Exhaust: Exhaust (1998)

I'm a big fan of Constellation Records out of Montreal. You wouldn't go wrong with anything they have ever released.

Exhaust features Adrian Girt, of 1-Speed Bike and Godpseed You! Black Emperor, plus Gordon Krieger, who has played with Set Fire to Flames and Molasses, and Mike Zabitsky, who also spent some time with Set Fire to Flames. Allmusic's description of this record is quite interesting:

"The self-titled Constellation Records debut by Exhaust embodies the sound of squatting in an anarcho-socialist warehouse commune in Montreal's arty/industrial Mile-End district surrounded by French-speaking philosopher/musicians with revolution on their minds and time on their hands."

Allmusic goes on to say this: "Much of their live-to-four-track recordings have been electronically manipulated during mixdown to evoke an aura of experimental dub and an attendant cinematic mystery that conjures the urban setting of their creations. The drumming is minimalist and crudely recorded, as if from a single microphone set up in a storm drain, yet front and center, directing each piece, while menacing tape loops of agitprop speeches, street conversations, film dialog, and eerie wails permeate the mix, and all of this is anchored by depth-charge bass drones and the moaning of the clarinet." [link]

I don't think this is wild hyperbole. I think this is probably an accurate description.

I have a ton of CDs from this record label, including everything GY!BE ever released.