Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore, two of the most celebrated names in ambient and experimental music, have long been a dream collaboration for fans. Now, the two composers and longtime friends have unveiled their first official collaboration, a stunning new single titled “Perpetual Adoration.” The track, released on InFiné, is an immersive electroacoustic soundscape that blends historical harps, celestial synthesizers, and Barwick’s signature ethereal voice.
The track offers a first glimpse of a larger project, with more news to be announced soon. “Perpetual Adoration” came to life during a recording session at the Philharmonie de Paris, where the duo was given access to the historic instrument collection of the Musée de la Musique. Lattimore chose an 1873 Érard double movement harp, while Barwick played a Sequential Circuits PROPHET-5 analog synthesizer from the 1970s.
The inspiration for the song came from a visit to the Basilica of Sacré Cœur de Montmartre.
“Our very first evening in Paris involved a trip to see the Sacré Coeur. It was a Sunday evening and there was a mass taking place and as we neared the exit a beautiful surge of organ playing cascaded through the breathtaking building and a nun began singing a luminous hymn from the pulpit. We were all moved by the gorgeous music that we felt physically in this historic space. The next day was our first day in the museum and as we were setting up our instruments we began to play a little, and what began as a jam inspired by what we had already seen and heard became something we decided was worth recording and fleshing out. What was born was the hymn-like ‘Perpetual Adoration’, very much influenced by the tones from our evening at sacre coeur. Outside there was a placard that described daytime masses as ‘perpetual adoration’ and we loved the phrase and the connection to the city. ‘Perpeutal Adoration’ is the first piece of music we made at the museum with those precious instruments.” Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore
Barwick’s skyward synth and vocal lines soar alongside Lattimore’s tender harp strums, creating a hymn-like quality that honours both the moment and the history of their instruments. Watch a live video of the performance, directed and edited by Joel Kazuo Knoernschild and filmed at Lou Lou’s Jungle Room at the Lafayette Hotel in San Diego, which further showcases the magical synergy between these two artists.
Listen to the single below:
Stream: https://idol-io.ffm.to/perpetualadoration
Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore Live Dates
Fri. Nov. 7 – Utrecht, NL @ Le Guess Who?
Thu. March 26 – Sun. March 29 – Knoxville, TN @ Big Ears Festival
Fr. April 10 – Paris, FR @ Philharmonie de Paris (Musée de la Musique)