O'Hara, Alexis

Ellipsis

Label: &Records Country: Canada

"Seven years after In Abulia, Montrealer O'Hara's first disc of music, Ellipsis is a worthy return to a medium that strongly informs the conceptual art and spoken word that are her main callings. She likewise draws on those disciplines in her use of the human voice, both as a raw sound source and as a multilingual message system, and in her carefully harnessed intentions. Dodging pitfalls of pretension, she and her gathering of Mile End musical guests strike the right balance of detachment and vulnerability across these curious yet comfortable tunes."-Montreal Mirror

"Alexis OÕHara is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice exploits allegories of the human voice via electronic improvisation, video and installation. In 2003, she began an exploration of interactive documentary performance with the project Subject to Change, followed by The Sorrow Sponge, both projects involve wearable electronics and direct interaction with her audience. Her eclectic performances have been presented in a variety of contexts, from spoken word to live art festivals, new music symposiums to Òwomen & technologyÓ events in Slovenia, Austria, Mexico, Germany, Spain, The United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Belgium and across Canada and the US. Squeeeeque, her sound installation tours Germany, France and Holland in 2010. Ellipsis is her second full-length CD, after 2002Õs In Abulia (Grenadine Records) and the mini-CDrs Music for Breakups, Suck Machine, Dew Op and Trout vs. Eagle. Alexis and her alter-ego, Guizo La Nuit, are mainstays of MontrŽalÕs cabaret scene."-Dame