Cham-pang - Tant Pis 81-82 LP

Label: Tenzier

Best known as an electronic duo, Cham-pang became a fixture of the Montreal new wave scene in 1981 with the release of a two-song EP on YUL Records (“Tantum Ergo” b/w “Ne mourrez pas”). The session featured Men without Hats’ Allan McCarthy on electronics and Yvel Champagne on vocals, although the group also depended on contributions from Mario Spezza of Rational Youth and Pyer Desrochers. A multidisciplinary artist with a singular voice and an arresting presence, Champagne then joined force with experimentalist Bernard Gagnon whose works at the time ranged from free improvisation to electroacoustic music. He recruited former bandmate Angel Calvo, of new wave outfits Vex and Rational Youth, as well as Robert M. Lepage, whom he knew from his early years with the Experimental Music Workshop. Long-time Cham-pang collaborator Pierre-Laurier Lamarche and Daniel Lajoie completed the group, helping give it a new direction both sonically and performance-wise.