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The Residency

PHI North offers musicians the opportunity to produce, explore, experiment, and refine their artistic project.

Selected participants are granted a two-week creative retreat at a riverside lodge in the Laurentian mountains featuring exclusive access to a recording studio with in-house engineer and technical assistance.

Specifically oriented for Quebec-based artists, this residency provides a much needed escape from the everyday in order for participants to completely immerse themselves in their artistry.

The Laureates

PHI Residences PHI Nord Laureates2023 24 Bells Larsen

Bells Larsen

Bells Larsen is a Montreal-based songwriter who weaves cathartic lyrics and memorable melodies in his music. Drawing from experiences of loss, love, and identity, Larsen's pieces speak to his life as a trans, queer person. His folk-inspired sound and ardent lyricism slow the pace of the world around him to create space for contemplation and expression. Traversing between emblematic and actualized narratives, he sees storytelling as a way to make sense of and connect with life’s ordinary and unpredictable moments.

With his newly-baritone voice front and centre, accompanied often only by a guitar, Larsen says: "Contrary to what some might think, the point of my transition isn’t about an arrival at a final destination; I don’t know that such a place exists. The only arrival that makes sense to me is the one where I come home to myself.” Grappling with stories of selfhood, change, and homecoming, "If I Was, I Am" considers the act of finding oneself as a constant state of becoming.

PHI Residences PHI Nord Laureates2023 24 Sliber

Sliber

Sliber, composed of Prince Kouame and Tristan Sendji, was formed two years ago. The group's origin is based on experimentation and the desire to create immersion while expressing the inexpressible through feelings, technology, and sounds.

The result is harmonious and immersive music coming from the symbiosis of different genres. They aim to bring people together from various communities by offering an experience on all levels; sound, visual, and physical.

Follow them on a journey of innovation and experimentation with art. Their trajectory is a guide for those with an atypical path but, above all, for those who find themselves in a space of shared connection.

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Cosmic Cosmic

The collective known as Cosmic Cosmic brings together the talents of Moon Apple, Piu, and MAYSUN. By harnessing their diverse backgrounds and skills, they create a mesmerizing musical experience that spans a spacetime of electronic music, from ethereal ambient compositions to infectious rhythmic dance tracks, all enhanced by lush and captivating vocals.

Moon Apple, an audio engineer and experimental electronic music producer, explores paradoxical phenomena in her music through creative processing and self-made samples. Piu, an Indo-Canadian vocalist, composer, and producer, is known for her genre-bending music, which blends Indian raga, ambient soundscapes and hard-hitting analog synth grooves. MAYSUN, a versatile composer, drummer, and sound artist, is renowned for his ability to create immersive soundscapes.

Together, Cosmic Cosmic strives to strike a delicate balance between the extraordinary and the relatable, creating a unique and universal sound.

PHI Residences PHI Nord Laureates2023 24 Shah Frank

Shah Frank

Made in Haiti, born in Brooklyn and raised in Montreal, Shah Frank brings new life to the city’s R&B music scene with her debut project Stellaria Story. Voted as iHeartRadio’s Futur Star for the month of January, journalist Félix B. Desfossés (Ici Radio-Canada) describes her as “one of the leaders of this movement [in Quebec].” The singer-songwriter’s voice seesaws between raw sounds and falsettos. With a creative audacity reminiscent of Aaliyah’s edginess and TLC’s grit, Shah Frank is more than just music; she’s her own frequency.


Shah Frank’s debut EP Stellaria Story is a modern-day Cinderella story, embodying a unique sonic universe in its genre. A real gem made in Quebec. Shah is now back in the studio, reinventing herself to offer us new music that will be in French. Stay tuned!
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PHI North Residency program sessions planned for 2023-24:

  • Session 1: July 20 — August 4

  • Session 2: September 27 — October 12

  • Session 3: January 24 — February 8

  • Session 4: April 10 — April 25

Important notice: the dates above are approximate and may be subject to change according to the artist's and space’s availability.


Contact

For more information, please contact [email protected]

What Artists are Saying...

“The PHI North Residency is a creative haven where time no longer exists and ideas are awakened.”

Annie-Claude Deschênes
2022 Laureate

"This residency was a turning point. For me, there is a very marked before/after, and this, on several levels. I am happy to have been able to crystallize fragments of this experience in my new project."

Mehdi Bahmad
2022 Laureate

“I salute the initiative of PHI North to create an artistic centre that reflects the needs of today's musicians. Outside the tumults of the city, a new approach to creation was revealed to me, guided by an idyllic and intimate context. An invaluable experience that I will carry with me from now on and whose fruit will never cease to enrich my practice."

Gene Tellem
2022 Laureate

“PHI North is a place where dreams come true. In a space that is so serene, we were able to reflect on and awaken to what is truly important in the recording process - feeling joy in creating, embracing the waves of the musical process, eating well and resting, taking care of our bodies, taking care of each other, connecting with nature, and just simply being together!”

Thanya Iyer
2022 Laureate

Program Details

Musicians and bands, this residency is for you!

This is your chance to produce, explore, experiment, or refine your music project, whether it is in its early, middle or final stages. Get ready to experience a complete two-week immersion in an intimate, quiet and peaceful setting, the golden opportunity to expand your practice.


Selected project will receive:

  • A stay in Live-in creative loft in a stunning retreat setting during one of the planned sessions (valued at $18,000);

  • A stipend of $1,500 CAD for the distribution and diffusion of their video portrait across multiple platforms;

  • Access to recording studio at the heart of nature made available during the residency;

  • Sound engineer and technical support (up to 8 hours per day);

  • Promotional support of the final presentation across PHI networks;

  • Access to PHI’s vast network of collaborators;

  • Production of a video profile for promotional purposes.

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Eligibility Requirements

  • You are a Québec-based musician or band with a professional practice (including emerging artists);

  • You must already have a beginning of career development in Québec or Canada or represent a commercial development potential on this target market;

  • You must have released an album or EP within the last 24 months prior to your submission, or have an upcoming album or EP within the next 3 months;

  • You are looking for focused, uninterrupted time and space to work creatively on a specific project;

  • Groups and collectives of artists are eligible (up to 5 members), the conditions offered remain the same as solo artists.


Selection Process

The selection will be undertaken by a selection committee who reflect a diverse set of expertise and perspectives.

Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • The conceptual and formal rigour of the proposed project (25%);

  • Music and composition (25)%;

  • The need and relevance of the proposed project (25%);

  • The motivation, personality, originality and the additional comments given in your application (25%).

PHI is committed to equity in all its forms.

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FAQ

Do you have any questions? Check out the following FAQ!
For more information, please contact [email protected]

Partners

An initiative by PHI made possible thanks to the support of SiriusXM.


Have any questions?

Contact us!