by Peter Tracy

For many of us, music is synonymous with community, collaboration, sharing, and play. For the Wet Ink Ensemble, this spirit of collaboration is behind everything they do, from the writing process to performance itself. The composer-performer collective is breaking new ground on their forthcoming album Glossolalia/Lines on Black, which features works by ensemble members Alex Mincek and Sam Pluta that make wildly creative use of electronics, voice, and off-the-wall playing techniques.

Mincek’s contribution to the album, Glossolalia, is named after the phenomenon known as “speaking in tongues,” in which people speak words that are apparently in languages they are entirely unfamiliar with. On first listen, it’s easy to see why: the piece’s third movement, titled “Thread 2,” features a shifting drone over which ensemble members violently interrupt to create a chaotic chatter reminiscent of the piece’s namesake. Aggressive piano lines and a fluttering saxophone mimic ensemble member Kate Soper’s off-kilter and lyric-less vocalizations to create a unique and wonderfully unpredictable musical texture.

We’re excited to share a preview of “Thread 2” ahead of the album’s May 1 release date.

The Wet Ink Ensemble’s new album Glossolalia/Lines on Black is out May 1 on Carrier Records. For more details, click here.