YlangYlang is the solo project of Catherine Debard - a moniker that has been in development since 2012, as part of her deep-rooted involvement & strong-felt presence in the Montréal music scene. Over a decade of releases & performances has shaped her intimate music into a singular form of expression, crafting introspective songs & experimental soundscapes that range in various styles & influences, from ambient/drone to 90s pop/rock music, field-recordings, noise, improvisation, processed treatments, poetry & spoken-word, retro aesthetics, healing practices...
Her musical output extends far and wide over multiple releases by various international labels - such as Crash Symbols (USA), Phinery (DK), Fluere Tapes (SE) and ΠΑΝΘΕΟΝ (RU); and her performances & collaborative experiments have made her perform & tour extensively through Canada and beyond, featuring in music festivals such as Suoni Per Il Popolo, Mutek Montréal, Electric Eclectics, Strangewaves, Tone Deaf, and a participant in Red Bull Music Academy residency at Calgary's National Music Center, and in a workshop hosted by Suzanne Ciani.
'Cycles & Decay' follows her accomplished 2020 release 'Interplay' on Crash Symbols & NO EXIST; an album that was characterized by orchestration & recording sessions from guest musicians/friends & resulting in a more defining 'jazz' sound and amplified symbiotic warmth. Following a much-needed 'long period of rest' after life events and personal displacement, the creation of Cycles & Decay spans between 2019 & 2021, including a session in Fall 2019 with returning collaborators - Connor Bennett & Evelyn Charlotte Joe.
In her own words, Cycles & Decay "is a reflection about the various phases of death & rebirth I experienced in my life, and observed within nature and loosely throughout History. During that period in time, I felt the need to slow down and linger within the shadowy uncomfortable spaces inside the waning, the decaying, the shedding, the letting-go. Then, later, I started dreaming of decomposed sound matter, of rotten music, compost music, of a music that I would lose control of, that would have its own sets of parameters and rules, all organic, non rational, non linear. These songs are an attempt to play with these ideas."
credits
released May 18, 2021
Composed & Produced by Catherine Debard
Recorded between 'my apartment in Montréal'
& Fort Rose, Hamilton in 2019
Catherine Debard: Piano, Synthesizers, Field Recordings, Noises & Textures, Vocals
Connor Bennett: Saxophone & Effects on Track 2 & 4
Evelyn Charlotte Joe: Acoustic Guitar & Effects on Track 2
Upright Bass & Toy Piano on Track 4
Video for Cedar St. by Charline Daily
Mastered by Amar Lal
Artwork by Catherine Debard
Tape Layout by Jean Néant
supported by 12 fans who also own “Cycles & Decay”
This record is a GEM! Feels like the 80s orchestration, the 90s songwriting and the 2000s experimental practices are blending into what 2020s should sound like. Amazing. 💜 nicolas bernier