Bespires by Ka Baird

"Bespires comprises a collection of outtakes spanning the past five years leading up to 2019's Respires. Curation is a subjective thing, and something I take very seriously. However, with Bespires, I have not only suspended those judgements, I have let time organically do its magic on them. By freeing these songs, I am taking the gamble that these unearthed gems might rise with new life and a new set of believers.

What has especially become obvious in this time of quarantine is the nonlinear nature of time. I have experienced time folding back on itself in strange and unexpected ways, and Bespires is a testament to the powers of time's mysterious distillation processes. Everything has its own timeline, nothing is certain, and for god's sakes let the outtakes and second choices have their time to breathe. Let the collective decide what they do next.

This collection includes a cover of Dorothy Ashby's "Heaven and Hell" from her album The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby where she put the words of Omar Khayyam, an Iranian renaissance man, to song. He wrote of the brevity of life, the need to embrace pleasure as it came, and the ultimate futility of trying to ‘figure things out.’ The first track "Imagination" puts the words of Andre Breton from his "Manifesto of Surrealism" into song, with the very first lines of the EP being "Imagination, what I most like about you is your unsparing quality." In these pandemic times, the rich path inwards can provide a fertile resting place of unfettered possibility.

Sending everyone strength during this unprecedented time. Be safe and check in on those you love."

Ka Baird

Ka Baird is a musician, performer, composer and sound designer based in New York City. They are known for their live performances which include extended voice and microphone techniques combined with electronics and electroacoustic interplay of flutes and other woodwinds.

kabaird.com