Ece Canlı's sophomore solo album Sacrosun is a non-linear series of maximalist meditations on interstellar anxieties. The composer, vocalist and researcher draws on her diverse artistic and academic backgrounds to craft an immersive sonic landscape that expands beyond the terrestrial limitations of her acclaimed 2020 debut Vox Flora, Vox Fauna. Where her first album dug into tellurian imaginaries inspired by the sonic variety of earthly creatures, Sacrosun expands this audio-vision out into a cosmic and subterranean panorama, insisting on a much more extensive verticality. The result is a deeply personal sound-world that Canlı writes, performs, and produces herself, which doubles as a musical tract motivated by the literature, philosophy and cinematic images of a pluralized cosmism.
Canlı's 2021 post-pandemic performance at Porto's Rampa Associação Cultural, Anabiosis: dream in technicolor, served as the initial diagram for the protracted circuits that etched their way onto the sound designs of Sacrosun. The album is a captivating assemblage that weaves together extended vocal techniques, dynamic textures, and pulsating bass lines, all harmoniously orbiting a shared cosmic core.
Sacrosun begins its journey with the atmospheric track 'Gorge,' where glockenspiel melodies echo like the unsettling scores of a classic horror film. The gurgling, pulsating sounds craft a nightmarish realm that ensnares listeners in a web of suspense and dread. Canlı's voice emerges in 'Holy String,' weaving a chilling, dark tapestry that showcases her intricate vocal artistry. 'Orbitrary' shifts the mood to a more introspective soundscape, delving into deeper emotional currents while introducing captivating guitar lines to enrich the experience. An unceasing pulse anchors the voice and synth textures of 'Pandemonia'. The first half then gracefully concludes with the babbles and synth-arpeggiated freak outs of 'Us Is Dust,' fading out with a suggestive b e e p.
'Dream in Technicolor' marks the dawn of the album's second act, where the narrative of S A C R O S U N unfolds with greater clarity. 'Kome' further immerses listeners in a cinematic soundscape, intricately woven from vocal and rhythmic elements. Meanwhile, 'Lapsis' offers a serene ambient experience, primarily crafted from guitar and synth layers. The concluding piece, 'Persistence of the Circle,' serves as a powerful farewell, heralding the Sun's descent with a climactic finish that invites you to experience the album all over again. Fans of Ece Canli's avant-garde approach can expect the new album to further cement her status as an artist exploring the boundaries of contemporary vocal and experimental music.