Primes

Primes are a Canadian electronic duo made up of Jack Duckworth and Tanya Pea. Active since 2004, the group is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and later relocates to London, England. Their music draws on drone, ambient, punk and electronica, with a sound described as combining techno-punk, post-punk and experimental electronic elements.

Background

Tanya Pea works across visual environments and sonic performance, including her work as Isis, where she makes music and visual installations at raves alongside artists such as Autechre and Orbital. She also releases solo material under the name bleeps + beats. Jack Duckworth, also known as JJD, brings a post-punk background from his time in the Vancouver bands Radio Berlin and A Luna Red.

Related work and collaborations

Outside Primes, Duckworth and Pea work together as The Wax Museum, creating graphics and new media for artists worldwide. Primes also work with other producers and engineers on their recordings, including Loud Chris Demarcus, Ricardo Almeida and Erik West.

Recordings and live activity

The group records and produces its own material. One 11-track release, Facades and Pink Forms, presents their genre-crossing approach and includes upbeat programming and occasional vocal lines. Primes perform at the New Forms Festival and tour Eastern Canada and the United States in support of the release.

Style

The group’s music is marked by jagged rhythms, off-kilter textures and a futuristic industrial tone. It is noted for its use of cutting-edge technology and for a sound that sits between techno, punk and electronic music.