Cold Specks | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ladan Hussein |
| Also known as | Al Spx |
| Born | Toronto |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | artist |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Labels | Mute/EMI Records (world except Canada) Arts & Crafts/EMI Records (Canada) |
Cold Specks is the stage name of Somali Canadian singer-songwriter Ladan Hussein,[1] who was previously known as Al Spx.[2] Her music has been described as doom-soul. The name Cold Specks is taken from a line in James Joyce's Ulysses ("Born all in the dark wormy earth, cold specks of fire, evil lights shining in the darkness.").
She released her debut album, I Predict a Graceful Expulsion, on May 21, 2012, on Mute Records and Arts & Crafts in Canada.[3] The album was a shortlisted nominee for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize.[4]
Her second album, Neuroplasticity, was released on August 26, 2014.[5] It featured trumpet playing by Ambrose Akinmusire and backing vocals from Michael Gira of Swans, was supported in part by selected dates opening for Sufjan Stevens on his Carrie & Lowell Tour,[6] and was longlisted for the 2015 Polaris Music Prize.[7] Her third album, Fool's Paradise, followed in 2017.[8]
Following Fool's Paradise, Hussein suffered a mental health breakdown, and underwent several months of treatment at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.[9] She has since announced that she is retiring her stage name, and will release future music under her own name.[citation needed]
- ^ "How I survived a psychotic break". Toronto Life. May 8, 2019.
- ^ Jim Fusilli (November 25, 2014). "Cold Specks' Arresting Mix". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Jayson Greene, "Cold Specks: I Predict a Graceful Expulsion". Pitchfork, May 1, 2012.
- ^ Jordan Zivitz, "Cold Speck: A soul singer by any name". Montreal Gazette, August 15, 2012.
- ^ Sadiya Ansari, "Polaris-nominated Cold Specks back with second album". CTV News, August 25, 2014.
- ^ Beauchemin, Molly (March 11, 2015). "Sufjan Stevens Shares "Should Have Known Better"". Pitchfork. Condé Nast. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
- ^ Alex Hudson, "Polaris Music Prize Announces 2015 Long List". Exclaim!, June 16, 2015.
- ^ Carly Lewis, "Cold Specks is just warming up". The Globe and Mail, January 10, 2018.
- ^ Sarah Murphy, "Cold Specks' Ladan Hussein Opens Up About Living with Schizophrenia". Exclaim!, May 9, 2019.