Originally Published: 2002-12-01

Now out in the U.S. is the (obscure) Canadian Independent Music Awards-winning debut of "electronica" producer Dan Snaith, whose studio project is named after his home province. Originally released last year on the British indie label, Leaf, Start Breaking My Heart is one of a small number of Canadian productions inspired by the Aphex Twin etc to receive international attention. When interviewed for the British press Snaith displayed his small town naivete by complaining that he couldn't get signed to a label in Canada. Well, exactly - if you are not a pop or rock artist no Canadian branch plant of a multinational corporation is going to invest any money in you. And since the indie scene here is oriented to polite music the CBC will play, or underground rock, metal and punk, you need to go to Europe. Somehow he did that and sold a thousand copies of his first Leaf single, "People Eating Fruit" on the strength of its similarity to the Boards Of Canada's mix of melodics and children's voices. And since less-is-more in the Canadian scale of hype, he scored showcase gigs and front-page press coverage for his imported music which is hardly original or timely. He now lives in Toronto so maybe his next tracks will be better informed.

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