Why Joni Void Rules by Hymns57

… he rules because he’s an artist after my own heart.

Hailing from Lille, France and now (for a minute, at least – since 2012) a Montreal transplant, Jean Cousin aka Joni Void is a sculptor. An architect. He rules because his heart and his soul are willing to make fearless and impassioned sonic worlds collide through aleatory composition. Creating this ‘out of body’ state. A blissful delirium, congested with the warmth of bass murmurs tumbling over crackling synapses. Samples and snippets of spoken word emerge and reveal themselves, familiar yet untraceable. Joni Void (fka Johnny Ripper) rules because all these elements are steeped and get to exist with elements of field recording. Like most of his work, it’s found sound. There’s something so very charming and DIY about that… for me at least. It’s those ingredients that create an odd and quirky vibe to his soundscape terrain. JV carefully places elegant piano vignettes in his work. Those notes ride straight down the middle until they become almost grains when the metre kicks in … with bass and beat slouching but perched atop.

By the time Cousin/JV performs the beloved Guelph Kazoo! Fest 2018, he’ll be approaching the one year anniversary for the release of, Selfless. His first release on a label. This rules because it’s not just any label. It’s Constellation, the highly respected Montreal label that houses the likes of Jerusalem In My Heart, Jessica Moss, Off World, Esmerine, Do Make Say Think, Last Ex and, of course, Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

The album, Selfless, explores a gamut of hypnotic textural strategies. From beatless to pulsing ambient, industrial elements that give way to kinetic deconstructions of experimental soundscapes.

Joni Void rules because he balances the free form spirit of sampledelica with the conceptual, emotive and stylistic specificity of individual songcraft to glorious effect.

Hymns57 is the moniker used by local musician Steven de Taeye. They are also the host of Aural Tethers on CFRU 93.3FM. Hymns57 will be performing at Kazoo! Fest 2018 on Sunday, April 15th at The Boarding House (6 Dublin St. S.)

Joni Void plays Kazoo! Fest 2018 on Saturday April 14th with Evan Gordon’s Funhouse, Special Costello and Baby Cages at 10 C (42 Carden St. S.)

cstrecords.com/joni-void