Ka Baird

New York singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Ka Baird is known for her raw, boundary-pushing solo performances that bridge experimental sound, performance art and ritual. On her latest album, 'Bearings: Soundtracks for the Bardos', she blends her eclectic live sound with minimalist, sensory compositions.

Ka's "Bearings" project began with a 20-minute piece she created for arts center Lampo in Chicago. She then incorporated the music into a series of physically exhausting concerts in which she constantly switches guises between magician, shaman, clown, and athlete.

During the time she was working on the album along with an impressive crew of musicians, she also took care of her terminally ill mother, who would pass away a few months later. In the quiet moments while her mother was sleeping, she concentrated on sound design, arrangements and assambling.

'The Bardos' from the title refers to the Bardo Thodol, the Tibetan Book of the Dead. The album contains eleven Bardos (literally "transitions") - soundscapes that depict topics such as obstacles, portals, surrender and letting go. It is an absolute highlight of Ka Baird's dynamic artistic work.