2. The Bulgarian State Radio & Television Female Vocal ChoirLe Mystère des voix bulgares, Volume 2

I also came across this record via my family. My granny would have Classic FM on every day. She sang in choirs and performed at the Royal Albert Hall. I would be excited to go watch my granny perform so my mum started to introduce me to other types of choirs. I know it’s quite a commercial record now, but when I heard it I was a child. I was fascinated by the sound of the voices, I found it really overwhelming. It connects me back to my granny, it seeded my love for choir, and choir music has followed me through my life. It continues to influence my work.

tQ: And you have even incorporated your own vocals into your latest record…

Yes, I have used my own voice to create my own choir for the track ‘A Born New’. ‘Nearly God’ is also built up of sounds which are connected to me and my granny. She was a Catholic, so I sourced the recording of the church bells from the local village. I am not a practicing religious person, but I am fascinated by the symbolism and the power of religion. Therefore I analyse it as an outsider choosing my own connections. Through my granny I was witness to the hope and calmness of it all. I also understand that where there are rules, there are demands of repetition & pressure to enact, this could become very overbearing. As an outsider I have the freedom to analyse and at times transcribe with sonics and lyrics.