Nepalese-born Swiss singer Aïsha Devi was back at MUTEK Montreal to present material from her new album, Death is Home. Aïsha Devi’s powerful vocals, set against a melodic pop backdrop, contrast with the electronic muscularity of her subject matter.
More to the point, the tunes sung here on Saturday August 24 at the SAT never have time to escape into pop, but are systematically caught up by formidable synthetic processes. This (all in all) false opposition heavy/light can be seen as a kinship with artists such as Arca or FKA twigs, aesthetic descendants of Björk who are highly influential in pop culture despite their innovative approaches.
Aïsha Devi’s pieces are not necessarily chansonnière in structure, but come close, despite the electronics and radicalism of certain productions. Conceived in collaboration with director Emmanuel Biard, these theatrical audiovisual landscapes, featuring the musician and performer, add to this real-time experience. Certainly, Aïsha Devi and her colleagues involved in this production have a keen sense of ritual, which is why her audience could grow considerably with the potential success of this show and the album Death is Home , released less than a year ago.
