“The Human Voice is the most perfect instrument of all. ”
Martin Howth is a solo looping project of jazz vocalist, Audra Mariel (of Audra Mariel & A Real Human Jazz Band). All loops are generated live, without the use of tracks, nor digital effects; varied sound is achieved solely through exploration of the human voice as an instrument. The name is a spoonerism inspired by the “heart in mouth” idiom; it speaks to the feelings evoked with the inception of the project, and nods to the fun places ones heart may end up— on one’s sleeve, in one’s mouth, lost, broken, mended.
The music has been described as ethereal, even meditative, but also features catchy hooks and thoughtful lyrics. Martin Howth’s debut album, The Wayward Warbler was released in December 2018, and is available on all digital platforms, and CD. The second release, The Flurmannerys Present: A Howth Concert, is a live recording made in spring 2019, and is available on BandCamp and CD. Distant Dissonance, the upcoming double LP, will be released by Nefarious Industries on April 19th, 2024.