Niningashi – Heavy Way
If the full moon could sing, it would likely sound like Grammy award winner Arooj Aftab. It’s no surprise that Aftab has shared she draws inspiration from the night, and she beautifully captures the quiet intimacy that emerges after sunset in her new release Night Reign. It’s clear that there was little dedication to any one genre, and listeners will find heavy jazz and devotional elements with refreshing glimmers of post-punk bass lines in “Bolo Na” and even afrobeat rhythms in “Raat Ki Rani.” The depth of calm in Aftab’s voice feels endless, but she underscores it as a result of an alchemy of “displacement, reinvention, exile, chaos, feminism, and the maddening fabric of love and loss and tragedy in the world.” This is a most relevant and important discourse in these tumultuous times. Night Reign is another instant classic by Aftab, and a must for those in search of a sonic salve for the soul.
Recommended – Full Listen
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Tags: Now Sound
Tracklist:
A1 Aey Nehin
A2 Na Gul
A3 Autumn Leaves
A4 Whiskey
A5 Zameen
B1 Raat Ki Rani
B2 Saaqi
B3 Bolo Na
B4 Last Night Reprise
Credits:
Creative Director, Design – Symrin Chawla
Liner Notes – Lynnée Denise
Mastered By – Daddy Kev
Mixed By – Joshua Valleau*, Marc Anthony Thompson c/o Chocolate Genius Incorporated* (tracks: 9)
Photography By – Kate Sterlin, Shreya Dev Dube
Producer – Arooj Aftab, Marc Anthony Thompson c/o Chocolate Genius Incorporated* (tracks: 9)
Written-By – Arooj Aftab (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 9), Begum Akhtar (tracks: 9), Jacques Prévert (tracks: 3), Johnny Mercer (tracks: 3), Joseph Kosma (tracks: 3), Marc Anthony Thompson c/o Chocolate Genius Incorporated* (tracks: 9)
