Hovatron: Hola Hovito!

Way to go, media we went and screwed it up again. Rather than let a good thing be, someone had to go and name it. And as far as names go, «lazer bass» is definitely not one our proudest moments.

«The lazer bass thing is kind of confusing to me,» confesses Philippe Aubin-Dionne, who dons the Hovatron handle once again for an incendiary split single out this month. «Names can be a lot of fun, but I wish that what I do could fit into a broader context, like ‘beats.’»

Hailing (sub)frequencies
Or maybe just «bass.» Bottom-heavy music  be it grime, dubstep, dancehall or otherwise  is the active ingredient in this mix, and no one cooks it up quite like the Turbocrunk crew. In 2006, Aubin-Dionne, along with partner Seb Diamond (who together make up Mofomatronix), combined forces with Speakrbrsr (Rob Squire, formerly Sixtoo, half of Megasoid) and quickly consolidated low-end supremacy in Montreal by way of face-melting monthlies at Zoobizarre (RIP) and Coda (now Decibel).

«With time I think Seb and I went from being ‘those rookies who throw parties with similar music’ to slowly becoming peers and ultimately, friends, at which point we just decided to join forces and try to make something special happen. I owe a lot to both Sebastien and Megasoid.»

The live Hovatron experience includes a laptop and various midi controllers, though Aubin-Dionne says he’s «guilt-ridden» by the thought of being lumped together with the current generation of «laptop performers.» «I’ve made myself re-engineer the way I do things; I want to play music and enjoy performing, so I’m just trying to find ways to push that and myself in different directions.»

Robot in disguise
In what can only be an extension of his digital guilt, Aubin-Dionne offers «Let’s Get Wet» / «Gold Star Radiation» in both vinyl (7-inch) and digital formats. The remixes (MP3 only) offer reworks from locals CFCF & Lunice, plus the magic touch of Lando Kal (half of Lazer Sword) and Cryptical. «Wet» is glitchy and tough, while «Radiation» is closer in spirit to Detroit electro techy, funky and just a little creepy.

«Old-school dance music is a huge influence on me and there is a certain spirit, mood and aesthetic about it that I respect and admire quite a lot,» he explains. «I also tend to like eeriness in music, whether it be a theremin-heavy rap production or creepy, brooding acid house.» And how do you like your dance floor? «Club dance floors are a magical place where there should be no cell phones, no twitter updates, no stares and no cares.»