Montreal saxophonist Colin Stetson is set to release a new album, New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light, on April 29 via Constellation – download ‘High Above A Grey Green Sea’ from the album below:
The album will be the follow-up to New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges, one of our favourite albums of 2011, and the final in a trilogy of solo albums.
‘High Above A Green Sea’ forms a good example of Stetson’s supremely well-honed proficiency in a number of techniques – circular breathing, rhythms played on the sax’s keys, singing through the reads – as well as further making the instrument an all-encompassing tool: here, a haunting lilt of a vocal rides over the simple, rapid repetition of a tapped-key and bass rhythm, all coming out of one saxophone mic’d from various angles and recorded, as usual, in one live take.
Aside from Stetson, the sole overdubs on the LP are vocals from Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, Stetson’s bandmate for the last two years.
Watch this space for more on the new album; in the meantime, have a watch of Stetson performing for La Blogotheque below:
