Gayance blends global and local sounds on Mascarade

Montreal DJ and producer Gayance's debut album, Mascarade, is one of the 10 shortlisted albums vying for this year's Polaris Music Prize. CBC Music's Shortlist Shortcut series is back again this summer to help music fans discover the key details about all 10 records. 

Dig into the stories behind the album, the tracks you need to know, and the perfect summer activities to complement your listening below.

You can also listen to The Ten radio special on the album. 

Artist: 

Gayance.

Album: 

Mascarade.

Polaris Music Prize history: 

This is Gayance's first appearance on the short list. 

Story behind the nominated album: 

Montreal's Gayance (née Aïsha Vertus) has been DJing for 10 years and has toured all over: Paris, New York, Marrakech, Berlin, Amsterdam and Sao Paulo are just a handful of cities she's graced with her eclectic sets. Vertus began producing her own music in 2020, and each new release has been as intricately composed as her DJ sets, full of the spirit that her artist name evokes: the Haitian Creole origins of Gayance loosely translate to "joyfulness." Mascarade, her debut album, followed her 2021 EP, No Toning Down, which itself was a sonic introduction to the worlds Vertus loves to pull from: the new album jumps from electronic genres to free jazz to bossa nova. It's a smorgasbord of influences that Vertus has picked up throughout her travels: New York house, Detroit techno, Chicago footwork, U.K. garage and breakbeat. Beyond those electronic genres, the sounds and people of Latin America — where she's spent quite a lot of time, namely in Brazil — are an ever-present inspiration. Her Bandcamp bio says she makes "jazzy-house with Brazilian spices so you can make out with your crush." 

The creation of Mascarade took place over two years, as Vertus travelled and collected musical souvenirs, while still keeping true to her Montreal roots. She enlisted a number of stalwarts from the city's music scenes to collaborate on the album: soul singers Janette King and Judith Little D, vocalist, keyboardist and DJ Hua Li, and vocal-bass-drum trio Raveen (Eric Seguin, Stokely Diamantis and Peter Colantonio). Vertus acted as maestro, leading all the talent to one clear vision. 

Mascarade tells the story of her 20s, from the vantage point of her 30s. Vertus said in a press release that "[the album] is about retrieving a power that has always been mine, making peace with the past and moving forward." Self-doubt, gaining autonomy and agency, and self-reliance are themes the music touches upon. The best dance music is always rooted in emotion, and Vertus's variety pulls at heartstrings, lays itself bare and reflects a mirror back on the listener. 

Standout songs:

'Clout Chaser's Anthem' feat. Janette King and Hua Li

Mascarade marks Vertus's first time singing on a record, and on "Clout Chaser's Anthem" her voice is layered with King and Li's to devastating effect. The muted production is reminiscent of early James Blake; the toned-down footwork creates a sparse sonic landscape for the vocals to sink into. With its sorrowful mood, "Clout Chaser's Anthem" calls out potential love interests who string someone along and waste their time. 

'Moon Rising (10 Years)' feat. Judith Little D

"Moon Rising" stands out thanks to its relentless groove and Judith Little D's glorious vocal delivery. In a press release, Vertus called it "a song for rebirth and dancing through your transformation." The track was inspired by her late grandfather, whom she says was one of the first people to introduce congas to services in Quebec churches — and Vertus brings that ancestral instrument into a modern context. The repetitive chorus, sung by Judith Little D — "10 years in counting/ I'm a full moon rising" — becomes a defiant chant. "Moon Rising" inspires a cathartic release, of abandoning what holds us back and propelling ourselves forward. 

Recommended if you like: 

Kaytranada, Witch Prophet, Pierre Kwenders and Moonshine. 

Summer activity pairing: 

Mascarade is equal parts fun and introspective, making it perfect for intimate moments shared with close friends and loved ones. A sunset picnic with natural wine (the artist's personal fave) or refreshing mocktails flowing would be the optimal setting to let it play on loop. 

Don't miss Shortlist Summer: a season-long showcase of the 10 albums shortlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize. Read the weekly Polaris Shortlist Shortcut feature at cbcmusic.ca/polaris and tune into The Ten radio special every Sunday night at cbc.ca/listen.