Event

Morning Ritual featuring the Shook Twins

Morning Ritual is a collaboration between Portland-based composer Ben Darwish and twin singers, Katelyn and Laurie Shook, known as Shook Twins. The band also features multi-instrumentalist William Seiji Marsh and drummer Russ Kleiner. Their first album, "The Clear Blue Pearl", was self-released in May of 2013 and has gained considerable attention for its unique sound and overall concept. Portland's Willamette Week describes the album as "a record generous with sacred moments" and their sound is "unlike anything that has come before them." Their live performance of "So Cold" was featured as a "Favorite Session" on NPR Music and BlackBook Magazine debuted their expansive music video for "The Drought". Darwish, the primary composer for the group, creates complex, piano-driven arrangements with soaring vocal melodies and harmonies. In addition, they employ live "glitch vocals" which can mimic a skipping record or the "pulses" used in Steve Reich's music. Although you can hear a wide range of influences in their sound, it has been described as "hypnotic R&B" and "sophisticated pop".

"The Clear Blue Pearl" tells the story of a man and wife who, after a drought plagues their land, set out in search for the "Clear Blue Pearl," an aquifer which is rumored to be close underground. After a harrowing search, they finally discover the underground oasis they've been looking for, but once they decide to make it their new home, they realize they may have settled on unstable land.