Montreal’s instrumental trio Caméra share “Matsutake”

Buried deep in Montreal’s lingering winters, a trio of musicians (Francois Jalbert the guitarist, composer and producer; Mélanie Bélair the violinist, arranger and composer; and Aurélien Tomasi the composer, arranger and performer) sat in a room together. Accustomed to the crazy pace of working in the city’s hyperactive music industry, they might have been unconsciously looking to do something slower, calmer, and free from commercial constraints. Looking at the snow battering the wide windows by the train tracks, they spent the afternoon playing around with what was in the room: a slide whistle, a Juno, and some guitar pedals. The table was set for what would become Caméra. 

“Matsutake” is a species of mushroom that grows in East Asia, but also in Quebec. It is prized in Japanese cuisine for its distinct spicy-aromatic odor.

The new single is inspired by the famous scene from the film My Neighbor Totoro, where Totoro and Satsuke wait for the Catbus in the pouring rain. The piece paves its own unique soundscape blending 1980’s synth with organic instrumentation.