Biography
The Montreal-based power trio Population II constructs an expansive, forceful sonic palette spanning hard psychedelia, meandering blues, and sludgy proto-metal while acknowledging avant-garde jazz and blown-out garage rock. Early output emphasized breadth through extended pieces that surged and receded amid distortion and volume. Refinement followed, yielding concise fragments of unconventional psychedelia. Refinement first appeared on the 2020 release À la Ô Terre; the fourth album, 2023’s Électrons libres du québec, tilts further toward individual songs.
The Québécois lineup of singer/drummer Pierre-Luc Gratton, guitarist/organist Tristan Lacombe, and bassist Sébastien Provençal drew from exploratory touchstones such as electric Miles Davis and the progressive sound of 1970s Germany alongside raw influences including the Stooges and punk. Their April 2017 debut arrived as a self-released, self-titled album of two extended studio-live tracks. From the outset the music delivered punishing weight, lengthy improvised solos, and a clear pull toward the darker edges of psychedelic rock. A follow-up arrived the next year in the form of the comparably structured, twenty-minute, two-track EP II - Onisme, which secured a contract with the California indie Castle Face, co-owned by Osees’ John Dwyer. The Emmanuel Éthier-produced third album À la Ô Terre appeared in late 2020 after the band shortened individual pieces without abandoning their aggressively expansive approach. Work on the fourth album proceeded once more with Éthier, tightening focus while increasing intensity and retaining the visceral force of earlier, longer explorations. Following the May 2023 release of the album’s lead track, the trio embarked on tour. Électrons libres du québec emerged in October on the Montreal label Bonsound.
The Québécois lineup of singer/drummer Pierre-Luc Gratton, guitarist/organist Tristan Lacombe, and bassist Sébastien Provençal drew from exploratory touchstones such as electric Miles Davis and the progressive sound of 1970s Germany alongside raw influences including the Stooges and punk. Their April 2017 debut arrived as a self-released, self-titled album of two extended studio-live tracks. From the outset the music delivered punishing weight, lengthy improvised solos, and a clear pull toward the darker edges of psychedelic rock. A follow-up arrived the next year in the form of the comparably structured, twenty-minute, two-track EP II - Onisme, which secured a contract with the California indie Castle Face, co-owned by Osees’ John Dwyer. The Emmanuel Éthier-produced third album À la Ô Terre appeared in late 2020 after the band shortened individual pieces without abandoning their aggressively expansive approach. Work on the fourth album proceeded once more with Éthier, tightening focus while increasing intensity and retaining the visceral force of earlier, longer explorations. Following the May 2023 release of the album’s lead track, the trio embarked on tour. Électrons libres du québec emerged in October on the Montreal label Bonsound.
Albums
Singles
