Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker
USS came together in Toronto in 2007.
“It’s not the content. It’s the model” says singer/songwriter/producer/arranger Ash Boo-Schultz who, along with DJ and hype man Human Kebab make up Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker (USS). It’s a philosophy that Ash lives by and one that drives USS’ unique style. The music is a tremendous amalgamation of every genre Ash has ever immersed himself in, sewn together with a folk singers gentle hand. There are the nuances of pop, driving danceable beats, ska, classical symphony and hip hop nestled beneath a voice evocative of Cobain’s tortured wail. The lyrics are clear and poetic, smoothly skating between themes of mental stability and metaphysical realities to love and the importance of being emotionally responsible to one’s self. The overall result is a kind of star gazing pop step -intrinsically uplifting and incredibly raw. Ash has an ability to take what exists around him, what he has learned through experience and what he hears and sees, and combine them in unexpected ways resulting in a new experience completely separate and distinct yet wildly familiar.
Welding the C:/ was conceived while Ash worked in a factory. His hands occupied by repetitious factory line work Ash listened to books on tape- philosophy and metaphysics, Neil Young, drum n bass, Monty Python, classical symphony, 50’s pop and hip hop and imagined an album. It is an illustrative example of Ash’s ability to think outside the box to create without confine- to take what has been given to him and make it work. The live show incorporates this same methodology. Accompanied by DJ and hype man extraordinaire Human Kebab, the live USS show is equal parts hip hop show, alternative rock concert, drum n bass rave and inspirational seminar. Watching USS live is an experience unto itself. There is something about it that reminds you of going to concerts as a kid. There is a kind of wholesome, wide-eyed enthusiasm, an interaction between audience and performer and an unabashed camp that brings you back to a time when being cool was about having fun and puppet shows were a necessary part of a concert.
After years of struggle and personal issues, this Toronto based singer songwriter is finally living the life he imagined he could have. Ash’s personal history reads like a paperback- drug addiction, mental illness, hospitalization and redemption through music. Instead of brandishing his troubled past like a badge of cool, Ash has chosen to use it to inspire young people. Without seeming the slightest bit afternoon special, Ash goes to high schools and talks to students about his life and how he has learned to manage and cope with depression and anxiety in a positive and healthy way. His talk is frank and informative and his sincerity is moving. He appears to be just what he is: a humble, hardworking roofer who just happens to have a world of experience behind him, a gift for writing beautiful, simple songs and a flair for performance.
In a time of ultra choreographed, perfectly made up and vacant pop stars USS is a welcome alternative: a raw talent, disarmingly sincere, thoughtful, self aware and without pretense. USS has set up a new model- where a live show is inspiring, entertaining and compelling and the artists are human beings.
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