When I was invited to experience Nite Ride and spooge a bit of my mind thoughts on this here blog, I was preparing for yet another road stint with the ol’band (Acorn) to Halifax. I was concerned at how dull my senses would be having driven across Canada about three times, the US-and-a-half once, and bits of Europe a few times. My road soldiering has produced an experiential callous to transient sound forging experiences with the moving world. Or in other words, my excessive traversing of vast lands accompanied by soundtracks may be a detriment to enjoying this ride like a condom. I was wondering if my psychological health would be suitable to write about this project after having returned from a 13-hour drive. Luckily, I had a couple days to nest, re-humanize and to alter the beast.

Last Friday I scurried along the cold, damp Ottawa streets to Arts Court, to catch the first departure of Tim Hecker’s Nite Ride presentation. Commissioned by artengine, Tim Hecker re-mixed previously released music from his back catalogue into 5.1 surround sound, to be played by speakers installed in a rented mini-bus as it drove around the Outaouais.