Auch Elle a son mot à dire von Joane Hétu wird dargeboten mit dem Ensemble SuperMusique — Émilie Fortin, trompette, Luzio Altobelli, accordéon, Noam Bierstone, percussions, Michel F Côté, percussions & électronique und Hétu selber, als cheffe an saxophone alto. Als Sammlung kurioser Songs, angestimmt von Sarah Albu, mit ihrem Knowhow im Vokalensemble Phth, auf „According to the Moon“ (2023) als Interpretin von Gayle Young, auf „Voix Jetées“ (2024) von Nico Muhly, Missy Mazzoli, Keiko Devaux, Nicole Lizée und Jared Miller. Elle n’a pas de mot noch wortlos zu Whirliesound. Mot elle a mit bedrücktem und insistentem Sang zu nur Drums & Percussion. Elle n’est pas un animal als anarchistische Babbelbande mit Akkordeon, Pfeifen, Spielzeug. Un idéal nur die Grrrls a cappella. Avoir le motton erst nur Altosax und Trompetengrowls, dann mit Albu und Drums. Bis sie als zarathustrische SuperWoman der Schlange den Kopf abbeißt und ausspuckt. Vivante erklingt mit Sprechgesang, der zu Simpelgroove ins Delirium abzweigt. Lumière folgt mit verstopfter Trompete, Akkordeon, mondstichigem Singsang. Chant à elle singt Hétu feierlich allein. Jojo dit nur Männer-nonsense zu Elektrononsense und ein Paar Zügen des Akkordeons. Elle n’est pas un animal bringt bruitistisch-surreal verspielte Tierporträts à la „Ceci n’est pas une pipe.“ Bei Elle a dit oui lallen, haspeln, jaulen alle und verlangen dit oui a elle, di wi a L. Elle a son mot à dire schießt mit Vogelpfeifen den Vogel ab. Und Elle qui est-elle? kratzt die Federn zusammen, alle miteinander melancholisch, mit Trübsal blasender Tuba (Julie Houle), wonnigem Akkordeon, der phantastischen Sarah Albu im Tanz um Elle, Zapfenstreich der Trompete. Als kollektive Huldigung der Sphinx. Als toller Streich von Hétu. Und die Entdeckung einer extraordinären Vokalistin.

The conductor, vocalist and alto saxophonist Joane Hétu brings her avant-pop background to these experimental tracks that employ the Ensemble SuperMusique.

The distinct title track opens with Sarah Albu’s inviting voice that acts like an instrument amid Julie Houle’s well timed tuba, and Elle n’est pas un animal arrives soon after with Luzio Altobelli’s bright accordion that suits the many voices and ‘found object’ type noises.

Landing in the middle, Avoir le motton welcomes Émilie Fortin’s animated trumpet and Noam Bierstone lively percussion to a very rich album highlight, while Lumière benefits greatly from Michel F Côté’s electronic manipulation alongside Albu’s expressive pipes.

Further still, Elle a dit oui has the voices layered strategically and Hétu’s colorful sax present with much creativity, and Elle qui est-elle? exits with a very animated demeanor that blends the wind, brass and percussion with distinct singing.

Mostly new but some older pieces are present, as Hétu fleshes out harmonics, rhythm, and strong attention to tonality with an iconoclastic spirit.

Saxophonist and vocalist Joane Hétu has long been one of the leading figures in Montréal’s French-speaking avant-garde (e.g., the band Justine). She deserves to be better known in the Anglosphere, and this witty new collaboration with Ensemble SuperMusique should help.

Canadian artist and composer Joane Hetu is out with the album Elle a son mot à dire, and this is a creation that resides smack right in the middle of the experimental and avantgarde universe as far as style and orientation is concerned. In many ways these are compositions that defies genre classification as such, where the approach, orientation and execution is rather more defining than the music itself. Expressive use of vocals is the most defining aspect throughout, from spoken worlds and ethereal floating vocals textures to several variations on more regular singing and on towards more expressive use of the voice for song as well as other vocal displays. With singular as well as plural use of voices and vocals. The music elements tend to be of a minimalist nature, referencing folk music, jazz and classical music to some degree or other. We do get some compositions where the role of the instruments are given more space and room though, with one display of what I’d describe as a more free form variety of jazz and the other, at the very end of the album, which to my mind feature a little bit of a French chanson feel combined with a more relaxed and romantic jazz expression. A production to seek out by those who are fond of music explored as a higher form of art, and then in particular when revolving around expressive minimalism and a more purebred avantgarde expression.

