Absolutely Free (band)

Absolutely Free is a Canadian band formed by bassist Mike Claxton, guitarist Jordan Holmes, singer/Multi-instrumentalist Matt King and drummer Moshe Rozenberg after the breakup of their prior band DD/MM/YYYY.

Absolutely Free
Left to right: Claxton, King, Rozenberg
Background information
OriginToronto, Ontario, Canada
GenresIndie rock, psychedelic rock, art rock
Years active2011–present
Associated actsDD/MM/YYYY
MembersMike Claxton
Matt King
Moshe Rozenberg
Past membersJordan Holmes

History

Claxton, Holmes, King and Rozenberg formed Absolutely Free in 2011 after the breakup of their prior band DD/MM/YYYY.[1][2] The band released their debut EP UFO/Glass Tassel in 2012,[3] followed by On The Beach/Clothed Woman, Sitting EP the next year,[4] as limited-run 12" records.[5]

By 2014, Holmes had left the band; Absolutely Free released their debut full-length album Absolutely Free. with Arts & Crafts in Canada,[6][7] and Lefse Records in all other territories. The band performed throughout North America opening for Canadian band, Alvvays,[8] and Europe with Preoccupations.[9] The album was a long-listed nominee for the 2015 Polaris Music Prize.[10] The band's song My Dim Age has been used as the theme music for the CBC Radio Show, Out In The Open since 2016.

In 2019, the song, Currency, was used in episode 2 of The CW television series, Batwoman.

Media Projects

Absolutely Free is known to work on projects outside traditional music performance and has collaborated with a diverse range of artists and musicians for their live and media-based projects.

In 2013, they developed a site-specific sound installation, On The Beach, on Toronto Island as part of the Camp Wavelength festival. That same year, they created a theatre performance for Summerworks Festival, where they performed a series of one minute songs to a single person at a time for the duration of the event.[11]

In 2014, the band debuted their self-titled album as part of a live event at Bloor Cinema in Toronto by projecting holograms of themselves performing the songs live at a concert they were playing in Hamilton, Ontario at the same time.[12]

In 2015, the band was commissioned to re-score a number of Norman McLaren NFB short films that were subsequently performed live as part of TIFF.[13]

In 2016, Absolutely Free scored the music for a feature Independent film, Two Cares, Due None and the short film, Ape Sodom.

The band has also collaborated with a number of artists to create videos for their music.

  • UFO - Video by Lindsey Hogan / Exploding Motor Car (2012)
  • Beneath The Air - Video by Jesi The Elder (2014)[14]
  • Vision's - Video by Scott Cudmore (2015)
  • The Sun A'int Gonna Shine (Anymore) - Video by Petrina Ng (2017)
  • Still Life - Video is an edit of The Future Is A Distorted Landscape by Christina Battle (2018)[15]
  • Currency (extended mix) - Dir. Rachelle Walker (2019)
  • Geneva Freeport - Video by Julie Reich (2019)

Discography
Year Details Format Record Label
2012 UFO/Glass Tassel 12" EP One Big Silence
2013 On The Beach/Clothed Woman, Sitting 12" EP One Big Silence

Lefse Records

2014 Absolutely Free. CD, 12" LP Arts & Crafts

Lefse Records

2017 The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore) Flexidisc Boiled Records
2019 Geneva Freeport 12" EP Idee Fixe Records
2020 Two Cares Due None (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Digital LP Boiled Records

Singles

  • Don't Freak Out - Remix of Win-Win (2015)
  • Hot Dreams - Absolutely Free Dub Mix - Remix of Timber Timbre (2015)[16]
  • Still Life (2018)[17]
  • Currency (Extended Mix) ft. U.S. Girls (2019)

Compilations

  • Milkin It In Utero Tribute Cassette (2013, Hand Drawn Dracula)
  • The Space Project 5 x 7" Record (2014, Lefse Records)
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References
  1. "DD/MM/YYYY Break Up, Form Absolutely Free". Exclaim!, September 26, 2011.
  2. "DD/MM/YYYY call it a D". Now, September 27, 2011.
  3. "UFO / Glass Tassle (EP stream)". Exclaim!, January 22, 2013.
  4. "Absolutely Free – “On The Beach” & “Clothed Woman, Sitting”". Stereogum, September 24, 2013.
  5. "Absolutely Free, Absolutely Free". Pitchfork, Stuart Berman, October 13, 2014
  6. Absolutely Free: "Absolutely Free". Exclaim!, October 10, 2014.
  7. "Absolutely Free Absolutely Free". AllMusic Review by Tim Sendra
  8. "Live Review: Alvvays at Acerogami in Pomona (11/26)". Consequences of Sound, by Philip Cosores, on November 27, 2014
  9. "Absolutely Free announce UK/EU dates opening for Viet Cong". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  10. "Polaris Music Prize Announces 2015 Long List". Exclaim!, June 16, 2015.
  11. "Absolutely Free Space Odyssey". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  12. "Absolutely Free love holograms". Vue Weekly, December 3, 2014, by Paul Blinov
  13. "TIFF '14: free outdoor screenings of Norman McLaren classics with live music". NFB Blog. 2014-09-03. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  14. Abarbanel, Aliza (2014-08-15). "Absolutely Free's Video for "Beneath the Air" Is Absolutely Animated and Absolutely Sweet". Vice. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  15. "Absolutely Free - "Still Life" Video". Stereogum. 2018-11-14. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  16. "Timber Timbre "Hot Dreams" (Absolutely Free remix) / "Curtains?!" (Doomsquad remix)". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  17. "Absolutely Free Return with "Still Life"". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
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