When Death From Above 1979 called it quits back in 2006, many a scenester mourned the loss of the propulsive Toronto drum 'n' bass duo. In many ways, the band's death was untimely; DFA79 had only put out one official record - 2004's explosive You're a Woman, I'm a Machine - and the hype surrounding Sebastien Grainger (drums/vocals) and Jesse F. Keeler (bass/synth/backup vocals) was just starting to heat up on a global scale.

But not everyone was upset about the split. For Grainger, 29, DFA79's death was his rebirth. Unlike Keeler, who wasted no time getting back into the spotlight with his massively popular electronica project MSTRKRFT, Grainger took the opportunity to do some serious soul-searching.

"Basically, it was just the process of starting over, learning what being a good songwriter is, learning what being a good boyfriend, neighbour and friend is," he says, over the phone from his home in Toronto. "It was about rebuilding a life and a career."

That's a variation of a quote he's used a few times in recent press, but you can't blame him for reiterating the point. After all, Grainger isn't the same guy he was when he was in DFA79 - and the fruits of his personal growth can be found on his new (mostly) solo outing, Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains. Rather than simply "contributing to a greater esthetic" as he did in his former band, Grainger has created a record that is wholly his own.

"When you get into music and art, you have a certain amount of control," he says. "In the old band, I felt like I didn't have that. When it gets to that point, you have to check yourself and ask yourself if you're happy. I wasn't happy."

Giant Studio, the recording digs Grainger built with Metric guitarist Jimmy Shaw, played an important role in allowing him to regain that creative control. Having a space at his disposal meant he could work whenever the mood struck, experiment with sounds and techniques, and, most importantly, take the time to forge a new identity as a solo artist. 

"When we recorded with Death From Above, it was a new concept for us, recording in a full-on studio," he says. "I took a back seat with the technical stuff and just considered myself a performer and writer.

"This time around, I was thrust into doing those (technical) things. Once I got the hang of it, it became a solo project. I kind of reverted to how I'd been working since I was a teenager: trial and error. If I had to pay for studio time, I think it would have been very different."

Released in October, Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains is a multi-layered and sonically complex record, one full of brilliant, pure-pop moments and interesting, carefully orchestrated arrangements. Don't expect an experimental noise record - these songs are soaring indie rock anthems, punctuated with dirty bass lines, big choruses and squiggly synths.

Still, while the record is regarded as a solo project, it wasn't exactly a one-man show. Grainger had help from The Mountains - bassist Nick Sewell (formerly of The Illuminati), guitarist/keyboardist Andrew Scott and drummer Leon Taheny - who acted as session players on the album and now serve as Grainger's live backing band. Initially, Grainger wanted to include The Mountains in the writing phase of the record but ultimately, he felt it was something he needed to take care of on his own. 

"I wanted to make a band record, but to record with a band you really need to be a band and I wasn't ready to be that democratic yet," Grainger says.

Instead, he made a Sebastien Grainger record - but he's not resting on that personal and creative victory.

"I'm proud of it, but I try not to listen to it that much. I'm more focused on playing the songs live and thinking about what the next move is," he says. "This record's for other people now."

SEBASTIEN GRAINGER
Dec. 15, Burton Cummings Theatre
w/ Metric, The Dears, Tokyo Police Club and Mike Relm as part of Jingle Bell Rock
www.jinglebellrock.ca