The Love It Took to Leave You

Album Notes & Community Reviews

'The Love It Took to Leave You' finds Colin Stetson expanding his singular sonic world through a solo performance on alto and bass saxophones and contrabass clarinet. Recorded live with no overdubs in a large, reverberant former metalworks, the album's mournful and turbulent emotional arc, centered on a theme of separation, is realized through his signature circular breathing, polyphonic overtones, and an array of microphones capturing every percussive key clap and vocalization. The production uses the raw architecture of the space as an extension of the instrument, creating a physically intense and detailed soundscape that is both immense and deeply personal.