RENDRD Radar: I M U R 'Little Death' Album Release Party

As we entered the front door and headed down the lefthand staircase of Celebrities Nightclub, we were first met by the soft red glow and dampened thumping of bass from the main room above. As we descended deeper though, it started to feel a little less like a basement and a lot more like the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest. We had arrived at the SOLD OUT ‘Little Death’ album release party, hosted by Vancouver’s own I M U R.

'Little Death', as stated by the band, "alludes to the brief loss of consciousness or spiritual release during a post-'o' state." With the help of friends Laine Butler and ShapeShifterStudio to create the visual environment, the whole experience was designed to guide an individual to such a state through the course of the evening. A concept that has been over a year in the works, we were watching it unfold before our eyes.

Before the show even started, it was made clear that this wasn’t just an album release party - it was a movement. Within the basement space, a team of friends and volunteers helped to reimagine our own Pacific backyard inside Celebrities - trees, ferns, and moss decorated across the floor and ceiling and projections of our PNW danced over the backdrop behind the stage. This was all done in effort to support Pacific Wild, a non-profit organization devoted to defending wildlife and their habitat along Canada’s Pacific coast. Halfway through their performance, Mikey came on the mic to remind us all that “without our backyard, without this, there would be no ‘you.’ And without you, there would be no ‘us.’ That is what I M U R is all about.”

I M U R brought their raw energy and signature track looping, taking us all on a ride with vibrating cinematic builds that rose into passionate drops. The whole audience swayed along with Jenny Lea’s reverberating voice, filling space between Amine Bouzaher and Mikey J Blige who traded captivating solos back and forth. The trio treated us to a blend of highlights from their new album, fan favourite originals, and a rare rework of Drake’s ‘Blessings’ - all to finish with ‘F F L’, an original that is bound to be stuck in your head for weeks.

Accompanied by A-Ro The Naut, Withinroots, Jodye, and Tails, this was a full-on production pulled together by a team united by a movement. Thank you to everyone who helped make this night what it was.