MRG Live Presents: Blue Hawaii

Doors 7:00 Show 8:00 PM

Montreal’s dancefloor aficionado’s Blue Hawaii return to the fray with the announcement of a new EP, ‘My Bestfriend’s House’. Channeling the energetic frequencies of post-lockdown freedom, the duo continue to provide uplifting jaunts in
cohesion with the release of last year’s acclaimed ‘Under 1 House’ EP. Today the band share a first taster of fresh music, the luscious “L.O.V.E”.

Graced again by the inspired input of longtime contributor, saxophonist Adam Kinner, “L.O.V.E.” wanders elegantly through swanky bassline struts and attitude soaked lyricism. Spacious and light, the mix of live instrumentation and flickering synthesiser accompaniment feels classy and refreshingly open. The groove-inducing drumwork
finds its feet quickly, sassily carrying listeners through a plethora of gliding keys and calmingly lo-fi string sections.

Raphaelle “Ra” Standell-Preston and Agor ”DJ Kirby” Cowan initially crossed paths in the burgeoning underground party scene of Montreal and the duo has since blossomed from their earlier bedroom-producer minimalistic approach to explore a more organic and dance-focused sound. They uniquely assemble every aspect of their music together, even amidst an ocean of separation, with Agor in Berlin, and Rain Montreal. Reunited after a year’s separation, Agor and Ra initially wanted to finish the recording of a darker, downtempo full-length which they started in September of 2020. However, given the energy coming out of lockdown, the pair decided to put that introspective work on hold and instead whip out a good-vibed follow-up to 'Under 1 House'. The duo headed to a cabin north of Montreal but unfortunately had to return the same night during the year's worst rain storm. With a lost trip and a potentially haunted cabin to escape, a rapid-fire series of recording sessions ensued in the next week, aided by the uncovering of a long-lost Yamaha DX7 synthesiser. Perhaps it is this condensed time frame that has made this collection of tracks so specifically electric. “My Bestfriend’s House” delves into the joyous themes of togetherness, love and empathy - backed by chugging drums and hypnotic grooves. Thriving in the rare middleground of music to be enjoyed via headphones and club sound systems equally.

Blue Hawaii have been active for a decade, having released 3 full length albums and three EPs to date. The pair’s ability to create open-armed melodies and lush vocal accompaniment has been expertly honed over this period to widespread acclaim which looks set to continue in 2022. The dawn of the new year also spells a slew of
tour dates, buy tickets here.