Sudbury rapper/producer/poet Max Moon will present his first solo effort under the Moon moniker with a Dec. 19 multi genre show at Sudbury's Townehouse Tavern (206 Elgin St.).
Advance tickets are now available online.
Moon may be best known to the rap world as a rapper/producer with horrorcore trio Magick Show, but his solo effort veers madly off in a very different direction.
The Grand Howl is a raw and unconventional collection of raps and poetry, beats and soundscapes, exploring themes of struggle, perseverance, secrets and the precariousness of modern life, said a press release.
Also appearing for the occasion will be Sudbury pop-rock outfit White Hot, who released their debut record Not Punk in 2023. The band showcases their prowess by delving into everything from straight-ahead pop choruses to soaring guitar solos and dynamic rhythms.
Friend and collaborator Emilio Portal will also perform a set of existing and new compositions, including pieces inspired by collaborations with Moon on their collaborative project Spiritual Dispatchers.
Portal is an award winning experimental musician, percussionist, producer and sound engineer, based in Sudbury.
He’s described as an “artist of French-Irish-Peruvian heritage who works with sound and light to deconstruct colonial perspectives and reconnect us with indeterminacy, contemplation and animism.”
A live performance from Portal is always immersive, unpredictable and mesmerizing.
Other hip-hop artists also join Moon for the party, including friend, labelmate and collaborator Mickey O’Brien.
Over the past two decades, O’Brien has been an inspired voice in the Canadian rap scene with his boundary-defying, concept-heavy music.
In recent years he has rocked stages in Japan, Paris, Ireland and more, but will undoubtedly be in Sudbury for this special occasion. Veteran Sudbury rhyme spitter and collaborator Johnny Bizness also joins the bill, bringing his signature, gritty boom-bap style and undeniable energy. And finally, Karnival will be on stage as well, performing songs from his recently released mixtape Good TV.
Moon will also be DJing a mix of his influences, hip-hop and dance music throughout the night. Special edition CD and cassette packages will be available for sale, which include artistic designs, a number of bonus songs, and other goodies.
On The Grand Howl, Moon assumes most of the album’s production duties, save contributions from Juno-nominated MPC wizard Fresh Kils (“Little Do They Know”) and acclaimed Ukraine rapper/producer Smuff Tha Quiz (“Rendezvous”).
And only a couple, impactful features appear on The Grand Howl, with Max Moon enlisting the prolific duo ShrapKnel (PremRock & Curly Castro, Backwoodz Studioz) for the stream-of-consciousness barrage of “DEAD END$” and friend, label-mate, and Toronto fire-spitter Ultra Magnus for the boom-trap anthem “Scrawlings.”
The end result is an album that is wholly unique and ultimately true to this MC.
The record was recorded/created in a series of home studios, with much of the work being done in a remote cabin on Manitoulin Island during the harsh Northern winter months.
“I think I did it man. I think I found my voice on this project. It feels like I made a record that’s true to me and offers something fresh to you,” said Moon.
“It’s a little rough, but I think it has a rugged charm - to me at least. The title (The Grand Howl) can represent the collective noise generated by all human pain, joy, sadness, rising up to the heavens - the grandest howl of them all.”
The Grand Howl is released digitally on all major platforms, and physically on limited run cassette and CD - both with exclusive bonus tracks and extra goodies.
The album’s out now on Hand’Solo Records - the O.G. of Canadian indie hip-hop labels, in operation since 1996.