A Vegan Approach to Music
"Mote" by Avi C Engel
Avi C Engel caught my attention with their latest album, "Mote," straight away. The vegan artist's music is delicate, multi-layered, and bursting with heart and feel. What makes these eight songs especially compelling is how naturally Avi brings their vegan journey into songwriting.
"There is actually a song on this album about my own path to becoming vegan",
they shared with me, when we met online for the first time. The mentioned song is "Ogre's Banquet" (track #5), where Avi reflects on their transition to veganism with a mix of humour, honesty, and vulnerability. It's not the kind of track that waves a banner; instead, it invites you into the messy but ultimately rewarding process of questioning and changing deeply rooted habits.
As a vegan listener, I found it particularly moving to hear this path translated into song. It is a rare kind of representation, one that avoids clichés and instead captures the emotional texture of such a profound shift. At the same time, it shows how deeply Avi can weave personal experience into a musical language that feels both intimate and universal.
A quiet album with lasting resonance
Veganism isn't just a passing theme for Avi—it's central to who they are. That comes through not only in "Ogre's Banquet" but also in the overall atmosphere of the album. The music itself feels aligned with compassion: gentle yet firm, unhurried yet purposeful.
It's refreshing to encounter an artist who makes their ethics an integral part of their creative identity without reducing them to slogans. Avi demonstrates that art and ethics can coexist seamlessly, in an authentic and inspiring way. On their Instagram profile, Avi writes:
"Brad and I are both vegans and animal lovers, and 'Ogre's Banquet' is (in part) about my own path in that direction."
Brad, also known as Bradley Sean Alexander, is a Canadian ambient musician and sound artist, best known for his project anthéne. You might come across his work here on Sounds Vegan. He has collaborated with Avi C Engel on several releases, including "Ghost Bird" and "Rewild". Their work draws from its ethereal and introspective qualities, blending ambient soundscapes with delicate instrumentation.
The vegan perspective also adds deeper resonance to "Mote". It is not just an album of songs, but a document of personal transformation, where veganism is one thread in a much larger tapestry of identity, change, and care. On Avi's Bandcamp profile, I found another line that beautifully reflects their poetic and emotive approach to making music:
"I'm not writing the same song over and over so much as writing one long continuous song that will end when I die."
I am very excited to see where this song will lead in the future and will definitely continue listening to it.
It is here that the music itself deserves closer attention. For it is through sound that Avi's vision of continuity and depth becomes fully tangible: the tracks on Mote are often quiet and restrained, guided by gentle guitar lines, shimmering textures, and a vocal delivery that ranges from tenderly fragile to quietly insistent. The result is music with contemplative quality, while never drifting into vagueness—every note feels intentional and precisely placed.
"Mote" is a quiet record with an impact that stays. Avi captures both the beauty of sound and the complexity of living ethically, weaving them together with subtle power.
You need to check out "Mote"!
The musical language of the album gives the impression of an inner monologue that could just as easily be heard as dialogue with the listener. Warm, flowing, and luminous, the songs strike a balance between folk-like intimacy and moments of sonic experimentation, always suffused with emotional clarity. Through this delicately balanced soundscape, Avi translates themes of transformation and compassion into a form that can be felt as much as it is heard.
For anyone in the vegan community looking for music that resonates with their values without compromising on artistry, "Mote" is a treasure. And for those who are not yet vegan, it offers a glimpse into the lived, human side of that choice—not through argument, but through song.
"Mote" was released on August 8th, 2025.
