SONG OF THE DAY Azmari – Hadashi

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Not every song that is slow to build gives a sense of intrigue, but Hadashi really does! It’s a bit mysterious, a bit tense, a bit spiritual and rather attractive in a way that really draws you in even before you have heard all that it has to offer.. I like that!

Azmari are a band that specialise in fusions of psychfunk, afrobeat, ethiojazz and dub. Founded in Brussels in 2015, this band are into experimenting and have been crafting a very unique tapestry of musical explorations for sometime now. Combining intricate jazz textures with hypnotic oriental influences, mesmerising ethio grooves and hearty deep funk, they also like to add the off beats of dub rhythms into the mix.

With influences including the likes of Heliocentrics, Whitefield Brothers, Surprise chef, Antibalas and Sons of Kemet to inspire, its hardly surprising their sound is a heady amalgamation of all of the above – but they have still managed to define their own sound. Azmari are cosmic and futuristic in places, yet high on past traditions in others. Their ability to tie in such a spectrum of sounds is one of the reasons I really appreciate what they do!

Last month saw the release of new album, Maelström, and I’ve been playing through it since I started writing this. Now at Octopus Perspective, the name alone evokes some rather lovely ideas in the head. The music is journeying and I’ve no trouble tuning into this…all of this, in fact!

This record is a thoroughly wonderful listen and I can see why it has been described as a “new era of musical ecstasy“!!

Hadashi was the first track I heard from the record, so I am going to show my gratitude to this by featuring it today! It’s a great song, so it didn’t take much persuasion – nor time for that matter, I knew I liked this from the first few seconds! It’s delicious, gentle and enveloping which, after a day like I’ve had, offers nothing but pure therapy and escape!…

Check it out above and if you fancy hearing the rest of the album, I’ve pasted it below!