The music of Some Viscera
Big news inside.
When I last wrote, the premiere of Some Viscera was just days away. More than a month later, I’m still talking about it with my fellow performers, going through videos and photos, and feeling its magic in my bones. It’s hard to let go of those moments in life during which you feel most like yourself, moments in which you’re doing what you know you were put on this earth to do.
I’m also still hearing about the premiere from audience members. Knowing that Some Viscera moved so many people—and above all the Indians in the audience, who recognized themselves and our shared and discrepant histories in the work’s many dimensions—makes its memory even more powerful. That deep understanding and recognition is apparent in critic Pia Singh’s beautiful review for the Chicago Reader. It marks one of just two instances in which my work has been written about by someone who actually has the knowledge to write about it.1 It’s a great gift to share art with the public and just as great a gift to be seen in the process.
But this email isn’t about the past. Today I’m thrilled to share that the music of Some Viscera will appear as a standalone album on Friday, December 13! Ahead of the release, you’ll hear the first single, Cremation, this Friday, November 22. You’ll get an email as soon as the single is live for download—the rare week in which you’ll hear from me more than once—at which point you’ll also be able to preorder the full album.
Recorded at Chicago’s Experimental Sound Studio, the album gives the music from this project a spotlight of its own. The music features me (vocals, sruti box); Asha Rowland (vocals); Erica Miller (cello); Johanna Brock (violin/viola); and Ben Zucker (vibraphone/glockenspiel). Special guest vocalists include my sister-in-law Nivedita Gunturi and her daughters; my mom, Malathi Ramgopal; and Asha’s mom, Nina Arora-Rowland.
Asha, Erica, and Johanna and I have been performing iterations of these songs since 2018 and began recording the album in 2022. Ben joined us in 2023 and we finished recording this year. Together, we form the core ensemble of Lykanthea. After so many years of working on this album together, it’s thrilling to see it finally take flight.
I can’t wait to share more in the coming weeks. In the meantime, read more about the album on my website and spread the word! As always, thank you for your support.
Love,
Lakshmi
Congratulations on the new album! So exciting. Appreciated this: “It’s hard to let go of those moments in life during which you feel most like yourself, moments in which you’re doing what you know you were put on this earth to do.” 💔
really excited for this, laks!