SXSW 2012

Montreal-born Jef Barbara's debut LP Contamination stakes his claim as an heir of pop music's golden age. With a wide array of influences, Contamination falls within the tradition of 80s landmarks such as George Michael's Faith, and alternates nods to French New Wave, soft rock, Kosmische Musik, and synth disco. Contamination also sees the glampop poet bridging Canada's two solitudes by crooning in both official languages equally, something that has been done, although not as thoroughly, on his two previous EPs. Contamination is also an ode to pop music's contagious powers - a force to reckon with, especially when armed with catchy hooks, which make up the Barbara's core songwriting asset. Jef Barbara aims to annihilate his genre's conventions, with guerilla-style music videos and live karaoke performances. His debut release is set to be re-issued on Paris-based label Tricatel in March 2012.