Polaris Prize winner and Inuit punk vocalist Tanya Tagaq is set to release her new album Retribution on 18th November and, having previously shared ‘Centre’ alongside rapper Shad, she recently unleashed the title track. On it, stabbing violins accompany Tagaq as she moves between yelping and grunting lyrics that sum up the themes of the album as a whole.
‘Retribution’ now has a new video, directed by Brian Johnson. In it, Tagaq and fellow Inuk performer Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory perform in a variety of masks, inside and outside a giant warehouse, where their movements gradually become more and more unsettling as time passes. Williamson Bathory says: “For me, the ‘Retribution’ video is an exploration of the eccentric, the stomach lining of reality. It’s about the cross-pollination of Tanya’s voice and uaajeerneq—my mask work, a denial of the linear progression of past, present and future, a reminder that the earth’s strength is a part of our culture. It’s about feminism and Inuit women.” Watch below.
Tagaq will also be playing a few shows in the UK in January as part of a wider European tour. Details below.
23rd January – Howard Assembly Rooms, Leeds
24th January – Café Oto, London
26th January – Corsica Studios, London
