Ben Frey

Here’s my contribution to the 2026 Spring Art show, Digital Ecologies. It’s a set of three murals posted on the side of Mahon Hall, with an augmented layer. It’s been fun witnessing viewers discover the animations, as on first glance, they just simply seem like standard murals. The set is called “Night and Morning in my Shadow”, a line that I borrowed from Bryan Ferry’s track “The Chosen One”. It’s all about the weight of nostalgia. The wild growth distorts memory over time, and those fleeting moments of pleasure and pain that linger in memory may not have ever been exactly how you perceive them. It was a hard but fun project, and I’m happy with how it turned out. A big thanks to @katigburgers for inviting me to take part in a truly inspiring showcase of Gulf Island interactive artists, @saltspringarts for hosting, and to @littlebrette for the added support. Materials used: latex on panel, @artiviveapp AR software, @gaxos_labs Art Gen AI for help with the animations.

Toronto’s @jane_inc_ returns to Salt Spring Island, promoting her new highly acclaimed album “A RUPTURE A CANYON A BIRTH” with Vancouver’s @devours.ufo and @somethin.else.djs on Saturday March 14 at The Legion Br 92! Tickets are on sale at Eventbrite and at the door. — Jane Inc. is the solo moniker of Carlyn Bezic, forged after years spent building bona fides in the Toronto music scene with groups like U.S. Girls, Darlene Shrugg and dance-pop duo Ice Cream. Pitchfork has described her as “an all-seeing art-pop auteur equally enamored with electro-disco and bossa nova, like a DIY Madonna who never left the Danceteria” and “a musical Swiss Army knife, capable of anything and revelling in her multiplicity.” 2022’s Faster Than I Can Take was featured in SPIN, FADER, Pitchfork, Bandcamp Daily, and Stereogum, and described in TIME Magazine as “a gripping trip to pop’s frontier”. Stereogum described 2025’s A RUPTURE A CANYON A BIRTH as “both extremely fun and nakedly emotional” with Pitchfork adding “Bezic’s glassy vocals seem braced for uncertain adventure, poised between melancholy and euphoria”.In her live show Bezic takes the conceptual edges of her work and pushes them with a physical abandon and “incredible presence, keeping the audience rapt even when she was just dancing hypnotically”. — Devours is a queer, DIY electropunk/synth-pop musician and producer known for confessional, high-energy music exploring masculinity, body image, and queer existence. The Vancouver pop iconoclast’s fifth album, Sports Car Era, is an ode to the male midlife crisis.

A Friendly Wave Radio is here! Every Tuesday evening at 7:00 PM, tune into our show on 107.9 FM or 102.1 FM (online at CHIR.fm), with a different host from the AFW community. This week, @benjfrey covers the hour with an eclectic mix of new wave, dub and trip hop revivalism.

Fortunato Durutti Marinetti @the_freakers_ball returns to Vancouver for his show there in what seems like YEARS, with his new LP in hand, “Bitter Sweet Sweet Bitter”. Saturday November 29 at @the_lido New Romantics-synth lords @drama.queen.band are set to ferry over from their southern gulf island to go crazy too. Show starts EARLY (7:00 PM) but is also FREE. Get there in time or miss out. Stick around after for @bc_hydra dance/hair whipping party

@t3al_4real brings their lush, downtempo trip hop to Salt Spring for the very first time on Saturday August 30th! The family-based trio features local legend Ashleigh Ball, delivering euphoric textures and hypnotic grooves. In its continued endeavour to connect nature and technology, Groundwaves is excited to welcome Teal to @saltypear.ca . Teal is a newly formed trio blending dub, neo-soul, ambient, and downtempo influences. The group is made up of family members Ashleigh Ball (Hey Ocean – Victoria, BC), Melissa Ball (Y’KNOW & UH HUH – Toronto, ON), and N1_SOUND (Spiritual World, Y’KNOW & UH HUH). With special guest @grahamvanpelt

We have released an album, our first album “The Death of a Romantic”! You can find it on all the streaming platforms, limited addition vinyl on Bandcamp, and (soon) in the shops. We hope that you enjoy! Thanks for all of the love and support so far, buddies ♥️ We couldn’t have done it without our spiritual advisor @darylchonka who recorded and mixed at Old Growth Studios. Additional players: @knit_talia - guest vox @simonmillerdmuse - trumpet Iain Duncan - saxophone Matt Robertson - drum loop Mastered by @noahmintzmastering at Laquer Channel Mixing ⚰️🥀

