Gelax
Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2017
Music
Press
Gelax: Life
Gelax's latest, Life, has such a Garbage vibe. The vocals are especially reminiscent of Shirley Manson's best work.
Between the undulating percussion and that whistled refrain, this track will take no time burrowing deep into your brain. - Adam Carter . CBC.
What is Gelax? Gelax is the made up layers of dreamy vocal melodies, disconnected lyrics, hypnotic guitar loops merging with accents of crunchy riffs, pumping bass grooves and exotic beats. Got you interested yet? Gelax is an unforgettable group. A style they dubbed as "fantasy rock", mixing comforting chords with a little bit of mysticism, unusual structures with darker moods, climaxing into an uplifting conclusion of sounds.
Gelax released a super dope record titled “Life”, in which they wanted to focus more on the lyrical arrangement. Studying the songwriting of Gelax could be used with complex detail. They don’t give too much, but shy away from too little in this record. “Life” is an overall enticing record in which you can’t help but love. It breathes energy into its listener with a unique production, a production you won’t regret becoming hypnotized by. The hypnotic sound Gelax produced in Life not only turned me into a fan, but had me longing for more. I love authenticity in music. Something we’re missing in a lot of today’s musical culture is authentic artists who aren't afraid to go against the grain of today’s pop culture! Gelax is here to bring something fresh and new to music and we’re here for it! I can’t wait to see what else they come up with, and if it’s anything like “Life”, I’m sure they would exceed past my expectations. The orchestration of the track was chilling, the alluring melodies were memorable, and the panoramic dynamics were unforgettable!
Gelax! Great to chat with you. Tell us about your record “Life” and the theme behind this
Hello, and thanks for hosting this.“Life” came to be after a period of rough times and stressful events, where a conversation between us sparked by our discussions on what it means to be happy and how we get sidetracked from the blessings we have everyday.
What impact does this song personally leave on you?
A constant reminder of being grateful of what we have and staying in the present moment.
What were some challenges you’ve faced in the making of “Life” ?
It was the first time our singer GelaxKey attempted to make a music video and edit it herself, due to low funds. She had to learn step by step during the process of making it.
How do you plan on elevating your sound from an amazing record like “Life” ?
To constantly keep pushing our boundaries of what’s expected and get inspired by new methods and sounds in writing, all while staying true to the subject matter.
What’s next for you?
We have just released another follow up single “Crazy Arms” on all streaming platforms and currently working on an official video for it, to be released very shortly. - Buzz Music LA
They call it “Fantasy Rock” and I call it very unique and creative songwriting. Combining indie rock with dream pop and some kind of dark avant-garde mood swings is how I describe Gelax. Their main influences are Depeche Mode and Radiohead and they combine that with some all-around mysticism to put together their latest single “Life”. It’s a powerful track with very interesting instrumentation. It would be intriguing to see this track brought to life with a live performance which you can do on April 21st at Handlebar in Kensington Market. – Kris Gies - The Deli Magazine
Toronto duo, Gelax, has hit the scene with their new single “Life.” The track combines computer generated drums and bass with raw guitar melodies.
Gelax describes their music as “Childish ambitions through a grown-ups eyes. Deep hypnotising electronic drums, synth bass with guitar attacks, all married with a soulful, vulnerable and warm vocals to give meaning to it all.” They also say that they create fantasy music, which is an incredibly accurate description for their sound. “Life” sounds like a fantasy track that could have a visual that tells a fantasy story from start to finish.
Gelax has only released a very short visual for “Life,” and while it seems like it is fantasy in nature, it is unclear what the story-\line may be. The visuals for this track that they released on their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram tease a video that is equipped with bright colors and cool visual effects. But it is also littered with images that will make the viewer look twice like a bright pink gas mask and a face covered with maggots. It makes the viewer wonder if there is a hidden meaning in the song that will become evident when the full visual is released. - audibleaddixion.com
Life can be stranger than it appears, especially when set next to the electronic beats, musing smooth multi-layered female vocals and chameleon-esque textural guitar strokes of Gelax, fantasy indie rock/pop Toronto band. - NICHOLAS COOPER , Irregular Dreams
Gaze at the strange yet captivating sights representing a child’s happiness with an adult tinge in the introspective video to “Life”, the new single by Toronto indie fantasy rock band Gelax. Bright pastel shades of pink, blue and yellow portray the youthful innocence in the compelling cascade of floating and submerging faces, eyes and lips layered with whimsical yet a tad unnerving psychedelic distortions of the aged perspective in that desperate search of restoring joy (Could the small caressed magenta skeleton be lost youth?). In the electronic psychedelic pop song itself, Gelax provides a perfect melodic motif heard right at the start that is both carefree and embodies a sense of urgency. Washes of vocalables and whistling, bold perky electronic drums rhythms and roaring guitar swipes provide the backing to Gelaxkey’s bittersweet sensitive pondering and cries in her upfront singing. - Nicholas Cooper
Discography
latest single "Mr Square" out on all platforms now with an official video on YouTube.
Photos
Bio
Toronto fantasy mystery rock band GelaX, never shy away from experimenting with newer sounds and chord arrangements, mixing the classics of rock foundations with the new waves of electro and the melodies and hooks of pop.
•
Their moods range from gentle aggression to melancholic optimism , upbeat cynicism to laid back psychedelic journeys.
•
started as a due between Gelareh and Tareq in Toronto 2016,
and an outlet for both, in face of the frustrations and dictatorships they experienced in their native countries.
Their shared philosophies about the state of affairs of their challenging childhoods, and their musical appreciation of Radiohead and Depeche Mode, build the foundation of their creative direction.
With the addition of Jason Pilling on bass and Olaf Szester on drums in 2019, the band started playing heavily in Toronto and around Ontario.
•
Their latest single and music video “Mr Square”, is dedicated to all douche bag, chauvinistic egotistical condescending power-greedy men, hiding behind empty gestures and fake promises to the women they attempt to deceive.
•
The song was born out of the singer's harassment and degrading experiences she witnessed during her interactions with authoritative and abusive men in power in her home country Iran, under a repressive regime where women are forbidden to even make major decisions on their own or demand justice for abusive male partners.
•
The song was produced and recorded by Juno award winner, Timothy Abraham
who has helped in capturing their exotic moods and sculpting their sound further without losing its artistic integrity. He has worked with them on their last 2 singles which garnered them modest attention from CBC music, and local music zines. •
Currently working on a debut album under their newly signed record deal with Mint400, and rehearsing non stop in preparation for Candian Music Week, 2020 will be prove to be a busy year for the chameleon-esque GelaX.
Band Members
Links
