s fashion to shapeshift from a nightmarish, botox-injected fiend to a lace-clad pierrot clown. 

With the adoption of his new stage name, Fernz has already encountered significant milestones as he aims to take his musical career to the next level.

“I moved to Montreal when I was 17, and started making music shortly after as Blood Skin Atopic. Switching to this solo project has helped me evolve out of a little DIY guy, now that I actually have [a label] backing me up,” explains Fernz. 

Fernz's it-factor has been established by his electric live sets attracting festival audiences, despite previously only having one single online. Since sharing “Wax”—the inaugural single from Bizou—in late 2023, Fernz has played POP Montreal, M For Montreal, Le Phoque OFF and Taverne Tour. In between, he’s gripped show-goers across Montreal’s signature stages and recently toured outside of Quebec for the first time.

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Alix Fernz by Antoine Giroux

Along with his musical forays, Fernz is a tattoo artist by day and a bartender at Montreal venue L’Esco. 

“I tell my boss [at l’Esco] all the time that I owe him my career,” says Fernz. “Meeting all these artists night after night is one of the main reasons that I can say that I am where I am. It’s priceless. I recently stayed after my shift to see Model/Actriz from New York after hearing their soundcheck and my mouth was like, watering the entire time,” he laughs. 

With all the buzz surrounding Bizou’s arrival, Fernz has started to perceive a shift in his reputation from local bartender to micro-celebrity. “I still don’t know how to react when people recognize me from my shows at work,” he smiles. “Working at L’Esco is like the epitome of ‘Oh! I know you… but I don’t know from where?’”  he adds. “I’m finding more and more people recognize me on the street from music than tattooing—I see my clients at the bar all the time. It’s definitely weird, but I enjoy it.” 

Despite this, Fernz remains humble and committed to his creative growth. When talking about what’s next, he reveals he’s already got a new project in the works. Hinting at what the future holds, Fernz describes his new songs having more of a pop direction, but maintaining his signature oddball edge. “I have ten demos already. Bizou has been a huge learning opportunity for me in being able to work on music with other people and introduce [the project], but I can’t wait to work on something else!” he exclaims. 

Catch Alix Fernz on tour this spring and pre-save / pre-order Bizou before its release this Friday!

April 28th - Toronto @ The Baby G 

May 10th - Sainte-Thérèse @ Santa Teresa  

May 16th - Montreal @ POW POW (album release show)

May 23rd - Chicoutimi @ Bar à Pitons 

May 24th - Québec @ Le Pantoum 

May 25th - Rimouski @ Bains Publics  

Alix Fernz

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | Youtube

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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La Sécurité Ignites the Boulevard with Debut Album "Stay Safe!" (Mothland)

La Sécurité by Aabid Youssef

With their highly-anticipated debut album waiting in the wings, La Sécurité is ready to cause some commotion. The Montreal art-punk group shares Stay Safe! tomorrow via Mothland – a record consisting of ten electrifying tunes united in their skittish asymmetry.

The musicians that form La Sécurité are no strangers to the scene, having charmed countless audiences through other projects like Choses Sauvages and Silver Dapple, but operating within this collective keeps each member on their toes. From the arresting synths of debut track “Suspens” to the domineering bassline of “Serpent”, the band has set a standard of heightened sonic volatility, and the remainder of the record continues that thrill. Stay Safe! provokes the senses with its bilingual musings and jagged new-wave arrangements, traversing between subjects like flirtation and bodily autonomy with the same crafty cool. Expect to strut to zigzagging guitars, commanding rhythms, and a sprinkle of woodblocks.

A few weeks before the release of Stay Safe!, vocalist Éliane Viens-Synnott connected with Also Cool to reflect on the final touches and tease the summer adventures ahead.

La Sécurité by Aabid Youssef

Rebecca Judd for Also Cool Mag: This new single “Serpent” is peppy with a punch. I love the effortlessness of its undercut, how it captures the messiness of catty gossip with such breezy disco flair. This is a broader balance you strike within your forthcoming album as well: this determination to be both lyrically and instrumentally bold, scratching many different surfaces and thriving in the madness. How did the development of “Serpents” fit into Stay Safe!’s creative process?

