Ambiances Magnetiques is most well-known for its Montreal experimental music record label. However, it also has a distinct artists’ collective that preceded it. This group of musicians is responsible for the creation of what is now called the Montreal experimental music scene. It all began in 1982, when Rene Lussier, guitarist, and Jean Derome (saxophonist/flutist), presented a few duo concerts at Montreal’s Ambiances Magnetiques. This translated to “Magnetic Atmospheres”. They formed a partnership with Andre Duchesne, guitarist, and Robert Marcel Lepage, clarinetist, to launch Ambiances Magnetiques, a label that would release their records. The label was managed by the members of the collective and had occasional guests. This arrangement continued until the late ’90s when the label began to expand its horizons. The group was expanded to include Joane Héti, Diane Labrosse and Danielle P. Roger in 1986. These three hardworking musicians performed together in avant-pop girl bands (Wondeur Brass, Justine). Hetu would soon take over the label. In 1988, Michel F. Cote, a radio DJ, was enlisted. Finally, Martin Tetreault, a turntablist/record manipulationist, was officially enlisted in the mid-’90s. Hetu was accidentally overheard in his neighborhood, Andre Duchesne in the late ’80s. Only a few performances were made by the collective as a group. This event was documented on the 1992 CD Une Theorie des Ensembles. They function more as a collective of musicians and cooperatives, and have created their own underground network to support experimental music. The record label is included, as well as Distributions Ambiances Magnetiques Etc. (DAME), a distributor outlet and production companies like Productions SuperMeme which organizes concerts and other events in Montreal. The label had 90 titles and Ambiances Magnetiques members were keystones of the development of high-quality music in Canada by the end 2000. Allmusic
