Dolmen Music

Meredith Monk's 1981 album Dolmen Music presents her work for solo and ensemble voice, emphasizing extended vocal techniques, layered non-lexical vocal lines, and spare instrumental accompaniment. The pieces unfold slowly with minimalist repetition and ritualistic, meditative textures, foregrounding timbre, breath, and vocal interplay rather than conventional melodic development. The album is widely regarded as a key example of late 20th century vocal avant-garde practice and of Monk's exploration of the voice as a primary instrument.