Éliane Viens-Synnott of La Sécurité: It came about in a pretty organic way. [Drummer] Kenny [Smith] started doing that funky beat, just joking around during a practice, and [bassist and producer] Félix [Bélisle] kinda whipped out that super groovy bassline! We noodled around with the rest, keeping in mind the more dancey side of our art-punk influences (Maximum Joy and ESG, to name a few) without wanting to rip anyone off, of course. I thought it was fitting for some lyrics I had already written. I didn't want the song to be emo or dramatic or anything – just a friendly little jab!

Also Cool: The video for “Serpent” is frenzied and lighthearted, capturing everything from Sonic to South by Southwest. Your videos notoriously stay true to your sound, feeling lo-fi yet descriptive. Does the band have a particular approach to concocting music videos, or was this one just as simple as a glitch?

La Sécurité: Pretty simple, yeah! Since we kinda established that DIY/VHS approach with our first videos, we thought it was a nice direction to continue in. It's a way to keep a natural, sort-of intimate-feeling approach, highlighting good times that we have spent together as friends and bandmates.

AC: As the video shows, La Sécurité recently played SXSW, which feels like a significant milestone given your first show at DISTORSION was six months ago. Can you share more about your experience in Texas and what you took from it?

LS: Yeah, what a ride that was. Even having our first show at DISTORSION was kind of unreal! We were pretty curious to see if there would be any buzz at all outside of the comfort of our MTL scene, and I guess the short answer to that question is yes! We met many awesome people and our shows felt pretty electric. Playing six shows in a week definitely helped us weld our dynamic on- and off-stage together.

AC: Stay Safe! comes out on June 16, and you’ve teased that your debut will be “quite pleasing, even to unsuspecting eardrums”. Without giving too much away, what kinds of experimentation made the final cut?

LS: Well, there is one unexpected surprise I'm excited to share. I guess the one hint I'm willing to share is: 90s prom night vibes, haha. Once you hear it, you'll get it. Besides that, expect more songs along the same lines as what you've been hearing so far. They each have their unique touch, but somehow all belong together.

AC: Festival season is afoot… surely there are some plans up your sleeve. What does this summer look like for La Sécurité?

LS: Looking good! In June, we are hitting up FLOURISH Festival in New Brunswick, followed by a show in Québec City with our friends Jesuslesfilles (which [guitarist] Melissa [Di Menna] also plays in)! Then we head to Calgary for Sled Island, and in July we are doing La Noce in Saguenay as well as Le Festif in Baie-Saint-Paul. There are a few more dates that aren't announced yet, so it's a secret for now. Last but not least, we will be doing a record release show in Montreal at l'Esco! The date will be announced the day our record comes out.

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Stay Safe!

Out June 16, 2023 via Mothland

1. Le Kick

2. Dis-Moi

3. Anyway

4. Waiting For Kenny

5. Suspens

6. K9

7. Serpent

8. Try Again

9. Hot Topic

10. Sleepy Rebellion

All songs written & performed by La Sécurité

Produced, recorded, and mixed by Samuel Gemme & Félix Bélisle

Mastered by Francis Ledoux

Artwork & layout by Melissa Di Menna

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La Sécurité

Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Berlin Duo Das Beat Fuses New-Wave Grit and Italo Disco Fervor on Debut "Identität"

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Identität album art by Andie Riekstina

Berlin duo Das Beat are the most recent addition to Montreal’s Arbutus Records with the release of their debut EP Identität. Comprised of theatre actress and vocalist Eddie Rabenberger and musician Agor of local act Blue Hawaii, the German-Canadian pair are emerging from lockdown seemingly unscathed. In four flawless tracks outfitted with celestial atmospheres and pulsating undercurrents, Identität offers a dioramic perspective of the couple’s intimate creative dynamics, backdropped with the essence of Berlin’s esoteric nightlife. Between their take on New-Wave meets Italo Disco are moments of tongue-in-cheek commentary, brought to life by Rabenberger’s playful (and sometimes lamenting) character-driven lyrics.

With a conceptual allure as captivating as their sound, Das Beat is a group you’ll want to keep on your radar. We got the chance to connect with Das Beat and learn more about how their pandemic boredom-buster turned ode to community-collaboration in our conversation below.

