Joel Klaverkamp has been creating loopy electronic music for some time. During the pandemic, he participated in Natalie Bohrn's Song Every Week workshop. At some point, he decided to toss seven of his off-kilter pieces over to some of the folks he met through that workshop and see how they might populate his musings with lyrics and vocals.

Cookie Delicious Collaborations (self-released)

And so we get something of a Winnipeg supergroup (or, at least, a collection of collaborations from some of Winnipeg's musical veterans). Each song has Klaverkamp's non-linear beats and melodies combined with a different singer/lyricist.

Perhaps surprisingly, the music (which is consistently upbeat, bright and goofy) comes off very differently depending on who is doing the singing (or vocal work, as some of Klaverkamp's collaborators are as creative and eclectic as he is). So the pieces might be funky pop, EDM or something straight out of 1983.

Yes, the intellectual exercise of examining each song through the lens of the collaborator in question is a whale load of fun, at least for a geek like me. But just as fulfilling is simply listening as these warped warbles trip out of the speakers. Sometimes when you free your art to interact with others, it will return with a pile of interest on the principal. Come for the fun, stay for the backstory. One of the most fascinating sets I've heard this year.

Jon Worley