Sarah Albu & Gayle Young

According To The Moon

Farpoint, 2023

8/10

Listen to According To The Moon

The Canadian artist Gayle Young is aligned with Sarah Albu, plus many others for a highly diverse body of work that is full of modern, experimental and uniquely textured environments.

The title track begins the listen with distinct wordless vocals amid a mysterious climate that’s quite fascinating in a haunting sort of way, and “Tea Story” follows with manipulated sounds in an abstract, sci-fi fashion that’s oddly blurry.

Further on, the dueling voices of “The State Of Corn” makes for an interesting conversational versus singing exploration, while “Arbretreebaum” unfolds with a curious take on poetry that’s sometimes hushed, other times repetitive and sort of eerie.

The final track, “Ancient Ocean Floor”, brings the sounds of water amid tonal shifting and pretty singing that uses Genevieve Liboiron’s stirring violin subtly but effectively.

A highly inventive listen that embraces electroacoustic ideas, the addition of voices from Reinhard Reitzenstein, Gabriel Dharmoo, Elizabeth Lima and Liboiron, plus EMS snythi from Dean Batute and frequency shifters via William Blakeney only enhance this unclassifiable experience.

Travels well with: Beatings Are In The Body- Beatings Are In The Body; Stranger Still- The Songs Which Are