TSS TSS

In 2006, Jimmy Hunt (then a proverbial punk troubadour usually found in bars) and Ysael Pepin (bassist for Demon's Claws) started to jam here and there in one of the rooms of an apartment located above the late Zoobizarre in Montreal. Brian Hildebrand, Martin Chouinard, and Dale MacDonald eventually joined and the quintet recorded their first garage EP in two winter afternoons. Chocolat soon received praise in both languages all over Canada (La Presse, Exclaim!, Voir), participated in Les FrancoFolies de Montréal in 2007, and, in 2008, were one of the first bands signed to Grosse Boîte, the French-focused subsidiary of Dare to Care Records. Their acclaimed 2008 debut album, Piano Élégant, featured Beatles-esque melodies, a clearer sound, and an addictive chanson side. During the two years that followed, between disheveled yet jolly performances, Chocolat strung together shows and insolence, and, in 2010, even performed at the XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. After a brief hiatus during which Hunt released his first solo album, Hunt and Pepin began laying the foundation of an abstract project called Fantôme. The few demos Hunt recorded consisted of linear sequences with drawling riffs interspersed with rhythmic breaks and rudimentary electronic effects. Realizing that Chocolat represented the ideal band to play these, Hunt got the members together and invited his close friend Emmanuel Ethier to replace MacDonald, who had left for Europe. After only three practices, Hunt booked some studio time. The band recorded live for a few days, and, in general, they stuck to the second or third take for each track. This allowed them to take advantage of the spontaneity of Pepin and Hildebrand's garage games played on Hunt's mechanical tracks. Tss Tss is an album recorded between friends; pop music and hypnotic rock at white heat.