Westcoast Premiere: James Motluck's
Life Under Mike
Rarely are Canadians permitted a tough, unforgiving look at some of the skeletons stacked in their own closets. (The Globe & Mail) Motluk's gritty digital video documentary shot in 18 months but edited over a period of roughly two years traces the not-so-slow dissolution of the low-income Ontarian's basic standard of living under Mike Harris empty food banks, broken strikes and a terrifying montage of street-level survival tactics that begins with sales of Outreach and soup from the back of a truck, then sinks inexorably through cardboard-box houses and garbage-bag tents to the autopsy room at the local morgue. (Eye Weekly) LIFE UNDER MIKE is a political documentary crammed with wit and biting social commentary. A powerful, gripping expose of the neo conservative common sense revolution in Ontario, this film gives a much needed voice to those citizens displaced and marginalized by the corporate agenda. Telling a story that reverberates around the industrialized world, LIFE UNDER MIKE offers a caustic and critical challenge to the status quo view that free trade, small government and enormous corporate dollars benefit society. Funded by a host of private contributors, among them, the Canadian Auto Workers, United Steel Workers of America and filmmaker MICHAEL MOORE, the film includes interviews with economist John Kenneth Galbraith, a music score by Tad Winklarz and the songs Man of Peace by Bob Dylan and The Ghost of Tom Joad by Bruce Springsteen, and was honoured at the Canadian Media Human Rights Awards in 2001. Preceded by a surprise short from the vault.
Tuesday, February 18 at 8:00pm
Wednesday, February 19 at 8:00pm

thestar.com
http://www.thestar.com/article/545593

Ben Rayner's Reasons to Live
Nov 30, 2008 04:30 AM
Be the first to comment on this article...
Ben Rayner
A minor flurry of emails may not qualify as "overwhelming demand," but a number of you obviously enjoyed last week's "retro-CanCon" edition of Reasons enough to write. I really do regularly listen to quite a few older, sorta weird Canadian albums, so here are a few more never far from hand. Next week we'll return to the present. Unless I go on a National Velvet bender.

•• Chalk Circle, Mending Wall. My word, did I get my money's worth out

of my cassette copy of Chalk Circle's first album proper back in junior

high. And I'm still abusing it today, since that Best of Chalk Circle reissue

from a couple of years back failed to deliver "What Counts" and "Park

Island" on CD in addition to the elevated New Wave obscurantism of "This

Mourning," "My Artificial Sweetener" and "Empty Park." A freak-hit cover

of T. Rex's "20th Century Boy" absent from Mending Wall's original

pressing might have been its populist calling card, but the rest of this too-

smart-for-its-own-good Toronto indie artefact is as creepingly tuneful and

compellingly literate today as it was in 1987.

Ben Rayner, The Canadian Press
Published: Tuesday, February 14, 2006
TORONTO - The verdict is in on Chalk Circle's first official rehearsal in more than 15 years and it's ... surprisingly good.
"It was kind of strange. It felt like I was in a cover band, it had been so long since I'd played any of those songs," confesses front man and guitarist Chris Tait, who joined his former bandmates Brad Hopkins, Tad Winklarz and Derrick Murphy in a first, tentative step toward a reunion at Cherry Beach Sound last week.
"We just tried six of the tunes to see if we could make it all the way through. It took a couple of tries to get everyone in time, but everything just came together.
"We had a good time. And then we all went out for a beer afterwards and got caught up as much as you can in an hour."
Yeah, the reunion thing -- not cast in stone yet, but looking like it might yield at least a show or two in the immediate future -- has become a bit of a cliche, but if any of Canadian pop's 1980s refugees deserve a second act it's Chalk Circle.
Brainier, more elusive and more ambitious than such underground-spawned contemporaries as the Pursuit of Happiness and the Northern Pikes, the Toronto (by way of Newcastle, Bowmanville and Poland) quartet was a breath of fresh air on the pop charts at a time when Canadian radio and video were ruled by the likes of Glass Tiger and Honeymoon Suite.
And if the name Chalk Circle isn't as widely known as it perhaps should be today, that's probably because the band split in 1990 after just two-and-a-half albums -- 1986's The Great Lake EP, 1987's Mending Wall and 1989's As the Crow Flies -- of arty, Euro-tinged rock that harmonized New Wave, folk, punk and glam influences into an alternately anthemic and rustic sound that was and remains quite singular amidst the CanCon landscape.
"Everyone can blame me," Tait says of the breakup. "I kind of promised myself early on that, if it started to feel like a job, I would have to reconsider what I was doing."
Chalk Circle's sudden dissolution was precipitated by the gradual crumbling of its label, Duke Street Records, and the internal tug-of-war over the group's creative direction audible on the slightly confused As the Crow Flies, a textbook "transitional album" that unfortunately never transitioned to anything else.
The scattered members recently had occasion to reconvene, however, when Universal Music elected last month to release the compilation The Best of Chalk Circle.
Thanks to some indelible hooks and a remastering job that's fattened the mixes considerably, the hits -- April Fool, Me, Myself and I, This Mourning and a cover of T. Rex's 20th Century Boy that would become a surprise smash and Chalk Circle's biggest single -- sound remarkably robust and undated on The Best of Chalk Circle. There's even an unreleased early track from the Great Lake era, Buildings, to sweeten the pot for fans.
Working in Chalk Circle's favour at the moment is the fact that the pendulum of popular musical tastes has lately swung back to the decade that hatched the band. Still, it will take more than a cyclical convergence with fashion to convince the crew -- who, prior to last week, had only gotten together to jam once (and on non-Chalk Circle material) in 15 years -- to give it a go again. All four members have families and disparate careers of their own.
Tait makes a comfortable living scoring commercials for the Pirate Radio and Television agency. Hopkins released a solo record of his own, World's Biggest Fan, in 2003 after doing time in the Headstones and the Nothing In Particulars during the '90s. Winklarz does a lot of film soundtrack work and pursues his offbeat electronic urges with Cybermonkey. Murphy is still writing and playing the drums about town.
It was, thus, a "tentative" process getting everyone together for another kick at the can, says Tait. "We finally just said: 'Let's not talk about it. Let's just get in a rehearsal space and see what happens.'" he says.
As for the likelihood of any Chalk Circle reunion action lasting longer than a couple of gigs, Hopkins shrugs: "It's too early to say."
©© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2006

