GO WITH THE FLOE: TANYA TAGAQ’S POLAR SCORE TOOTHSAYER OUT NOW.
Split Tooth audiobook nominated for 2019 Audie Award.
Upcoming performances include London, UK, Rewire Festival and Washington, DC.
Photo Credit: Rebecca Wood
“A three dimensional sonic soundscape that alternates between harsh and lush, barren and fecund.” - Passion of the Weiss
“Full of thrumming echoes not dissimilar to flurries of snow; its pretty eeriness is perfect for the winter.” - Elle, 10 Best Songs of 2019 So Far
“Wordless vocals float over a gently pulsing rhythm and spare piano…By the end, her voice has drifted up into the stratosphere.” - New Sounds
Environmental, historical, futuristic, experimental: Tanya Tagaq’s Toothsayer, out today, conveys the extreme and deadly elements of winter in the High Arctic. From the nightmarish shards of “Icebreaker” to the crystalline delicacy of the title track to the terrifying serenity of “Hypothermia,” Tagaq also describes physiological sensations of snowblindness and fatal exposure to the cold in exquisitely unnerving detail. Toothsayer, a title that to speaks to wisdom and foresight, is also a nod to the knowledge required to survive such harsh conditions.
The EP, made with long-time percussionist Jean Martin and UK experimental electronica artist Ash Koosha, originated as a score for the National Maritime Museum’s permanent Polar Worlds exhibit, which includes the Franklin Expedition. “I’m looking forward to seeing the exhibition,” says Tagaq, who will be in London for a show at Borderline on March 27. “Quite often Indigenous cultures are reduced to primitive culture or glorified in their ‘untouched’ phase, but it’s not often considered as contemporary culture. I was happy to be involved because the exhibit acknowledges our culture in a contemporary sense.”
Album art by Kevin Earl Taylor
TOUR DATES:
KINGSTON, ON: Isabel Bader Theatre, Mar 6, w/ NAC Orchestra
OTTAWA, ON: NAC, Mar 8 w/ NAC Orchestra
LONDON, UK: The Garage, Mar 27
THE HAGUE, NL: Rewire Festival, Mar 29
WASHINGTON, DC: Millennium Stage, April 5
CALGARY, AB: Jack Singer Concert Hall, April 27 w/ Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
SAMUELSBERG, NORWAY: Riddu Riddu, Jul 10-14