Alaclair Ensemble

Alaclair Ensemble is a Canadian hip hop musical collective.[1]

Alaclair Ensemble
Members of Alaclair Ensemble in 2017
Background information
OriginMontreal, Quebec City
GenresCanadian hip hop
Years active2010s
LabelsGoogle Records
Disques 7ième Ciel
Associated actsAccrophone, Movèzerbe, Rednext Level, Karim Ouellet, K6A, Kaytradamus
Websitealaclairensemble.com
MembersOgden a.k.a. Robert Nelson
Maybe Watson a.k.a. Produit Laitier
KenLo Craqnuques
Claude Bégin a.k.a. Claude Bégin
Eman a.k.a. Explosion Lyricale
Vlooper a.k.a. NRV Cantaloopa
Mash a.k.a. Thomas Gagnon

The group consists of Ogden "Robert Nelson" Ridjanovic (rapper), Olivier "Maybe Watson" Normandin-Guenette (rapper), KenLo Craqnuques (rapper & producer), Claude Bégin (rapper, singer, producer, musician), Eman (rapper) and Vlooper (producer).[1] Most band members reside in Montreal or Quebec.[1] Like several other hip hop collectives, the members also release music with their own side projects in addition to their collaborations as a band.[1]

Musical concept

The band's concept is based around an alternate history in which the Patriotes won the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1838 and established a state based on the Declaration of Independence of Lower Canada. Their musical style draws on traditional Québécois folk music as well as contemporary hip hop and electronic music.[1] In the band's Bas-Canada mythology, the nation suffers none of the linguistic tensions between anglophones and francophones that exist in contemporary Quebec and Canadian society, and the band performs lyrics in both languages.[1]

History

The collective was initially formed in Quebec City; they released their debut album on Bandcamp in 2010. The group's 2013 album Les maigres blancs d'Amérique du Noir, whose title is a satirical pun on Pierre Vallières' Quebec revolutionary manifesto Les nègres blancs d'Amérique, was a longlisted nominee for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize.[2] Their follow-up album, Toute est impossible, was released in 2014.[3] In 2016, signed to Disques 7ième Ciel, the band launched their first priced album, Les Frères Cueilleurs. The band then went on a concert tour of Quebec and parts of Europe.[4]

The album Le sens des paroles was released in 2018.[5] The album's lyrics are more serious than those of their earlier work, which was often tongue-in-cheek.[6]

Discography
  • 4,99 (2010)
  • Le roé c'est moé (2011)
  • Les maigres blancs d'Amérique du Noir (2013)
  • Toute est impossible (2014)
  • Les Frères Cueilleurs (2016)
  • Le Sens des Paroles (2018)
  • America, Vol. 2 (2019)
  • Capitaine Canada (2020)
gollark: They're very cuprous. I should get some. Or save for the inevitable prizes.
gollark: `nie`
gollark: Turns out that one of my random AP ridgewings has a 3-letter german word code.
gollark: ... that's kind of useless and mean.
gollark: Or just random chance! Who knows?

References
  1. "Alaclair Ensemble rewrites history through hip hop" Archived 2014-08-08 at the Wayback Machine. The Gazette, July 14, 2014.
  2. "Polaris Music Prize Unveils 2013 Long List" Archived 2013-06-18 at the Wayback Machine. Exclaim!, June 13, 2012.
  3. "Alaclair Ensemble dévoile une pochette « très conservatrice » pour Tout est impossible". Voir, June 15, 2014.
  4. Philippe Renaud, "L’autre tour de piste d’Alaclair Ensemble". Le Devoir, September 29, 2018.
  5. Alexis Boulianne, "Alaclair Ensemble dans tous les sens". Métro, October 1, 2018.
  6. "Les rappeurs d’Alaclair Ensemble veulent qu’on écoute leurs paroles". Ici Radio-Canada, October 7, 2018.
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