O now this is the shit (occasionally seems like some instruments other than listed, but might be how the listed are used---wouldn't swear she's not the flute, also, like it says, A masterful expression of lyrical and acoustic soul, tripped out through analog voltage and experimental digital filters.)creditsreleased March 9, 2015
Bird Under WaterWritten, Arranged and Produced by Arooj Aftab
Arooj Aftab - VocalsJörn Bielfeldt - Drums/PercussionMario Carrillo - Contra-BassBhrigu Sahni - Acoustic/Electric GuitarMagda Giannikou - Accordion on tracks 2, 3 and 4Sonny Singh - Trumpet on tracks 2 and 5Baqir Abbas - Bansuri on track 1Rakae Jamil - Sitar on track 3
Tracks 2, 3 and 5 co-written with Bhrigu SahniMixed and Mastered by Jeremy LoucasEngineered by Joshua Valleau and Alex SynerAlbum Art by Anum Awan and Yikun Lianghttps://aroojaftab.bandcamp.com/album/bird-under-water
― dow, Wednesday, 12 May 2021 23:20 (two years ago) link
Kind of a DePlume vibe, or related appeal,anyway, but maybe earlier in the day or evening, and a little more spare?https://alabasterdeplume.bandcamp.com/album/to-cy-lee-instrumentals-vol-1
― dow, Monday, 31 May 2021 22:06 (two years ago) link
Sorry, meant to link re Carlos Niño & Friends on Rolling Jazz, but Arooj fans might dig that album too.
― dow, Monday, 31 May 2021 22:11 (two years ago) link
certainly digging it
― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, 1 June 2021 15:35 (two years ago) link
she’s on obama's summer playlist lol
― the mai tai quinn (voodoo chili), Saturday, 10 July 2021 14:37 (two years ago) link
prob freaking out a lotta rightwingnuts who have no idea who she is
― Yours in Sorrow, A Schoolboy: (forksclovetofu), Monday, 12 July 2021 15:29 (two years ago) link
Suroor might be my highlight from Vulture Prince, but there are moments in every song where she stops me in whatever I was doing. I also love how she manages to jump from orchestral to reggae to harp-folk to post-rock delicate soundscapes in an otherwise very consistent style. Suroor sounds like a Mande-Arabic fusion, in a pleasant unplaceable global way that I guess is the new platonic ideal of world music.
― Nabozo, Wednesday, 21 July 2021 10:01 (two years ago) link
there are moments in every song where she stops me in whatever I was doing
I hadn't listened to this in a little while, but I put it on while in mountains with some friends for the first time in a year and everyone was totally spellbound. It's really powerful
― rob, Wednesday, 21 July 2021 13:03 (two years ago) link
yeah you gotta be careful where and when you put it on haha
it’s firmly a “don’t drive with this” album for me, along with prefab sprout’s i trawl the megahertz
― bezos did the dub (voodoo chili), Wednesday, 21 July 2021 13:17 (two years ago) link
I wonder how much Obama pays his playlist consultants
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 21 July 2021 13:17 (two years ago) link
and are they hiring? I always feel mildly owned when those lists drop lol
do we have a driving music thread? vc's post reminds me of a friend who would drive to stuff like Stars of the Lid and Windy & Carl that would 100% result in my death if I tried it
― rob, Wednesday, 21 July 2021 13:33 (two years ago) link
Heard this for the first time yesterday and was utterly entranced. By necessity, so much of my listening these days is done while doing other things - working, cooking, chores, etc. It is rare that an artist so completely pulls me out of my immediate focus and compels me to listen the way this did from the opening track.
― Indexed, Thursday, 2 September 2021 13:54 (two years ago) link
best album of the year, imo
― grove street (party) direction (voodoo chili), Thursday, 2 September 2021 14:01 (two years ago) link
nommed for best new artist at the grammys lol
― grove street (party) direction (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 23 November 2021 18:09 (two years ago) link
that's what the obama co-sign will do for you
― grove street (party) direction (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 23 November 2021 18:10 (two years ago) link
LMAO
― Indexed, Tuesday, 23 November 2021 18:46 (two years ago) link
also up for best global album i think.
