Facing North

Released in 1992 on ECM New Series, Facing North is a collaborative suite composed by Meredith Monk, primarily performed as a duet with vocalist Robert Een. The album was inspired by Monk's residency in Banff, Alberta, where the harsh beauty of the Canadian Rockies informed the stark, 'northern' aesthetic of the compositions. Unlike her larger ensemble works, this record focuses on the intimate mechanics of the duet. It utilizes her signature 'extended vocal technique' - including glottal stops, microtonal shifts, and rhythmic hocketing - to create a wordless language that feels both prehistoric and alien. The tracks are organized as a series of vignettes, ranging from the playful 'Arctic Bar' to the expansive, nearly ten-minute 'Epic'. Critically, it is regarded as one of her most focused and accessible entries into the minimalist canon, praised for its ability to evoke specific natural phenomena through purely abstract vocal means.