Calgary Art-Pop Duo Blends Synth-Pop, Psychedelia, and Electronic Experimentation
Calgary, Alberta art-pop duo HAIR CONTROL have released their debut album, Electric Pleasure, a 40-minute journey through synth-pop, avant-dance, psychedelia, and electronic experimentation. The collaborative project of Ryan Bourne (Chad VanGaalen, Ghostkeeper, The Plant City Band) and Rebecca Reid transforms themes of love, longing, altered states, and existential anxiety into an invitation to move.
Blending lo-fi beats with layered synthesizers, percussive textures, and guest contributions from Chad VanGaalen, Tea Fannie, Martha Zed, and others, the album expands the duo’s self-described “lo-fi existential workout music” into an immersive listening experience.
HAIR CONTROL Electric Pleasure – Debut Album Explores Love and Experimentation
Electric Pleasure emerged from extended periods of experimentation, with Bourne often working through the night until dawn. Reid recalls the recording sessions as a “looping, days-long portal,” where musical ideas developed organically and unexpected sounds became part of the creative process.
As the recordings progressed, Bourne began to recognize a connection between the music and the immersive feeling of being in love. That sensation became central to both the album and HAIR CONTROL’s live performances, creating a space where listeners could temporarily escape self-consciousness and surrender to movement, connection, and joy.
The album draws inspiration from an eclectic range of artists, including Kraftwerk, Neu!, New Order, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Gary Numan, Caribou, Four Tet, MGMT, John Maus, and Beach House. Rather than following a single musical direction, HAIR CONTROL combines these influences into a constantly evolving electronic soundscape.
HAIR CONTROL Share New Age Breaks Music Video
At the heart of Electric Pleasure is focus track “New Age Breaks,” an energetic fusion of experimental breakbeat, synth-pop, and avant-dance.
The song began with a Roland 909 breakbeat that Bourne recorded to cassette before Reid improvised layers of synthesizers, ranging from hazy strings to sharp sawtooth sounds. Her spontaneous performances became the foundation for a track that combines vintage self-help affirmations with rhythmic experimentation.
“The core of the track is essentially a collage, arranged from a bunch of first takes of synth improvisations by Rebecca,” Bourne explains.
Rather than recreating those initial recordings, Bourne assembled them into a structured arrangement, adding synth and bass synth to transform Reid’s improvisations into something dynamic and danceable.
Longtime collaborator Chad VanGaalen contributed additional instrumentation, including processed clarinet, flute, hammer dulcimer, and chorus vocals, recorded at his Yoko Ono Studios.
The result captures HAIR CONTROL’s creative philosophy: combining introspection, experimentation, and movement into music that encourages listeners to lose themselves in the moment.
Electric Pleasure is available now. Discover the debut album from Calgary’s HAIR CONTROL and experience their distinctive blend of experimental electronic music and art-pop.
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