Joane Hetu - Elle A Son Mot A Dire [Ambiances Magnetiques 282]

Put out on the circuit via the long standing Avantgarde imprint that is Ambiances Magnetiques on June 27th, 2k25 is Joane Hetu's "Elle A Son Mot A Dire", a new album by the widely recognized Quebec-based saxophonist and vocalist turned composer which has been recorded in collaboration with Ensemble Supermusique of and in which Hetu has played a pivotal part ever since it came to life back in 1998. The album, presenting a total of 13 pieces both new and revisited over the course of approx. 52 minutes, engages in haunted, tentative and truly ethereal Ambient x Deep Listening Music with the opening piece "Elle N'a Pas De Mot" before the subsequent "Mot Ella A" brings forth a powerful and absolutely captivating vocal performance by Sarah Albu who is backed by stripped down and slightly ritualistic percussions surely about to resonate with an audience still fond of mid-90s Björk for a reason or two. Furthermore pieces like "Un Ideal" cater super minimalist rhythm signatures topped by ever thickening repetitive vocal layers whereas the intro sequence of "Avoir Le Motton" evokes faint memories of EthioJazz, "Vivante" serves slightly Industrial-infused Avantgarde x Leftfield Pop based on a captivating, intense Spoken Word performance, "Lumiere" enters a grey area between dreamstate and nocturnal unrest with its fluttering vocals and electronic swells whereas "Elle A Dit Oui" ventures off into multi-layered quasi-acappella vocal madness and therefore might be the most suitable score piece for an highly absurd theatrical stage performance, and probably our favorite cut on this album, just to name a few. Quite an interesting a diverse journey, this. Go check!

Album artwork on Instagram!