Mike Shannon has released Cygnus Sutra, his first solo album in 12 years.
Cygnus Sutra was conceived as a soundtrack to an unwritten sci-fi epic, and it sees the Berlin-based Canadian artist exploring some of the deepest, most contemplative musical canyons of his career, borrowing liberally from muted jazz, ambient, and cinematic exotica, we’re told. It features string arrangements from Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s Sophie Trudeau.
BLKRTZ, the label behind the release, describes Cygnus Sutra as Shannon’s “personal magnum opus,” and an” intimate glimpse into the inner musings of one of Canada’s most distinguished electronic music ambassadors.”
Alongside the album announcement, Deadbeat, the BLKRTZ label head, had this to say:
“There are a handful of people within the electronic music scene who occupy these unique positions of being both quietly background, and at the same time utterly essential, bar raising, and era defining. They’re like pillars which are essential to the temple’s structure but hidden unless you go looking for them. I would consider people like the late great Mike Huckaby in Detroit, the late great Andrew Weatherhall in London, and Zip from Perlon in Berlin as great examples of this sentiment, and from a Canadian perspective Mike certainly holds a similar position. These are all people who have forwarded the work of their friends and family and the community at large above any idea of personal reward. They have also all kept their solo outings musically to a minimum and as such when they do allow us a brief glimpse into their most personal musical reflections, it is a true gift and cause for celebration. This album is without a doubt one of those rare moments and it gives me enormous pride to be able to share it with the wider world.”
Shannon released his last solo album, Memory Tree, in 2008 on Plus 8 Records. In 2016, he teamed up with DeWalta for an album as DeWalta & Shannon.
Tracklisting
01. Ambush
02. Blindside
03. Rift (Ethereal Planes)
04. Black Domina
05. Nightmare Theme
06. Shadow Pursuit
07. Flight of the Incal
08. Rise
09. Her Everything
10. Anti-matter Trail
11. Vaults in the Deep
12. Delerium
13. Invision of Hope
Cygnus Sutra LP is available now on BLKRTZ. You can buy it here and stream it in full below.