We made a record, it’s our first one and it’s called “the Death of a Romantic”, and we want to throw down! On Friday July 4 come out to Blackburn Garage (570 Blackburn Rd, SSI) for our release party with extra special guests synth-pop aficionado @avromusic and DJ sets by @grahamvanpelt . Doors 7:00 PM, Tix $20 advance (link in bio), $25 at the door 🪦🌹🥀🪦 Big thanks to @darylchonka for helping us create this record

How often do we dedicate time to listen to an album from front to back without any distraction or interruption? It’s not as often as we wish. As part of @a.friendly.wave ’s objective to foster connections through music, we have been offering Deep Listenjng Sessions at @cassettecafebar on Salt Spring Island. This Sunday June 1st from 3:00 - 5:00 PM, I’ll be presenting two album behemoths “Aja” by Steely Dan and “Talking Book” by Stevie Wonder. These recordings are celebrated for their high level of production, and we felt that actively listening to them on a Hifi system will enhance the quality of the recordings even further. There are plenty of amazing presenters and DJs this weekend at AFW Week 2. Please check out the rest of the schedule (or scoop up at ticket to the Pacific Coliseum/DJ Dampfnudel Saturday dance party) at afriendlywave.com

We’re excited to put our first-ever single “Don’t Love You Back” out into the wild for the world to hear. It would also be remiss of us not to mention that this track will also appear on our debut LP “a Death of a Romantic”, released by Love Genie Records on June 20, 2025, on vinyl, CD and streaming. Finally! DLYB was recorded and mixed by @darylchonka at Old Growth Studios, spring/summer 2024, and mastered by @noahmintzmastering at @lacquerchannel Drum loop is courtesy of Matt Robertson. We love performing DLYB live and will be playing it during the big number of shows happening around Pacific Northwest this summer. Link to streaming is in the bio. Thanks for the listen! Spread the word, our queens! ♥️ Knick, PV, Harley & Ben

"Don't Love You Back". Here it is buddies! Our first single. Out on May 1st on all platforms. This is the first release from our upcoming album "the Death of a Romantic" Out June 20th! More tracks coming soon :). Video clip from "The Red Shoes" #dramaqueen #synthpop #newwave #stadiumbutt #theredshoes

Proud to share my part in the rebranding of @truelovepizza.ssi , officially unveiled as they OFFICIALLY open their restaurant today (Apr 25 2025) in Grace Point Square, Ganges, SSI 🍾 Congratulations Jenessa and John for such a great achievement! TLP was looking for a modern and minimalist approach to their rebrand, with a big focus on illustration in order to add a character element for storytelling. Playful, imaginative, and clean were the lead words that I envisioned for the brand. I’m excited to spend many pizza dinners at the new space, and I wish the TLP family all the best in this new exciting chapter 🍕🍅💘

It's been 10 years so we're having a party. This one is outdoors in the sunshine on beautiful Saltspring Island, so bring your kids and enjoy live performances by @krsevenfive , @midi_janitor , @alexandreklinke , @lorrirae_ , and @sssseeeeeaaaannn . Tickets are available now from Eventbrite (link in bio). Huge thanks to @benjfrey and @groundwaves.ssi for organizing this event, @saltypear.ca for hosting, and @asundayinaugust for bringing the wine! HOTHAM SOUND RECORDINGS: RESONANCE BENEATH THE MAPLE TREE Saturday, June 21 · 4 - 7:30pm PDT Salty Pear Studio Gallery, B&B and Sauna 279 Rainbow Road Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 2M3 In its continued endeavour to connect nature and technology, Groundwaves is excited to welcome the ambient electronic label Hotham Sound Recordings to the Salty Pear on Salt Spring Island. This unique concert experience celebrating Hotham Sound's 10th anniversary, underneath the canopy of a maple tree, features artists KR75, Midi Janitor, Playback Head, Dove Magic, and Sean Evans. The event will occur on the grounds at the Salty Pear. Guests are invited to join us at 4:00 pm for a wine bar pop-up serving A Sunday In August will be on site. The show begins a short walk away, under the large maple tree at 5:00 pm, with 20 - 25 minute showcase sets by the Hotham Sound label artists. We encourage guests to bring a blanket and a jacket to sit on in case of a colder June solstice. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door (cash only). Kids under 16 attend for free. If you would like to attend but can't swing it financially, please email us at [email protected] We're grateful to collaborate, create, and present on the shared, stolen, unceded, ancestral and traditional territories of Penelakut, Lamalcha, Hwitslum and other Hul’qumi’num speaking peoples, as well as the unceded territories of Tsawwassen First Nation, on what is now known as Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.