Montréal-based duo Beast formed in 2008, after multi-instrumentalist/producer Jean-Phi Goncalves (Lauryn Hill, Ariane Moffat) requested help from local chanteuse Béatrice Bonifassi (DJ Champion, The Triplettes of Belleville) to lay down some vocals on a few tracks. The two hit if off and improvised various cinematic influenced trip-hop numbers, with Bonifassi's powerful vocals complementing Goncalves' grimy beats. After playing just a handful of shows, the pair was already being hailed as the year's most promising Canadian music act. That same year, Beast released their self-titled debut album to enthusiastic reviews worldwide, and continuously performed to sell-out crowds all over the globe, with bassist Jonathan Dauphinais and guitarist Serge Nakauchi-Pelletier joining them onstage.