Zoon have announced the details of their forthcoming sophomore LP Bekka Ma'iingan, due April 28 via Paper Bag Records.
The effort melds the talents of bandleader Daniel Monkman, Owen Pallett, Michael Peter Olsen, Sunnsetter's Andrew McLeod on drums, mixer Mark Lawson, and Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo, who plays on mid-album cut "Niizh Manidoowig (2 Spirit)." Daniel Wintermans, Connory Ballentyne, Danny Hacking, Elizabeth Burt and Scott Willet also contribute.
McLeod additionally contributes vocals on "A Language Disappears," which arrives today alongside a Shawn Chiki-animated and -directed music video.
"'A Language Disappears' touches on a common experience among Indigenous people: the fear of your language being forgotten," Monkman shared of the track.
"This was something I started to fear when I became a Born Again Indian in my late 20s," the artist continued. "For a lot of native folks, we're taught to hide our identity, to keep us safe from the outside world. Somewhere along a native person's journey, they start to ask questions about their heritage and where they come from."
Watch the video for "A Language Disappears" below, where you'll also find the album's tracklist.
Bekka Ma'iingan is available for pre-order now. It follows Zoon's Polaris-shortlisted debut LP, 2020's Bleached Wavves, which was a precursor to last year's Big Pharma and A Sterling Murmuration EPs. Monkman's other project, OMBIIGIZI with Status/Non-Status's Adam Sturgeon, released their Exclaim!-favourite debut album Sewn Back Together in 2022.
Bekka Ma'iingan:
1. All Around You
2. Brave New World (Without You)
3. Care
4. Dodem
5. Niizh Manidoowig (2 spirit)
6. Awesiinh (A-Way-See)
7. Manitou
8. A Language Disappears
9. Gaagige
10. Ashes in a Vase
The effort melds the talents of bandleader Daniel Monkman, Owen Pallett, Michael Peter Olsen, Sunnsetter's Andrew McLeod on drums, mixer Mark Lawson, and Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo, who plays on mid-album cut "Niizh Manidoowig (2 Spirit)." Daniel Wintermans, Connory Ballentyne, Danny Hacking, Elizabeth Burt and Scott Willet also contribute.
McLeod additionally contributes vocals on "A Language Disappears," which arrives today alongside a Shawn Chiki-animated and -directed music video.
"'A Language Disappears' touches on a common experience among Indigenous people: the fear of your language being forgotten," Monkman shared of the track.
"This was something I started to fear when I became a Born Again Indian in my late 20s," the artist continued. "For a lot of native folks, we're taught to hide our identity, to keep us safe from the outside world. Somewhere along a native person's journey, they start to ask questions about their heritage and where they come from."
Watch the video for "A Language Disappears" below, where you'll also find the album's tracklist.
Bekka Ma'iingan is available for pre-order now. It follows Zoon's Polaris-shortlisted debut LP, 2020's Bleached Wavves, which was a precursor to last year's Big Pharma and A Sterling Murmuration EPs. Monkman's other project, OMBIIGIZI with Status/Non-Status's Adam Sturgeon, released their Exclaim!-favourite debut album Sewn Back Together in 2022.
Bekka Ma'iingan:
1. All Around You
2. Brave New World (Without You)
3. Care
4. Dodem
5. Niizh Manidoowig (2 spirit)
6. Awesiinh (A-Way-See)
7. Manitou
8. A Language Disappears
9. Gaagige
10. Ashes in a Vase