Sook-Yin Lee & Adam Litovitz - Jooj Two (2021)

An iconic Canadian media figure, Sook-Yin Lee is an
award-winning filmmaker, musician, actor, visual artist and
broadcaster who has immersed herself in myriad creative
collaborations. Many of them were made with her life partner and
frequent co-creator Adam Litovitz, including their 2015 ethereal
electroacoustic album jooj. Though Adam passed away in 2019,
his work with Sook-Yin lives on with jooj two, an unapologetic
dive into playful art-pop and a document of a lost language
between lovers. The album will arrive on April 9 via Mint
Records.

(TW: Suicide) While financial difficulties and external
pressures contributed to the end of their romantic relationship,
Sook-Yin and Adam remained best friends and creative partners.
As he was busy with a soundtrack for Netflix, Adam gave
Sook-Yin his blessing to continue working on their second album
without him. Increasingly, Adam struggled with anxiety and
depression, compounded by a prescription drug dependency that
exacerbated insomnia and pain. Tragically, he died by suicide
June 16, 2019.

Adam’s passing was a profound loss for Sook-Yin and so many who
loved him. Sook-Yin saw pieces of Adam’s irrepressible spirit —
as well as the story of their relationship — contained within
the music they had recorded for jooj two and was determined to
share it with the world. With the assistance of mixer Steve
Chahley (U.S. Girls, Badge Époque Ensemble, Darlene Shrugg)
Sook-Yin completed the album and will share it with the world
this spring.

Despite the circumstances surrounding its completion, jooj two
is a celebration of life, especially Adam’s. Playful
experimentalism drives the pair’s life-long love of pop music
and taps into moments from across the genre’s vast history from
the warm psychedelic sunshine of “Rumble Like a Stranger” to the
neon lit autobahn of “Run Away of Her” and the buzzing euphoria
of “Re-Veil.”

There is intentionality and inherent uniqueness to their
songwriting approach that first took shape by Sook-Yin
responding to a musical phrase with vocal melodies and stream of
consciousness lyrics. Those experiments were transcribed and
delightfully interpreted by Adam then returned to Sook-Yin for
finessing. The resulting wordplay across 11 enigmatic and
accessible tracks, evokes the feeling of a new language being
born.

jooj two is a fitting collaboration to cap off a lifetime of
work together.