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interview — Xarah Dion

An interview with musician and composer Xarah Dion.

In this exchange Xarah speaks on experiences developing a musical language within the community context, specifically within the minimal wave scene, but also more generally. Xarah speaks on the role of music as a place of both solace and solidarity, a space of inspiration that cuts across the noise of daily life in a capitalist society.

Specifically this interview was recorded in the lead-up to an upcoming 7" coming out on Visage Musique, a split release with Automelodi.

Listen to the audio from our interview above, also recorded for broadcast on CKUT fm, but also below sharing some excerpts of our exchange in text, the audio interview / text interview aren't exactly the same, they both visit important points.

— Stefan Christoff, July 15, 2016.

Stefan : Could we first explore the idea of music being ‘a home’ within this fractured world of violent border lines. Wondering if you could talk more about this idea we have exchanged about before of music as a ‘home’ for you ?

Xarah : Music is the best way to communicate, through time and space. It knows no borders, it also plays between the lines of the irrational and rational. It is a garden to explore our dreams, collect fruits and prepare the ground for all other works. It is also a vehicle bringing together the self and the other, where we are at home within sound, where we are one for the time being.

Stefan : In previous discussion you talked about being fully present on stage and about the collective euphoria of performance, both for the audience and for the performer. Could you talk more about this collective experience / aspect of performance ?

Xarah : Picking up from where I left, live performances are communions in which pleasures are shared, reflexions materialized and dematerialized through sound passing through us as bodies and spirits. Trance happens in states of deep relaxation, where the mind lets go of its narrative or inner chatters. Trance doesn't always happen but my guess is that most music lovers seek it.

Stefan : Once you were talking about your experiences as a teenager being drawn to « musique engagée » and discovering the first releases on Constellation records. Could you reflect on the possibility of music contributing to broader struggles for social justice in society and the ways that ideas around this have impacted your evolution as an artist ?

Xarah : Those endeavours gave me the courage and the vitality to look beyond the struggle, to want to engage further than just being an observer. In that what those releases on Constellation were purely experimental in their results, aiming at reaching out to the world without knowing the results ahead of time. My guess is that the artists at that time didn't know the profound and lasting impact they would have. They took the chance to emit their voices, associate with with both the avant garde as a history and avant garde as a social movement.

Stefan : Extending from this, I remember once talking with you about the protests in Québec City against the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), a neoliberal trade agreement that eventually collapsed. Could you talk about that experience and how it impacted you, especially given you were living in Québec City at the time.

Xarah : In those years I became very focused on seeking justice and truth and I was looking for information, answers beyond what the mainstream media was offering, beyond the scope of regular cursus in school. I pointed my attention to social movements in Québec, attending « Université Populaire » where I got exposed to alternative humanities, Naomi Klein, Noam Chomsky, attending lectures by Francis-Dupuis-Déri and learning about the Black bloc. My attention was also turned to Montréal where larger organizations were in place, thinking of La convergence des luttes anticapitalistes (CLAC).

Stefan : After moving to Montréal one of your principal projects was La brique, a collective space for musical creation, culture and community. Could you talk a little about this space and how your experiences there impacted your sound as an artist ?

Xarah : I had the chance to share this story with Bianca Giulione this winter. You can find more details here. One thing I would say is I keep all those experiences deep in my soul. There is no place like La brique and my nostalgia is full of light.

Stefan : In listening to your music today there are many different influences, you have studied music formally, but also have so many experiences working on music within different underground scenes. One particular influence I wanted to explore a little with you for this interview is ancient music, I feel that influence within the harmonies on the track « Sillage et Caprice » could you talk about this musical aspect ?

Xarah : I studied organ and harpsichord in CEGEP and it transformed my sensibility to music. My teacher Pierre Bouchard was a one of kind, a very kind soul, full of humour, and a mystique beyond dogmas. He had a holistic approach to playing which made me attuned to how the music comes from the soul and travels through time. Moreover, I discovered in later years that ancient music was still alive today in many folklores of the world. The modal melodic approaches remain alive all across Europe, North Africa and Asia.

Stefan : Also I hear a major influence of punk in your work, which is perhaps something that I haven't seen talked about in other interviews you have done. Could you talk about the influence of the raw energy of punk music and culture in your current efforts ?

Xarah : One thing I would say is music is where I feel at home in the world. It is a necessity for me and for so many others. It is not a mere entertainment although it brings immense pleasure, even ecstasy. I believe the stage is a sacred space, when someone is up there, gathering attention, being heard, one has to be generous and open up to a point somewhat close to a sacrifice. There has to be no distance between the souls. The emotion has to be palpable, beyond a theatre or a masquerade. One has to be generous, vital, and it is something quite apparent in some processes in which music is a matter of survival.

Stefan : Finally one thing you talked about before, or a certain phrase I remember from past conversations, is your efforts to "stay away from the codes" as a musician. That importance of being open to many different influences types of work, not being focused on one style or musical language, could you talk about this idea more ?

Xarah : I do not voluntarily stay away from the codes. I am passionate about music to a point where my ears are always eager to collect more information. My intentions are not to be different, but to reach from inside out and from outside out.

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