Composer, improviser, and saxophonist Joane Hétu has been a vital figure in Quebec’s experimental music scene since the 1980s. Her latest album, Elle a son mot à dire (She Has Her Say), released with Ensemble SuperMusique, brings together compositions written between 2001 and 2023 in a vivid, genre-defying live performance. In recent interviews with both Hétu and trumpet player Émile Fortin, I had the opportunity to explore the creative process behind this album and their views on improvisation, collaboration, and performance.

The album, recorded live in May 2023, reflects Hétu’s signature blend of notated music, improvisation, and text. Though the pieces weren’t composed under a unified theme, Hétu explains that her fascination with language and expression shapes the project: “I didn’t work from a specific theme, but as the title suggests, I explored words I wanted to bring together in a single concert. It’s a unique performance built around language.”

Several of the album’s works are based on original texts, some of which have been long-held, while others are newly written. Vivante, for example, features Hétu on voice and Michel F Côté on percussion in a free improvisation based on a text from 2005 that had never been performed before. In Mot elle a, the singer’s part is fully composed, while the percussionist improvises within a set of guidelines. Other pieces, like Elle qui est-elle?, feature a hybrid form—composed structures with space for instrumental solos, including trumpet and tuba.

For Hétu, this balance between structure and freedom is essential. She describes herself as drawn to “radical improvisation”—music made without scores or directions, relying purely on listening, interaction, and spontaneity. “Improvising takes less time to prepare than a fully notated piece,” she notes, “but it requires a different kind of attention—grace, intelligence, and musicality in the moment.”

The album was created with Ensemble SuperMusique, a variable-geometry collective Hétu co-directs alongside founding member Danielle Palardy Roger. For this project, the group included seven musicians—instrumentalists and vocalists—whose diverse backgrounds and creative input shaped the sound of the performance. The concert wasn’t just about music; it was a total experience. Costumes, makeup, movement, and staging all played a role in supporting the sonic language of the pieces.

One of the performers, Émile Fortin, a classically trained trumpet player and improviser, spoke enthusiastically about the process. “We had about 18 hours of rehearsal, which is a lot for a single performance,” they shared. “Some of the pieces used small percussion or toys instead of our main instruments. The visual element mattered too—we had specific colours, costumes, and makeup. It all helped us feel that the concert was conceived as a whole.”

Émile’s exploration of new music began in graduate school, when a seminar on Vinko Globokar’s Laboratorium introduced her to performance techniques beyond traditional orchestral methods. Her musical identity developed through free improvisation, acting, movement, and performance art. Today, Émile performs in a variety of contexts, from solo work to ensemble settings, and manages their projects, which are centered on experimental and community-engaged music.

She describes free improvisation not only as a musical approach but as a way of relating to others: “It’s like a social model. Sometimes you instantly connect with the other musicians, sometimes you don’t — but you still have to listen and respond. It teaches you how to be present and relevant, just like in a real conversation.” In improvised settings, silence, restraint, and timing become as important as sound itself.

Hétu shares this deep commitment to listening, both in performance and as a composer. While her compositions often begin with texts and melodies that live in her mind for months or years, she always seeks to preserve space for interpretation and dialogue. One thing that distinguishes her work is the way she writes with performers in mind. Émile emphasised this point: “Joane doesn’t just write for the trumpet—she writes for me. She lets each musician’s personality shape the music.”

For those new to experimental music, both artists encourage live listening. “This music isn’t difficult if you allow yourself to let go,” Hétu said. Émile agreed, highlighting the energy of live interaction as a defining feature: “If you can attend a free improvisation performance, that’s where you’ll feel it—especially the moment when something clicks between the musicians.”

They both recommend the track Vivante as a good starting point. “It’s just voice and percussion, but it swings in a way that’s very immediate,” Émile said. “It almost feels like a song you’d hear on the radio, but with so much freedom.”

Beyond Elle a son mot à dire, Hétu continues to mentor and collaborate across generations, helping keep Montréal’s new music ecosystem vibrant and intergenerational. Meanwhile, Émile carries this ethos forward in their projects, including a wind trio called Williwaw, known for performances that blur the boundaries of instrument, object, and identity.

Together, Hétu and Émile exemplify the power of experimental music to create space for individuality, community, and discovery. In this album, and in their artistic lives, they remind us that sound can speak — even when words fail to convey the full meaning.