Emerging from a deep passion for industrial, post-punk and electronic music and in particular the sounds of post-punk legends Killing Joke and The Chameleons, Daniel Carlyle has crafted a unique sonic identity as StillWaves. Carlyle's journey began during many hazy nights out in Toronto, where he met the late guitarist Eric Pentz. Their strong creative bond fueled the writing and rehearsal process for their band, StillWaves.
After several fun and arduous months of writing and rehearsing, they took a chance and sent some lo-fi phone demos to local producer and recording legend Josh Korody. Korody, known for his work with Beliefs, Breeze, and Wish, liked the demos enough to record their first album. This self-titled album, recorded and produced by Korody and mastered by Jesse Keeler (Death from Above, MSTRKRFT), also features drums by Mike Wallace of Canadian post-punk heavyweights Preoccupations.
Through Carlyle's newest work, his multifaceted approaches as a vocalist, bassist, and programmer shine through. He combines samplers and sequnencers and synths to create intricate, atmospheric soundscapes. His, and Eric's, latest record, "Undiagnosed," is a testament to their artistic vision. The album features guitar tones that evoke an ethereal and otherworldly atmosphere, a homage to Pentz's influence, while Carlyle's lyrics explore themes of fractured love in divorce and societal injustices. Another common theme and topic is Carlyle's love letter to a forgotten Toronto, a city that has rapidly changed and lost much of its charm along the way to modernization and gentrification.
Carlyle's vocals and the themes of the songs focus on the often sombre state of the world, modern addiction to technology, social media vanity, and inherent inequalities. Dark music for dark times indeed. Carlyle's music continues to evolve and progress, driven by a restless spirit that seeks to push boundaries and explore more electronic focussed musical horizons.
Daniel Carlyle – Vocals, Bass, Keyboards, Sampler/Programming
Tyler Novak – Guitar, Keyboards
Drummer: Mike Wallace (recording/live), Andrew Heule (recording/live), Christopher Wiens (live)