Julianna Barwick‘s voice possesses untold magic. The Brooklyn electronic composer has long used her instrument (well that and a prodigious array of synths, loop pedals, and other machinery) to produce otherworldly ambient music that demands listeners’ attention in direct opposition to how lots of contemporary ambient fades into the background. With a sound that’s often been loosely associated with holism, her latest record is perhaps the first to make a direct appeal to the robust power in coming together. Released in July of 2020, Healing is a Miracle came at an uncertain time in the pandemic, proving to be a balm and bringing a much needed sense of collectivism at a time when it was largely unsafe for music fans (or anyone for that matter) to outwardly seek community beyond their computer screens.
Barwick is a must-see live act, one whose performance is, according to The Guardian, “exquisite in its eloquence, reflection and compassion.” This long delayed run in support of Miracle is sure to be a stunning return for an artist whose last Boston date was nearly six years ago. The record’s restorative tones should sound great reverberating around the cavernous hall at Cambridge’s The Sinclair.
Opening the show is the mercurial French electronic producer Malibu. Having recorded for legendary experimental labels like PAN and Geographic North, Malibu has similarly been carving out a unique space within the ambient sphere. Her latest solo effort, an EP entitled One Life, is filled with the sorts of vocal experimentations and casual if off-kilter pop conventions that have made her a popular collaborator for the Swedish post-internet collective Year001, as well. This is her first ever US tour, and likely one of few chances fans will ever have to catch her stateside.
Julianna Barwick plays The Sinclair tonight, doors at 7, music at 8. Tickets are still available right here.