Launched in late June 2002, the eccentric and eclectic imprint Rat-drifting began by documenting the activities of what was then a rather hermetic enclave of players within Toronto’s larger musical community. Throughout its initial decade-long stint, its coterie of musicians expanded alongside both its visibility and its discography, the latter of which came to encompass quite a wide stylistic breadth (at least on paper)—everything from modern composition to rough-hewn folk songs, and from reimagined jazz standards to near-subliminal abstraction. However, no matter which direction a given group or album on Rat-drifting appeared to be heading, its cast of close-knit players always steered things away from the familiar, and onto a circuitous, inscrutable trajectory. This remains true with the new crop of releases slated for release July 16th 2021.

When the label halted activities in late 2011, public enthusiasm for its output had reached its peak, yet co-founder Eric Chenaux’s move fromToronto to Paris posed a challenge to maintaining things. In recent months, however, Rat-drifting has decided to resume operations. Not only does this entail the three new releases pictured above, it also means the re-release of their entire back-catalogue on Bandcamp—including two items that had never been made available on their former site. There’s the Guayaveras’ (Chenaux and Ryan Driver on “thumb reeds”) wayward busking record In The Market…and the imprint’s final release, The Natural Playmate by Nightjars, another duo featuring Chenaux and banjo player Jason Benoit.

Explore the complete Rat-Drifting discography
rat-drifting.com