John Lucas

I wanted to kill two birds—two turtle doves, perhaps—with one stone today. Metaphorically speaking. None of our avian friends were harmed in the making of this blog post.

I thought it might be fun to see if there were any new Christmas releases that I could spotlight here, and while the pickings were slim, I did find this one gem—and it’s by a Canadian artist, so that’s a second bird down. Metaphorically speaking.

PIQSIQ is an Inuit throat-singing duo made up of sisters Tiffany Ayalik and Inuksuk Mackay. Rooted in traditional katajjaq, their music mixes those age-old vocal techniques with beats, loops, and electronic effects. Their recently released version of “Jingle Bells” eschews the original lyrics in favour of minor-key melody and haunting atmosphere, employing crystalline harmonies evocative of deepest winter.

That’s not a music video, though, so here’s another seasonal treat from PIQSIQ; their version of “Coventry Carol” from four years ago.

For more seasonally appropriate music from PIQSIQ, check out the duo’s 2019 Christmas EP, Quviasugvik: In Search of Harmony. Do yourself a favour and read the enlightening liner notes, which delve into how this music reflects the complicated history of Inuit peoples and the Christian church.