Do Make Say Think
Encyclopedia
Do Make Say Think is a Canadian instrumental
post-rock
band from Toronto
, Ontario
. Their music combines jazz
style drum
s, distorted guitars
and wind instrument
s, as well as a prominent use of the bass guitar
.
radio station CIUT
.
The song "Chinatown" from 2002's & Yet & Yet
is featured in the movie Syriana
starring George Clooney
, as well as The Corporation. The song "The Landlord is Dead" from Goodbye Enemy Airship the Landlord Is Dead
and "Chinatown" from & Yet & Yet
is also featured in the movie A Simple Curve.
The band's fifth full-length album, entitled You, You're a History in Rust
, was released on Constellation Records
on February 12, 2007 in Europe and February 26 in the rest of the world. The band toured North America and Europe to promote the release of the album, and released a tour EP, The Whole Story of Glory, to promote the Japanese leg of their tour.
In June 2009 at Luminato
, Toronto
's annual festival of arts and creativity, the band provided part of the live soundtrack for the outdoor screening (at Yonge-Dundas Square) of the 1919 silent German
horror film Tales Of The Uncanny (Unheimliche Geschichten
), alongside Canadian violinist Owen Pallett
and electronica
music artist Robert Lippok from Berlin
, Germany
.
Constellation Records released Do Make Say Think's sixth album, titled Other Truths, on October 6, 2009.
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
band from Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. Their music combines jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
style drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, distorted guitars
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and wind instrument
Wind instrument
A wind instrument is a musical instrument that contains some type of resonator , in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing into a mouthpiece set at the end of the resonator. The pitch of the vibration is determined by the length of the tube and by manual modifications of...
s, as well as a prominent use of the bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
.
Biography
The band formed in 1995 as a recording project for a Canadian youth dramatic production. They rehearsed for the production in an empty elementary school room. The four simple verbs 'Do', 'Make', 'Say' and 'Think' were painted on walls of the room, and the band adopted them as their name. In 1996, the band progressed as they practiced in the rehearsal room in the basement of the University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
radio station CIUT
CIUT-FM
CIUT-FM is a campus and community radio station owned and operated by the University of Toronto community. The station broadcasts live and continuously from Toronto on the 89.5 FM frequency. Programming can also be heard nationally via channel 826 on Shaw Direct, and over the internet via the CIUT...
.
The song "Chinatown" from 2002's & Yet & Yet
& Yet & Yet
& Yet & Yet was the third album by Do Make Say Think and was released in March 2002 by Constellation Records."Chinatown" was featured on the soundtrack for Stephen Gaghan's Syriana.- Track listing :All tracks by Do Make Say Think...
is featured in the movie Syriana
Syriana
Syriana is a 2005 geopolitical thriller film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, and executive produced by George Clooney, who also stars in the film with an ensemble cast. Gaghan's screenplay is loosely adapted from Robert Baer's memoir See No Evil...
starring George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
, as well as The Corporation. The song "The Landlord is Dead" from Goodbye Enemy Airship the Landlord Is Dead
Goodbye Enemy Airship the Landlord Is Dead
Goodbye Enemy Airship the Landlord Is Dead is the second studio album by the Canadian post-rock band Do Make Say Think. It was released on March 13, 2000 in Europe and March 23, 2000 worldwide...
and "Chinatown" from & Yet & Yet
& Yet & Yet
& Yet & Yet was the third album by Do Make Say Think and was released in March 2002 by Constellation Records."Chinatown" was featured on the soundtrack for Stephen Gaghan's Syriana.- Track listing :All tracks by Do Make Say Think...
is also featured in the movie A Simple Curve.
The band's fifth full-length album, entitled You, You're a History in Rust
You, You're a History in Rust
You, You're a History in Rust is the fifth album from Do Make Say Think. It was released on February 12, 2007 in Europe and February 26, 2007 in the rest of the world...
, was released on Constellation Records
Constellation Records
Constellation Records is an influential Montreal, Quebec independent record label known for its contributions to experimental genres of music. It is most famous for releasing the albums of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, and Do Make Say...
on February 12, 2007 in Europe and February 26 in the rest of the world. The band toured North America and Europe to promote the release of the album, and released a tour EP, The Whole Story of Glory, to promote the Japanese leg of their tour.
In June 2009 at Luminato
Luminato
Luminato - Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity, is a publicly-attended, multi-disciplinary arts festival held annually for 10 days each June in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's annual festival of arts and creativity, the band provided part of the live soundtrack for the outdoor screening (at Yonge-Dundas Square) of the 1919 silent German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
horror film Tales Of The Uncanny (Unheimliche Geschichten
Unheimliche Geschichten
Unheimliche Geschichten is a 1932 German horror/black comedy film directed by the prolific Austrian film director Richard Oswald, starring Paul Wegener, and produced by Gabriel Pascal....
), alongside Canadian violinist Owen Pallett
Owen Pallett
Michael James Owen Pallett is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist from Toronto, Ontario. He won the 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the album He Poos Clouds....
and electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
music artist Robert Lippok from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Constellation Records released Do Make Say Think's sixth album, titled Other Truths, on October 6, 2009.
