On Gateway Experience, Witch Prophet’s Ayo Leilani turns her embodied sound inward, making sense of a lifetime of medical challenges involving seizures. The songs on Gateway Experience challenge the alarming imagery her affected mental state provides (“Energy Vampire”), along with spelling out the crashing lows that come with it (“I’m Scared”). Throughout, her artistic partner SUN SUN’s production explores new, enticing canvases for Leilani’s voice to float over.
Featuring Cindy Lee, Nemahsis, Wyatt C. Louis, and more — These Canadian artists all commandeered our headphones this year in a compelling way.