Atlin Arts & Music Festival

When Tanya Tagaq Gillis' music fills your ears—either in person or on her new CD Auk—she is genuinely one of those rare artists whose sounds and styles are truly groundbreaking. 'Inuit throat singer' is one part of her sonic quotient. So are descriptions like 'orchestral' 'hip-hop-infused' and 'primal', but these words are not usually used collectively. In the case of Tagaq, however—especially on her sophomore disc Auk—they are.