Cold Specks

About

The artist

Cold Specks is the recording project of Toronto singer, songwriter, and producer Ladan Hussein, who has also worked under the name Al Spx. Her 2012 debut, I Predict a Graceful Expulsion, introduced a spare blend of folk, gospel, blues, soul, and her own doom-soul description, earning a place on the Polaris Music Prize short list. Neuroplasticity followed in 2014 with fuller arrangements and sessions completed between England and Montréal, while Fool's Paradise arrived in 2017. After an extended period away from releasing music, Hussein returned with the fourth album Light for the Midnight in April 2025. Produced with Adrian Utley and Ali Chant, the record expands Cold Specks' palette through art rock, torch-song atmosphere, brass, piano, strings, and rhythm-section detail while keeping Hussein's voice and writing at its centre. Secret City Records released the album in Canada and Mute handled it internationally. Light for the Midnight appeared on the 2025 Polaris Music Prize long list. Current artist-controlled Bandcamp metadata and Apple Music both identify Toronto as the project's base, and the 2025 album confirms active status.