DANDI WIND

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A Dandi Wind performance is an unforgettable event. Szam Findlay is dapper and reserved in a dark suit, competently manipulating his Korg and sequencer while contributing occasional backup vocals. Physically and stylistically somewhere between Bjork, PJ Harvey and Peaches, enrapturing vocalist Dandilion Schlase dances, shrieks and fl ails, each performance an impassioned, cathartic labor of love. Both band members come with a history in theatre, and it shows. On record, the music holds its own even without the consummate show. Made “with a few unpopular decade old synths, a single mic and a monophonic Pentium 2 soundcard,” Bait the Traps fuses industrial, IDM and rock, striking a satisfying balance between unpredictable rhythms and delicious melodies. Dandi’s vocal style flies above it all, reminiscent of ‘80s new wave greats like Lene Lovich, Kath Bush or Lora Logic. At this point in their career, Szam and Dandi are still obliging enough to invite a humble local writer into their private digs in the north–east of Vancouver. Dressed in a one–piece ‘80s short–suit number, Dandi ushered me graciously into a spacious studio. I was impressed to note that her wild on–stage steez is not a stretch from her everyday loungewear. The live/ work space was stuffed with their tools of one of their many trades: selling clothing on the internet. While we chatted they jumped up more than once to show me items of interest, ranging from a set of buttons about eating meat (Szam: “Here’s a really cool one: It’s two people with aerobics outfits on, and the guy’s holding a tray. He’s putting a fork of meat in her mouth! Its totally new wave.”), to Dandi’s current sculptures (gleefully ghoulish heads, self–contained in glasstopped wooden boxes), to Lene Lovich’s 1978 record Stateless. As we talked, Dandi Wind revealed an industrial aesthetic. Vancouver electronic–rock greats Skinny Puppy came up more than once, as did plans for a “Ministry–inspired” record after their upcoming fulllength release. While their music strikes a balance between heavy and dance, Dandi Wind’s lyrics reveal an underlying darkness. Szam told me that, “We have some songs that are political, but only in the sense of day to day life inspiring us to feel something politically.” Of course, the sights and sounds of life in Vancouver’s eastern harbor can be depressing. From their new EP, “O Todo o Dia,” depicts the suffering of low–wage laborers, and “Ms. 45” describes a sex worker killing her clients (“Thanks for letting me fulfill a dream / Watching you beg is such a scream / I’ve always wanted to use my crossbow / To kill a john like you driving by real slow.”) While Dandi Wind may be newcomers to the local live scene, they are old hands in the world of art and creativity. Szam has been playing piano and writing music since childhood. As he told me, “I’ve always been creative, but it’s not hereditary. My parents don’t even like music. They put me in piano lessons. I did ice–skating, I did swimming, and none of them had any influence on me, but I liked piano. I hated the lessons, I hate playing transcribed music, but I enjoyed making noise.” According to Dandi, “I had an alternative childhood, and worked on lots of stuff with my dad.” Like her father, Dandi’s first and eternal love is sculpture. While she studied at Emily Carr, Dandi created a series of elaborate sculptures to accompany Szam’s music. They were photographed and included as the artwork for hi