Throat singing duo PIQSIQ (sisters Tiffany Ayalik and Inuksuk Mackay) return today with their new album Legends.
Themed around central figures from Inuit cultural mythology, eight of the record's 10 tracks bring listeners along on different — yet interconnected — narrative journeys, while textural opening and closing pieces gently initiate you into the experience, and, finally, back into reality.
"Each song is its own mini-journey — epic in scale, yet tightly composed," Mackay explained. "This album feels like the purest synthesis of who we are as artists, because it brings us full circle in drawing on the stories that shaped us as children and reimagining them through the lens of our lives today. By reconnecting with that sense of wonder, play, and cultural memory, we were able to create something deeply honest and rooted in who we are."
Legends was recorded with producer Alex Penney at Monarch Studios in Vancouver, with the siblings performing all of the percussion and capturing vocals through a Boss RC-505 loop station, blending the precision of modern production and the improvisation of live performance. PIQSIQ sourced both historic and contemporary artworks depicting the figures and projected them in the studio, letting the visuals guide their vocal responses.
"We wanted to honour our traditional stories — narratives that are not just entertainment, but fundamental to Inuit identity," said Ayalik. "These legends have long been how we pass on critical teachings: How to stay safe on the land, how to live in the right relationship with each other, with the animals, and with the spirit world. These are stories of survival, respect and deep connection to place."
Get lost in the immersive storytelling by listening on your platform of choice below.