Matador

In its first year on Earth, -io has continued to evolve. Though the record was written for a 25-piece orchestra, Haley Fohr’s songs have been refreshed and rearranged to suit each round of touring. This has included performances with string ensembles, a trio with bass and drums, and an expansive duo with multi-instrumentalist Whitney Johnson (Matchess). Sunset Poem extends this process to the studio. Rousay’s work often utilizes environmental recordings to cultivate rich and evocative ambience. Here, the composer unspools three -io compositions –“ Vanishing,” “Sculpting the Exodus,” and “Argument –stripping back layers of instrumentation and sheltering Fohr’s voice amid a weave of hushed electronic textures. The results reveal a newly tender, meditative, and boundless space within the songs.