Members
Current members
- Ohad BenchetritOhad BenchetritOhad Benchetrit is a Canadian musician. He plays guitar, bass, saxophone and flute for the post-rock band Do Make Say Think, and has also contributed to albums by Broken Social Scene, Feist, The Hidden Cameras and Charles Spearin....
– guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening... - David Mitchell – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- James Payment – drums
- Justin Small – guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, bass guitar, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Charles SpearinCharles SpearinCharles Spearin is a musician from Toronto, Ontario. He is a founding member of Do Make Say Think, KC Accidental and Broken Social Scene and also contributes to Valley of the Giants...
– bass guitar, guitar, trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, cornet - Julie PennerJulie PennerJulie Penner is a Canadian violinist who has played with The FemBots, Broken Social Scene, Do Make Say Think, Hylozoists, The Lowest of the Low and The Weakerthans. She currently works as the music producer for Stuart McLean's The Vinyl Cafe on CBC Radio.-History:Penner began classical violin...
– violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, trumpet - Michael Barth - trumpet
- Adam Marvy - trumpet
Previous members
- Jason Mackenzie – keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, effects (departed after Goodbye Enemy Airship the Landlord Is DeadGoodbye Enemy Airship the Landlord Is DeadGoodbye Enemy Airship the Landlord Is Dead is the second studio album by the Canadian post-rock band Do Make Say Think. It was released on March 13, 2000 in Europe and March 23, 2000 worldwide...
) - Jay Baird – saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
- Brian Cram – trumpet
Side projects
- Justin Small is also involved in a side project called Lullabye Arkestra as a drummer with his partner and bassist Katia Taylor. They have been produced by Benchetrit who, along with Spearin, records and tours with the Toronto group Broken Social SceneBroken Social SceneBroken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed in 1999 by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto...
. - Do Make Say Think are routinely joined on stage by trumpeter Brian Cram who, along with drummer James Payment, also perform in the metal band Gesundheit. They also provide horns and beats to local Toronto rock outfit Z'howndz.
- Spearin, Mitchell, and Benchetrit recorded an album together in 1997 under the moniker Microgroove, which put out a limited number of presses of their synthesizer and acoustic drum and bass beat working of jazz forms.
- Benchetrit and Mitchell were also involved in a side project called Sphyr, who released one album, A Poem for M, in 2003. This album is on Fire Records.
- Benchetrit's current solo project is called Years and released a self-titled album under that moniker in 2009.
- Spearin released 'The Happiness Project' in 2009, a collection of interviews with his neighbors set to music. The album has been long-listed for the Polaris Prizes.
Discography
- Do Make Say ThinkDo Make Say Think (album)Do Make Say Think is the self-titled debut album of Do Make Say Think. It was released in March 1999 by Constellation Records.The album was originally self-released and distributed in late 1997 by the band members. However, it was later delivered to Constellation Records, where it was formally...
LP (1998) - BesidesBesides (Do Make Say Think EP)Besides is an EP by Do Make Say Think. It was released in December 1999 by Resonant Records in a vinyl-only format and is now out-of-print....
EP (1999) - Goodbye Enemy Airship the Landlord Is DeadGoodbye Enemy Airship the Landlord Is DeadGoodbye Enemy Airship the Landlord Is Dead is the second studio album by the Canadian post-rock band Do Make Say Think. It was released on March 13, 2000 in Europe and March 23, 2000 worldwide...
LP (2000) - & Yet & Yet& Yet & Yet& Yet & Yet was the third album by Do Make Say Think and was released in March 2002 by Constellation Records."Chinatown" was featured on the soundtrack for Stephen Gaghan's Syriana.- Track listing :All tracks by Do Make Say Think...
LP (2002) - Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret HymnWinter Hymn Country Hymn Secret HymnWinter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn is the fourth album by the Canadian band Do Make Say Think. It was released October 6, 2003 by Constellation.-Track listing:# "Fredericia" – 9:37# "War on Want" – 1:55# "Auberge le Mouton Noir" – 7:04...
LP (2003) - You, You're a History in RustYou, You're a History in RustYou, You're a History in Rust is the fifth album from Do Make Say Think. It was released on February 12, 2007 in Europe and February 26, 2007 in the rest of the world...
LP (2007) - The Whole Story of Glory Japan-only Tour EP (2008)
- Other TruthsOther TruthsOther Truths is the sixth album from Do Make Say Think. It was released on 19 October 2009, in Europe and 20 October 2009, in the rest of the world.-Do Make Say Think:* Ohad Benchetrit – guitar, keyboard, horns* Dave Mitchell – drums...
LP (2009)
External links
- Official Do Make Say Think website
- Constellation Records' Do Make Say Think website
- Southern Records' Do Make Say Think website
- Mobile Man Boston, hosting live performance recordings in the Boston area.
- Do Make Say Think collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive - Interview with Do Make Say Think at HEAVEmedia
- "Coming Out Party: Do Make Say Think Move Beyond Post-Rock" CBC Radio 3CBC Radio 3CBC Radio 3 is a radio station that consists of two parts devoted to Canadian arts and music: a radio service which is available on Sirius Satellite Radio and streaming audio, and several daily and weekly podcasts from the CBC Radio 3 website...
Live Concert Session; text by Nicolas Bragg, photography by Verena Eickhoff