Biography
Toronto's the Two Koreas deliver sharp, fragile indie rock that often draws parallels to the Fall, yet the group members favor their own wry label for the style: "glacial garage," defined as "garage rock encased in ice, perfectly preserved in its most primal state for future generations of children to study." The ease with which clever remarks flow from the Two Koreas makes sense, since vocalist Stuart Berman, guitarist Kieran Grant, and keyboard man Jason Anderson contribute music and film writing to multiple Canadian outlets, while bassist Ian Worang and drummer David Gee pursue separate careers outside the group. The Two Koreas came together in 2004 and had already become regulars on Toronto's underground circuit by the release of their debut album, Main Plates and Classic Pies, in 2005. Their follow-up, Altruists, arrived in 2007, and a pair of live-in-the-studio performances taped for XM Satellite Radio appeared the next year as the EP Sessions. Prospects for the band looked uncertain in 2009 after guitarist Grant was hospitalized with a severe case of ulcerative colitis, but he recovered successfully following surgery and treatment, allowing the Two Koreas to enter the studio in 2010 with producer Jon Drew for their third album. Science Island came out on Randy Vicar Records, in association with the noted Canadian indie label Last Gang, in March 2011.