A Primitive Evolution | |
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A Primitive Evolution in 2011
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Background information | |
Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Genres | Alternative rock, Death Rock |
Years active | 2007–present |
Labels | None |
Associated acts | The Birthday Massacre, Lye, Aphasia |
Website | www.aprimitiveevolution.com |
Members | Brett Carruthers Scott Carruthers Stephany Seki Stu Dead |
Past members | Dimitri Anastasakis Rhim |
A Primitive Evolution (often identified using the abbreviation A.P.E.) is an alternative rock band based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Formed in the fall of 2007 out of band Lye (and before that Aphasia), vocalist Brett Carruthers and bassist Stephany Seki began jamming with drummer Stu Dead, founder of Playdead Cult, a clothing brand and creative lifestyle house located in Toronto. Playdead’s involvement in horror culture lead to inviting the owner of Darkside horror shop’s Dimitri Anastasakis to jam along on guitar. With this line up, they first publicly performed for Toronto’s Queen Street Fire fundraiser alongside Billy Talent and The Creepshow.
In 2007, The band self-produced the video for "Death on Wheels" alongside Frankenstein cheerleaders as part of the 2007 L'Oréal Fashion Week, which was voiced by Martin Streek. "Death on Wheels" would initiate, The Death Girls, cheerleaders and super-fans that dance and sing at A.P.E events, sometimes by joining the band on stage. Notable Death Girls include models from the adult website Suicide Girls. A Primitive Evolution would later appear on the adult news channel, Naked News. "Death on Wheels" was also featured on Alan Cross's "Five Songs You Gotta Hear Today".
In 2008, A Primitive Evolution played a Canadian Music Week showcase at The Bovine Sex Club. In 2008 the band continued writing and recording their debut album and worked on another music video for the song "Beyond True". In May they posted a demo for the song "Empty Holes", which would later also have a corresponding music video. Brett said in a 2010 interview that during these early years the band worked "just writing and figuring each other out".
In the spring of 2009 the group founded the music festival VIVA LOS MUERTOS (2009 line-up featuring The Birthday Massacre, for whom Brett had performed live keyboards for during their Fall 2004 tour). The festival included "Major merch sales, dancing Playdead mascots and an eclectic long-weekend crowd that collectively offered plenty for the live eye”. The festival had an "overwhelmingly good response", according to the band, hoping to further secure the creation and maintenance of a dynamic "Death Rock" scene in Toronto. Playdead Cult's "Moop", would continue to be the band's mascot and can be seen dancing on stage during the band's live performances.