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Agor (left) and Eddie Rabenberger (right) by Andie Riekstina

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter for Also Cool: Hey Eddie and Agor, thank you so much for chatting with me! To start, can you tell me about the origins of Das Beat?

Das Beat: Hey, thank you for inviting us! We have been seeing each other over three years now, and are apart of an amazing scene here in Berlin. At the beginning, Eddie was very busy with her studies and Agor was travelling and touring a lot. It actually took the lockdown for things to come together musically; being forced to spend lots and lots of time together. It was challenging in the beginning, but then we found a way to channel our creativity and have an outlet for all the energy. In a sense, it was also a way to communicate.  

AC: How did you muster up the energy and creativity to conceive your EP in the tense atmosphere of the lockdown? 

DB: To be fair, we had a hard time at the beginning of the lockdown. It was a relief when we  found this way to be creative together and bring a new energy to our dynamic. We  started out by jamming together over beers, but then pulled things together when Arbutus said they wanted to release [our EP]!

Also Cool: I know you’re both artists in your own right, and I’d love to learn more about how your respective practices come into play with this project. For Eddie, how has your background in acting informed your role as a vocalist? And for Agor, how does your approach to music production in Das Beat differ from your other musical endeavours like Blue Hawaii?  

Eddie: I was actually super surprised when we jammed the first time. I was like, “Wow, okay, so that doesn’t sound too bad!” At first I was more shy and did more speaking rather than singing. This helped me to feel comfortable and to express myself. Also, I like to write lyrics from the perspective of someone else, which is what inspired our songs “Ariadne” and “Jackie.” 

Agor: I suppose I’m more free to do things and go places I wouldn’t with Blue Hawaii.  For example, picking up the guitar again or doing a really 80s gated reverb snare. It’s fun to go back and make music as a reflection of a feeling, a lifestyle… Like how one would when they first discover their own tastes, rather than being too analytical about things.

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Das Beat by Andie Riekstina

AC: Along with your sound, your project also has a very strong and distinctive visual  presence through your music videos. Do your videos' subjects bring any of the songs'  subject matter to life? What made you drawn to the aesthetic elements that make-up the  visual identity of Das Beat?  

E: The visual elements kinda all just came together after time. We wanted to represent us and the creative scene we’re apart of in a light hearted way. We had friends help us with the music video for “Bubble,” where the subject of the song comes to life. I wrote the song about sex and how it can be important to kick your partner out of a comfortable bubble and tell them what you need in order to be happy... So, having Agor as my call boy is a little hint in the video. 

 A: For “Identität,” we managed to do the whole thing ourselves. We had an earlier version  of the video that was all black and white. It felt a bit pretentious, so we reshot the whole thing the weekend before it was supposed to come out. We were doing a flat-swap with our friends in another neighbourhood, in east Berlin. So it was cool to walk around those big buildings, dance a bit and make the magic all happen with some clever editing and some help from an old 00s flip camera Eddie bought second hand.  

AC: What is the music community that you're a part of like in Berlin, and did your scene's environment have an influence on the conceptualization of Das Beat and your EP?

 DB: Our environment definitely helped shape the concept of Das Beat, and we have so many amazing friends who helped us do the photos, logo and videos. Without them, it would have definitely been harder and a lot less fun. Their influences are diverse as we have friends doing everything from hard-style dancefloor Gabber to soft crooning ballads, and designers creating really cool graphics, clothes, tattoos… Basically art of all kinds.  

AC: In the same vein, do you have any aspirations for how your project might exist in a live context once nightlife is revived?  

DB: We are very excited for live shows again and are already preparing. It looks like we are going to have our first show at the end of July for an outdoor festival here in Germany. We’re hoping to get more opportunities in the summer! 

AC: Finally, how do you plan to celebrate your release, and how can we best support you going forward? 

DB: We’re already celebrating every song a little bit in Eddies flat-share, haha! Now that the whole EP is out, we are also hoping to celebrate with shows and performances for people. Of course, we’ll have to see what’s possible. Later this month we are planning to DJ a friend’s live fitness class from Toronto… Should be pretty neat… Really, listening to our songs is the best support you can give us!

Das Beat · Identität EP

Das Beat

Instagram | Soundcloud | Bandcamp

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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