A series of artists collaborating can be a disaster or a beautiful thing. For Vancouver's Volumizer, the result was very pleasing to fans and critics alike. The group formed in 2000 from a variety of different art forms, both musical and visual. Guitarist Bill Napier-Hemy, formerly of Canadian punk rock legends Pointed Sticks, teamed up with a local group of musicians and artists who had created "buzz-saw punk rock." In March 2002, Volumizer released their debut album, Gaga for Gigi, on Mint Records. The band became a favorite in the Vancouver live music scene, but Gaga for Gigi would be their only studio album. Rodney Graham, a celebrated visual artist who was part of the Vancouver new wave group U-J3RK5 in the '80s and later performed in Volumizer, died on October 22, 2022, at the age of 73.