Cool Chicks and Other Babes

Merlin Bronques was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 28, 1969, and grew up between Montreal and Aylmer, Quebec, just across the river from Ottawa. As Merlin, he wrote, played and produced his 1993 debut, A Noise Supreme, entirely on his own, mixing hip-hop with aggressive guitar rock. He issued it that summer on his own label, Channel Three Records, with distribution through Cargo, and MCA Canada put out a remastered edition in February 1994. The campaign stayed at street level, with flyers, 12-inch vinyl and a billboard over Sam The Record Man in Toronto. MuchMusic played the video for 'Pusher', and his Canadian Music Week show sold out.

Even while A Noise Supreme was finding its audience, Merlin was playing live with a full band. That band became ma, with Merlin and Jonathan Stein on guitars, Antoine Ashton on bass and Doug Stein on drums, all four singing. The name stood for Merlin's Arcade.

ma recorded Cool Chicks And Other Babes on eight-track and released it on Channel Three in 1995. It swapped the industrial crunch of the debut for compact, radio-ready guitar pop. The Network admitted some disappointment at the turn, heard more bite in 'Alexandra Knows', 'Page 64' and 'The Puking Song', and called the record an accomplished piece of work that could widen his audience. The sleeve thanks stations including CKCU, CHUO and CKDJ in Ottawa, CKUT in Montreal and CFNY in Toronto.

Merlin's Arcade followed in 1996 under his own name, and its single 'The Playboy Interview' picked up MuchMusic play. Bill Kipper, thanked on the ma sleeve, mastered it. The Network had guessed his next move might be heavier, and Viddy Well Little Brother (1997) took him back to industrial music. Milkbar Stereo (2001) was his major-label debut, and he later led the group NAM:LIVE!.

In New York he became known as a nightlife photographer. He launched lastnightsparty.com in 2004 as its only photographer, and Abrams published a book of the work, Where Were You Last Night?, in 2006.

-Robert Williston