   Cybermonkey - Planes, Trance and Life's Karma Wheels

In retrospect, it can be seen that TAD WINKLARZ, Recording Artist (GOLD ALBUM) of CHALK CIRCLE fame, was contributing his ambient influence even then. Cybermonkey allows that creative effort to more fully evolve and the results are inspiring. Teamed with MARLON KEMPMANN and LISA TURNER, the band explores new horizons in sound and spoken word. The following is a review of their newest CD. Cybermonkey’s newest cd, Planes Trance and Life’s Karma Wheels, is a musical soundscape of ambient sound, interesting instrumental combinations and in some cases spoken word. My favouite track "Gdansk" is the definite highlight and my favourite piece by the band to date, strong on mood and landscape. It would lend itself well to works of film and pictures - without them this piece lends to great travels of the imagination and provokes thought. Findland Filmaker, Aki Kaurismaki, once said that in film he uses silence as a means of deep communication between strangers. Without the addition of spoken word in film the silence allows you to create or experience your own. This can be true in music. Without the visual aspects, the instrumentation alone entices you... leads you... wants you to image, to create those personal pictures, to think and travel the heart and mind. "Gdansk" does just that. It creates a journey thru images, experiences and describes worlds to explore. Much of the tracks on this disc, by nature and length induce this. "Gdansk" is the finest piece on the disc. A great creative work. Next to "Gdansk" my favourite would be "Border Highway." This track offers intensity and drama. It almost feels live. Very much of a highlight track. A full creative effort. Excellent. This is high quality material. "Caravan To Dharmasala" is also a very strong piece having a very dreamstate quality. A linear journey of interesting instrumentation. An overall stand out track. Overall, this work inspires, uplifts and compells reflection. Incorporating spoken word from various Spiritual teachings produces a thought provoking environment. Creative intrumental pairings and interesting compostion invokes a dreamlike soundscape on some of the tracks that allow the listener to image and explore. For those who are drawn to music with depth and positive messages, this music will uplift and inspire. Well worth a listen.
   
--SCOT TURNER - Program Director / The Beat / Vancouver (2003 - 2004) - Program Director / Music Director / Energy 108 / Toronto (1992 - 2002) - Announcer / CFNY / Toronto (1984 - 1992)

Chalk Circle tries mending walls
reunion | The '80s pop stalwarts just had their first rehearsal in 15 years, writes Ben Rayner

