By: Hailey Miller, Staff Writer
Vancouver-based interdisciplinary artist Ruby Singh released his debut album, Vox.Infold, in January 2022. The sequel album, Vox.Infold II, is set to grace the ears of the public on November 29. In preparation for this, I had the pleasure of seasoning my ears to the sweet a cappella tastings of Singh’s first record.
Vox.Infold showcases “the sheer force of collective vocalization in a musical exploration that intertwines the past, present, and future.” Singh mixes South Asian, Black, and Indigenous elements of throat singing among the 11 featured tracks. Many of these songs include a sonic tranquility of rhythms that sway back and forth like a pendulum. It’s as though each song on the record builds upon the next. From start to finish, the album is a visceral experience that lets listeners immerse themselves in what I can only describe as escapism within sound. Every song off Vox.Infold resonates in a tangible yet trance-like state, as if having an out-of-body experience — in the best way.
Aside from Singh’s vast compositional background, lyrically, the album “explores the gateways on either side of life with songs that welcome incoming souls, mark our time on this earthly plane and honour the outgoing spirits.”
My favourite song off the record is “Soar | Sore” because of its layered vocalizations piled on top of one another as the whispering vocal resonances and lyrics combine seamlessly. The musical tension surmounts to a climactic a cappella resolution around the 05:35 minute mark where the harmonies merge, complementing the textures of sound and emotion.
“Allium Redux” showcases throat singing. The track steeps in emotion and urgency, paired with a heavy-hitting rhythm to keep the beat steady as you’re transported through a portal of empowerment. With the swaying and wavering vocal melodies like leaves rustling in the wind, this track is sure to get stuck in your head. Strategically, it’s sequenced as the second-to-last track on the album. I’d consider this a power move for Singh as listeners near the end of the sonically serene journey float throughout the record.
The Vox.Infold collection is not the only hypnotic piece of artwork that Singh has produced. Diving deep into the roots of nature, literally speaking, Singh has experimented with bio-sonification. This is a process that brings plants into music-making by “placing pic-up mics, transducers, [and] bone conductors onto surfaces, inside molds, buried in soil.” Singh’s tests with this process have been conducted with mushrooms, something influenced by “developing an appreciation for the natural world.”
Singh will be conducting an experimental performance called “Future Mythologies” at IndieFest on November 23. Here, he will “translate global water data into rich, immersive compositions of music, dance, poetry, and projections.” On the album’s release day, November 29, Singh will also be performing at Vancouver’s Lobe Studio. Lobe is the first spatial sound studio in North America that operates with a 4D sound audio system. Many students in the SFU music and sound program are granted the opportunity for artist residencies at the studio. Here, we’re able to expand our horizons in the world of soundscapes and audio, as we start our careers while still studying. Singh’s performance is surely not to be missed and will bring about a full house of audience members and students alike, as he takes the stage and releases Vox.Infold II as music to our ears, evoking a palpable experience.
Catch Singh’s “Future Mythologies” on November 23, or check out his album launch on November 29. Tickets to “Future Mythologies” are going for $21.68 on showpass.com, and tickets to the Vox.Infold II album launch are $16.61 and can be purchased at eventbrite.ca.
