The Druckfarben story began in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough in the mid 1980s, where guitarist Ed Bernard and drummer Troy Feener began exchanging musical interests in grade 9 art class. Ed introduced Troy to the progressive rock of Yes and Gentle Giant—---and soon the two started playing music together. One day, in the hall of their abandoned factory rehearsal space, the young musicians discovered some black barrels with a strange word stenciled on them.