Feb. 12, 2006. 01:00 AM
BEN RAYNER
POP MUSIC CRITIC
The verdict is in on Chalk Circle's first official rehearsal in more than 15 years and it's ... surprisingly good.
"It was kind of strange. It felt like I was in a cover band, it had been so long since I'd played any of those songs," confesses frontman and guitarist Chris Tait, who joined his former bandmates Brad Hopkins, Tad Winklarz and Derrick Murphy in a first, tentative step toward a reunion at Cherry Beach Sound on Thursday night.
"We just tried six of the tunes to see if we could make it all the way through. It took a couple of tries to get everyone in time, but everything just came together. It was pretty amazing, actually, since I didn't have any time to do any woodshedding.
"We had a good time. And then we all went out for a beer afterwards and got caught up as much as you can in an hour."
Yeah, the reunion thing - not cast in stone yet, but looking like it might yield at least a show or two in the immediate future - has become a bit of a cliché, but if any of Canadian pop's 1980s refugees deserve a second act it's Chalk Circle.
Brainier, more elusive and more ambitious than such underground-spawned contemporaries as the Pursuit of Happiness and the Northern Pikes, the Toronto (by way of Newcastle, Bowmanville and Poland) quartet was a breath of fresh air on the pop charts at a time when Canadian radio and video were ruled by the likes of Glass Tiger and Honeymoon Suite.
And if the name Chalk Circle isn't as widely known as it perhaps should be today, that's probably because the band split in 1990 after just two-and-a-half albums - 1986's The Great Lake EP, 1987's Mending Wall and 1989's As the Crow Flies - of arty, Euro-tinged rock that harmonized New Wave, folk, punk and glam influences into an alternately anthemic and rustic sound that was and remains to this day quite singular amidst the CanCon landscape.
"Everyone can blame me," Tait says of the breakup. "I kind of promised myself early on that, if it started to feel like a job, I would have to reconsider what I was doing."
Chalk Circle's sudden dissolution was precipitated by the gradual crumbling of its label, once-mighty Toronto indie Duke Street Records, and the internal tug-of-war over the group's creative direction audible on the slightly (if compelling) confused As the Crow Flies, a textbook "transitional album" that unfortunately never transitioned to anything else.
The scattered members recently had occasion to reconvene, however, when Universal Music elected last month to release the compilation The Best of Chalk Circle as part of its "20th Century Masters" series.
"It was kind of strange. It felt like I was in a cover band, it had been so long since I'd played any of those songs." CHRIS TAIT frontman and guitarist "A common thing people say about our band is: `What happened to the band? It just disappeared,'" says Hopkins. "It was Chris's decision to leave, but I think there was frustration about our situation and frustration that kind of limited our progression. Some of that had to do with the label we were with. It was very difficult to make the next step to get into the American market.
"We wanted to tell the story and we wanted to have input. There's a lot of people who wonder what happened to the band and the songs still get airplay, so we just thought it would be great to get the songs back in the stores and, for the people who've forgotten about the band, remind them of the hits. And, hopefully, introduce the band to some newer people, younger people."
Thanks to some indelible hooks and a remastering job that's fattened the mixes considerably ("It was kind of nice to hear the bass for the first time," laughs Tait), the hits - particularly the band's bracing U2/Echo calling card "April Fool," the jaunty "Me, Myself and I," the storming anti-nuke number "This Mourning" and a cover of T. Rex's "20th Century Boy" that would become a surprise smash and Chalk Circle's biggest single - sound remarkably robust and undated on The Best of Chalk Circle. There's even an unreleased early track from the Great Lake era, "Buildings," to sweeten the pot for fans.
"We controlled the track selection and we went in and remastered them at Joao Carvalho's mastering studio and, I think, they sound better than the original recordings," says Hopkins. "The great thing about Joao, too, was he was a fan of the band and remembered seeing us at the University of Windsor years ago. We were just really happy with the results of working with him."
Working in Chalk Circle's favour at the moment is the fact that the pendulum of popular musical tastes has lately swung back to the decade that hatched the band.
Still, it will take more than a cyclical convergence with fashion to convince the crew - who, prior to last week, had only gotten together to jam once (and on non-Chalk Circle material) in 15 years - to give it a go again. All four members have families and disparate careers of their own.
Tait ran out the 1990s in the group Big Faith, released a solo album entitled Hello! My Name is Chris Tait in 2001 and makes a comfortable living scoring commercials for the Pirate Radio and Television agency. Hopkins released a solo record of his own, World's Biggest Fan, in 2003 after doing time in the Headstones and the Nothing In Particulars during the '90s. Winklarz does a lot of film soundtrack work and pursues his offbeat electronic urges with Cybermonkey. Murphy is still writing and playing the drums about town.
It was, thus, a "tentative" process getting everyone together for another kick at the can, says Tait.
"We finally just said: `Let's not talk about it. Let's just get in a rehearsal space and see what happens,'" he says. "We don't want to embarrass ourselves any more than we probably will, anyway."
As for the likelihood of any Chalk Circle reunion action lasting longer than a couple of gigs, Hopkins shrugs: "It's too early to say. You just take it one day at a time. I think the key would be to get the band onstage and take it from there. Everybody has a lot on their plates. Chris is very busy and we all have families now and our priorities have changed, so if we do anything it's got to be fun. If we enjoy it and we have fun playing with each other and we have fun onstage and we see a good response, who knows?
"It's gotta be fun, that's the bottom line. And we wanna do a good job of it, as well. We want to be tight and we want to be able to do good shows."
Additional articles by Ben Rayner