Ambisonic

Strombo picks ambisonic in his "videos of the week" category over Arcade Fire, Jay-Z, Michael Bublé, and Drake

- CBC

Toronto's genre-defying innovative duo, Ambisonic have released their music video for their synth-heavy "Invasion". In the single from their second outing Arp, Erik Culp's ability to flawlessly chime between guitar, moogs and taurus pedals is perfectly duelled by Paul Barry's monstrous drumming. Like a lovechild of Nick Mason and John Bonham, his control compliments this refreshingly distilled electronic piece. Directed by Philip Sportel, its cinematographic landscape feels as though we're either lost in the Lord of the Rings or waiting to catch Luke Skywalker ripping through on his landspeeder at any given second. The video is also a nice breath of fresh air from the captive temperatures of late, as it seems to be shot in familiar cottage country. NME even unveiled a quick behind-the-scenes look earlier this fall that has kept us on our toes waiting ever since. ”
— Colton Eddy, Chart attack - CHARTattack

The innovative Canadian duo Ambisonic returns for their second outing. Simply titled ARP, it's a mind-blowing synthesis of space rock and prog rock with ambient music and electronica. Creating a system to play multiple instruments combined with real time looping, live acoustic drums, synths, guitar and other instruments, the duo sounds more like a full-fledged rock band than just two guys. But when you have two guys as talented as Erik Culp and Paul Barry, the unbelievable can be made a reality.

After a short intro of deep space analogue synth punctuated with a scream, they launch into the devastating space rock of Invasion. Erik's cosmic synths pulse and sweep along to Paul's intense drumming before the guitar comes in and takes the piece to new dimensions. It follows in like with Frontiers, the maniacal Reactor and the powerful Polson. The sound is tight and focused, achieving a perfect balance and synergy between the electronics, the percussion and the guitar. There's a true sense of drama as each song builds to intense climaxes.

Things take a different turn after the brief interlude of, well, Interlude, which leads into Rebecca, presumably named after Lake Rebecca, on the shores of which this album was recorded in a small rustic cottage (belying its epic sounds!). This one's a beautiful, hallucinogenic celebration of electronica and trip hop, but with real drums, guitar and banjo (capturing a bit of that rustic feel?) to go along with all the psychedelic electronics that throb, wash and swirl. The dark and moody The Right Defence has a very cinematic quality to it before we return to more electronica fuelled sounds with Wenona. Heston (presumably referring to actor Charlton Heston, with a not so subtle hint of "Soylent Green is made from people!" at the beginning) has a dark, paranoid dystopian feel to it, adding yet another layer of emotive sonics to the mix. Two shorter pieces, Landed (which explores the space rock idiom further) and We Cannot See the Sun (which delves into more intense electronica stylings) bring us to the final, epic 12-minute title track. Smooth, ambient synth textures swirl around pensive guitar patterns, slowly building into heroic guitar rock. There's even a touch of Erik's old Atomic Cosmonaut twang in the mix as the track marches slowly towards its grand conclusion, and the end of the album.

Oh, and if all that's not enough for you, the CD comes in a cool, unique wood-like envelope! Echoes of that cottage on Lake Rebecca. Tough, original, highly listenable space rock and complex trip hop explorations make ARP one of the best releases of the year. Highly recommended! - Jeff Fitzgerald - Aural Innovations 2011

Ambisonic is the Toronto duo of Erik Culp on guitars, Moogs, and keys and Paul Barry on drums and piano. Throw in some vintage bass pedals, Theremin and stylophone to that mix and you can tell immediately that for just two musicians, they have a wide sonic palette to work with. AI readers may be familiar with Erik Culp from his solo work as The Atomic Cosmonaut and as bandleader of the now defunct space rock band Mind of a Squid. Ambisonic definitely follows more in the footprints of his solo work, being quirky complex instrumentals that draw on progressive rock and electronica, with some elements of space rock in there as well. But with the addition of Paul Barry, the two of them are able to take the sound further than ever before. The music of Ambisonic is complex and energetic, eschewing for the most part the quieter, ambient songs of Culp's solo efforts in favour of a more dramatic and intense sound. Culp's exhilarating guitar work locks in tightly with Barry's precise and outstanding drumming, while the keyboards layer in textures and melodies that flesh the sound out into a whole. The only quieter pieces really are the three short movements of Luminaire spread throughout the album, that draw on classical styles with reflective piano work sliding gently over shimmering and spacey electronics. They give a nice overall balance for a dynamic album of progressive music. - Aural Innovations, 2009

WCITIES 2011 - 5 stars

Ambisonic is a two-piece electronic rock project from Toronto. Comprised of drummer/keyboardist Paul Barry and guitar/synth player Erik Culp, the band tastefully blends live and electronic instruments to create groove-based songs full of tight, sturdy rhythms. The duo's sound has wide-reaching appeal thanks to elements pulled from jazz, trip hop and rock, but it's also not afraid to indulge in some more experimental territory. Real time looping helps build part after part of theramin, banjo and piano, all of which combine with Barry and Culp's instrumental prowess to culminate in a sound steeped in both modern and vintage styles. - WCITIES 2011

Now Magazine June 2011

A fresh and innovative duo that sound more like a dozen musicians, Eric Culp and Paul Barry capture an exciting and unique fusion of electronica, rock, jazz, and improvisation. - Now Magazine June 2011

Vapor Music's Managing Director + Executive Producer Lindsey Bates pick for NXNE June 17, 2011


The Indie Machine June 2011

Ambisonic is the moniker of Toronto’s Paul Barry and Erik Culp. The duo was one of our surprise finds at this year’s NXNE festival.


Fused Magazine - NXNE highlights June 2011

Theremins, Stylophones, banjos and electronics collide to make one great groove laden noise - Vapour music, The indie machine and Fused magazine, 2011.

The day began ... with Toronto's Ambisonic: A space rock duo composed of Paul Barry on drums and piano, and Erik Culp on guitar, moog, and taurus pedals. They describe themselves humoristically as "Intense instrumental groove-freakout-power-prog-sonic mayhem performed by two guys with a lot of limbs". It was quite a performance! Paul is an incredibly energetic and talented drummer, a necessity for the very intense rhythms of their music. Despite a few sound glitches and a broken cymbal, it was a great, dynamic set with lots of booming, thunderous bass pedal work and some very catchy melodies. - progmontreal.com, 2009

The Lonley Vagabond 2010

Ambisonic played a great set at The Horseshoe, with Erik Culp on guitars, moogs, and bass foot-pedals (that’s right, three instruments simultaneously) and Paul Barry on drums, Ambisonic integrates King Crimson-laced spontaneity, post-rock landscapes with “music from other planets you’ve never heard of yet”. Combining propulsive blasts of drumming with keyboard sonics and turbocharged riffage, this duo creates explosive, psych-fueled instrumentals that transcend interstellar boundaries. Just picture the Dark Side Of The Moon sleeve. - The Lonely Vagabond, 2010

Musicsheblogged July 2011

The Horseshoe Tavern.

I loved it. Great beats, great guitar work, live drum driven ambient / indian style rock.
2 guys make the stage sound so full. If only I were on shrooms.. Or ecstasy.
No vocals? No problem!
Drums make me wanna move, so good. Big crowd for so early!!
Amazing. - Musicsheblogged July 2011