Native Tongue by Aliyah Hussain
Bloxham Tapes BT15
The fifteenth release on Bloxham Tapes is 'Native Tongue' by ALIYAH HUSSAIN.
'Native Tongue' is an levitational ambient work for contact mic and FX pedals. This immersive soundtrack was created at Wysing Arts Centre, Cambridge in 2018, and is now coralled onto cassette tape. Presenting five wordless sci-fi lullabies for domestic use; majestic contemporary psychedelia for the discerning modern listener.
Operation manual: we have found that the mesmeric drifts and pulses of 'Native Tongue' are most rewarding on repeated play. The volume setting is at the discretion of the user.
This is Aliyah's second appearance on Bloxham Tapes: her first was a duo outing with John Powell-Jones as NINO – a shimmering highlight of the label's early releases – and we are delighted to present Aliyah's gloriously immersive solo project for wider consumption. 'Native Tongue' is a secret language no longer…
Further information:
Aliyah’s practice approaches themes found within feminist sci-fi literature, in particular the possibilities of co-sharing space in domestic or social settings. She works with abstract forms and uses these to construct narratives in order to explore different modes of communication and miscommunication.
With a background in performance and an interest in process and material, Aliyah's work moves across ceramic sculpture, drawing, collage and sound. With regards to the latter, her two cassettes for Manchester's Sacred Tapes – 'Sultana's Dream' and 'Woman On The Edge Of Time' – marked high points for the label and are also essential listening.
Tracklist
| 1. | Breath | 12:16 |
| 2. | Whisper | 4:47 |
| 3. | Murmur | 7:05 |
| 4. | Momentum | 7:41 |
| 5. | Native Tongue | 6:20 |
Credits
All compositions by Aliyah Hussain
Aliyah Hussain - Contact Mic and effects pedals
Recorded Oct 2018 at Wysing Polyphonic Studio, Cambridge
Native Tongue is based on the book of the same name by feminist science fiction writer and linguist Suzette Haden Elgin. Set in a dystopian future in which women have had their rights revoked, the women of Barren House spend generations crafting, concealing and distributing Láadan, a secret language for women.
Mastering by Galloway at Magnetic Domains
Sleeve design by Luke Drozd
