The viola is not a violin.

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Listen to Christen Lien’s debut album Vol I: Battle Cry in its entirety in the Music Section.

 

“Striking like pensive butterfly wings, Christen’s strings stir, layering slightly anxious atmospherics underneath long, sorrowful notes and subtly expressive plucks. Battle Cry’s soft but gripping grace, while restrained, can work itself into a banshee-like intensity that justifies its name. Between clarity and distortion, the sombre notes and enveloping strings are seriously emotive and penetrating, making for breathtaking and powerful compositions.” ~Exclaim! Magazine

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“Christen’s penchant for precision and thoughtful, exquisite melody will inevitably see her follow in the footsteps of modern master composers like Ryuichi Sakamoto and Yo-Yo Ma.”

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Christen returned to Oaxaca, Mexico to perform a series of concerts that include TEDxOaxaca City and the 10th anniversary celebration of Café Central.

 

Stay tuned for videos from her Oaxaca performances by subscribing on YouTube.
Follow her real-time adventures on Twitter and Facebook and read reflections of her travels on Christen’s blog.

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Music video for Unabi, featuring the “Detroit Industry” mural by Diego Rivera and the abandoned auto factories of Detroit, Michigan.

~ Director: Geoffrey S. George ~ Director of Photography: Katie Barkel ~
~ Editor: Derek Swanson ~ Producer: X10 ~

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Christen opened the historic launch of The Burning Man Project in San Francisco. The Burning Man Project is Phase 3 of Burning Man: the return to the city.

The event’s theme was “Welcome Home,” and was sponsored by the Black Rock Arts Foundation. Special guests included the mayor of San Francisco, Mayor Edwin M. Lee, and Larry Harvey, co-Founder of Burning Man, and the BM Board of Directors. The learn more about the event, click here.

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“Rarely do I witness such a clear, powerful presence as I have in experiencing Christen Lien, both as a person and as a musician. Her music transcends language and enters the bloodstream as pure light. She is fearless as she takes us into a tonal soundscape dark and shadowed. Just when you think your heart will break, you are held in the aural light of transcendence. Christen Lien is a musical shaman, a voice not only for our time, but for this world, broken and beautiful. Gratitude is the word that comes to mind. Her music gives me courage to live more deeply.”

~Terry Tempest Williams, writer

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To everyone wondering about my next releases, I’m currently deep in the rabbit hole writing the new album, which will be recorded and released soon.

Thank you for all of the inquiries, it means the world to have so many people requesting more music! I can’t wait to share the new work with you…

~ Christen Lien

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