Ian William Craig // A Turn Of Breath 2xLP

Canadian ambient writer Ian William Craig released a two-disc record on Recital in the United States in 2018.

Contains 12 neo-classical ambient songs with voice and open reel as the main source.

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Text by Recital:

"Recital here presents the premiere LP by vocalist Ian William Craig (b. 1980, Edmonton). Ian, a trained opera singer, delivers an elegant balance between theatrical and ambient sentiments. A Turn of Breath combines the essence of a choral LP from Angel Records or Deutsche Grammophon with the spontaneity of experimental home-recording.

This collection holds twelve works for voice and 1/4 ″ tape, recorded from 2011-2013. Voice appears as the Sun's light through a vast storm; still obscured by tape malfunctions and manipulations. A system of reel to reels is employed, which yields Each iteration crumbles as more harmony is placed on top, residual tones spilling off the sides into nothingness.

Craig's innate ability to sing beautiful, sorrowful melodies carries each track. The pieces on A Turn of Breath vary from grand choral meditations to quiet interludes, and even a few impressionistic'songs' accompanied by faint acoustic guitar. An overarching warmth resonates through each side A suitable compliment to a pot of coffee in the morning or a glass of armagnac in the evening. "

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Remarks from Ian William Craig on A Turn of Breath (from June 2018):

"The other day I was wandering around the campus of UBC where I work, and found myself randomly (perhaps drawn by this rerelease) back around the building where once my old studio was, both printmaking- and sound-wise. I confess now (enough) time has surely passed?) That the latter activity was entirely underhanded, and that most of A Turn of Breath was a clandestine affair against all manner of UBC policy – ​​though looking back I probably didn't do as good a job obscuring one set of anachronistic technology amongst the other as I'd thought (if they are reading, thanks to my supervisors for turning a graciously blind eye). The building where A Turn of Breath was recorded was an old converted hospital from the Second World War, made of It was a study of contrast: we found ourselves nestled in with virology, marine biology and psychology. We printmakers, institutional greens and long enfilades into which we squirrelled our printing presses while waiting for our new studio to be constructed.covered constantly in facemasks and litho ink, would encounter pipette-wielding lab-coated scientists outside of sealed viral reliquaries. I have no doubt the psychology department, quietly observing the whole thing, revelled in these daily clashes. At the time too, I had Just become the printmaking technician there; a massive change in my life. Transitions and texture everywhere! It hadn't donned on me before wandering there again, but A Turn of Breath was in this regard a record made entirely in and of transition, recorded in the interstices between studios, between time, between situations, between permissibility, between thinking I knew what I was doing and the jubilant chaos that holds us all. It was also culled from many different sources and intentions, starting life out as an entirely different released record. It has transformed many times, transforming here again, and will likely continue to. It pretty much * is * transformation. Now that I've had some time to reflect on it, I think more than anything else A Turn of Breath must then be my love letter to change, a means for me to revel in becoming as a perpetual and nourishing thing. It certainly helped during that chaotic time. I am grateful beyond measure that the nature of And, of course, that the neighbors in that old building didn't seem to mind the many blurred rackets on into the night. "

Artist: Ian William Craig

Label: Recital