Ki , the first album of the Devin Townsend Project tetralogy was written to " set the stage " for the subsequent albums . Townsend channeled his new @-@ found control and sobriety into Ki , a " tense , quiet " album , which contrast with much of the music he had been known for . Additional female vocals was provided by Ché Aimee Dorval ( Casualties of Cool ) . Ki was released in May 2009 .