Wordless Gibberish Wins Fans
"According to my research, idiolalla is a psychiatric condition in which those afflicted are compelled to make up their own private language. Its kind of like a fundamentalist-free version of speaking in tongues, and chances are that if we encountered an idiolallite on the street, we'd scurry away, unnerved by their unfathomable barrage of words. Strange, then, that seeing two idiolalla victims on-stage, backed only by a drummer, should prove so fascinating.
"Of course, singers Christine Duncan and DB Boyko don't really suffer from the syndrome; they've just named their new group after it. Idiolalla, in which the two are joined by Duncan's percussionist partner, Jean Martin, is an exploration of improvisational mouth music, and a chance for three serious musicians to have way too much fun. " ---ALEXANDER VARTY, The Georgia Strait
Idiolalla is actually a vocal illness, a made-up language infection. DB Boyko and Christine Duncan are turning gibberish into improvised poetry, while Jean Martin accompanies them by hitting multi-timbered objects. These three virtuosos have delivered a highly colourful album of creative music. (Idiolalla cd, AM147 Ambiances Magnetiques)Their fanciful dialogues are laced with rhythms and dynamics inspired by folklore, opera and jazz. Together, they create a unique sound that is intense and beautiful, adventuresome and absurd.
