Drainolith

***Perhaps best known for his guitar playing in the Montreal noise-rock band AIDS Wolf, Alex Moskos has been producing records under the name Drainolith since 1999. He has released countless cassettes, CDRs & 7" records on various labels culminating in two full length albums: Fighting (2012) on Spectrum Spools and Hysteria (2015) on NNA Tapes.

More recently Moskos has performed and recorded alongside Max Eilbacher (Horse Lords) and Duncan Moore as SEF III, and with Nate Young, John Olson and Pulitzer Prize winning composer Raven Chacon as The Difficult Messages Band. He has also played alongside Neil Hagerty (Royal Trux), Charles Balas and Nate Young in Dan’l Boon (Drag City). Moskos is an amateur historian and works in community radio at CKUT 90.3FM—Montreal’s oldest freeform radio station. He lives in Hochelaga, an east end neighborhood of Montreal with artist Jessica Mensch and Boots The Cat.

Macbeth was initially intended as a double LP. Though now whittled down to under thirty minutes it somehow remains both epic and kaleidoscopic. It is by turns dissonant, comedic and elevating. Moskos uses poetry and song to recount the lives of Montreal’s many wayward souls, the uncelebrated history of its street life and personalities, addiction, and the tension of maintaining an inner life while living in the metropolis, all set to a backdrop of electronics, raw guitar playing, and samples.

Macbeth features Moskos’ own production work alongside two tracks produced by the mysterious Collections Crew (who have played on more legendary Montreal records than you would believe). An ensemble cast of musicians from across the Drainolith world make an appearance on the record: Dom Alexander (aka Buffalo MRI), Jon Shapiro (Disguises), Brian Seeger (Pon De Replay, Gold Sword), Nate Young & John Olson (Wolf Eyes), Jessica Mensch (The Powers), Andre Theriault (Laughing), Jacques Le Dref (Robble Grouse), Josh Bastien (Father Dust).