― When Young Sheldon began to rap (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 23 November 2021 21:59 (two years ago) link
she's on my year-end list, great album
― J Edgar Noothgrush (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Tuesday, 23 November 2021 22:00 (two years ago) link
same
― maf you one two (maffew12), Tuesday, 23 November 2021 22:17 (two years ago) link
vinyl just went up on bandcamp i guess... last batches sold fast
― maf you one two (maffew12), Tuesday, 23 November 2021 22:24 (two years ago) link
― bezos did the dub (voodoo chili), Wednesday, July 21, 2021 6:17 AM (four months ago) bookmarkflaglink
off topic but i find this comment funny because I actually associate I Trawl the Megahertz with driving (specifically, during the first wave of the pandemic, when it felt like the world was collapsing)
anyways, just listened to this record and it's indeed lovely
― josh az (2011nostalgia), Wednesday, 24 November 2021 07:12 (two years ago) link
yeah it's def one of my favorites this year, I can listen forever
― corrs unplugged, Wednesday, 24 November 2021 08:48 (two years ago) link
Me too, discovered through this thread in April. Haven't come across any mention of it anywhere else.
― fetter, Wednesday, 24 November 2021 09:34 (two years ago) link
This album is great, I'm so behind keeping up with stuff, so ... thanks Grammys?
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 24 November 2021 23:27 (two years ago) link
not sure why mohabbat seems to be considered the standout on this record.
meanwhile, saans lo has to be one of the most transcendental songs I've heard in years. the production and instrumentation on it remind me a lot of the title track from jim o'rourke's eureka
― josh az (2011nostalgia), Monday, 13 December 2021 05:52 (two years ago) link
I agree it's not an obvious standout
believe "Last Night" was the lead single
― corrs unplugged, Monday, 13 December 2021 15:28 (two years ago) link
I think it's just that Mohabbat's finger picking give it pace and a familiarity to a western audience. Saans Lo is gorgeous but works better as an album track than "the one" to represent her to a new listener.
― Indexed, Monday, 13 December 2021 16:07 (two years ago) link
i'm on a serious Arooj Aftab and Myriam Gendron kick.
who else sounds like them? long, slow, gorgeous songs ... language doesn't matter.
― alpine static, Friday, 18 February 2022 04:41 (two years ago) link
looking forward to seeing her at Coachella! one of my favorite discoveries on the lineup.
― DT, Friday, 18 February 2022 09:22 (two years ago) link
if you want arooj adjacent stuff (at least geographically) this is a festival my buddy did and it's packed with good artistshttps://www.habibi-festival.com/
― i cannot help if you made yourself not funny (forksclovetofu), Saturday, 19 February 2022 23:16 (two years ago) link
first Sharon Van Etten albumjulie doiron's desormaismaybe Sandro Perri's Tiny MirrorsIan William Craig - A Turn Of Breathfirst couple Weather Station albumsAgnes Obel maybe
― sean gramophone, Sunday, 20 February 2022 16:35 (two years ago) link
Qareeb (1987) by Najma
― corrs unplugged, Monday, 21 February 2022 11:58 (two years ago) link
o yes corrs I think your suggestion is relevant as hell. Also don't miss the earlier music on Arooj's Bandcamp.
― dow, Monday, 21 February 2022 20:10 (two years ago) link
Mahsa Vahdat albums plus her duet one with now late blues-soul singer Mighty Sam MMcClain
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 22 February 2022 18:52 (two years ago) link
nice will check
xp thanks dow, yeah that's a real gem
― corrs unplugged, Wednesday, 23 February 2022 09:24 (two years ago) link
Bonus track with Anoushka Shankar which will be on the Deluxe edition of Vulture Princehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibDff_3V_5EUdhero Na
Arooj describes it as a track dearest to her heart, written in 2005 and never released. It translates to "Please undo" and refers to the "fleeting emotional moment when the thought of someone from a very old and ‘passed’ relationship just pops into your head”.
― Nabozo, Monday, 21 March 2022 10:06 (two years ago) link
Maybe everyone knew that song already, but I listened to it again in the bath two days ago after a full day in bed nursing what proved to be not the flu but an infection, and thinking of the dear friend I lost three weeks ago, and it was stunningly beautiful and appropriate for grief, it resonated on the wall and slowed down time and brought the introspective outside.
― Nabozo, Friday, 1 April 2022 21:07 (two years ago) link
bought a couple tracks on bandcamp today and included a message asking what her set time will be at coachella :) i'm sure it will be early in the day but we'll see.
― DT, Friday, 1 April 2022 22:48 (two years ago) link
She was nominated for best new artist Grammy, but just lost to Olivia Rodrigo
― curmudgeon, Monday, 4 April 2022 01:21 (two years ago) link
Maaan---not surprising of course, but
― dow, Monday, 4 April 2022 03:53 (two years ago) link
I thought it was just cool that they showed her! Very clearly!
― alpine static, Monday, 4 April 2022 06:41 (two years ago) link
Arooj won Best Global Music Performance. best in the world!!! they had to give Olivia something
― maf you one two (maffew12), Monday, 4 April 2022 11:46 (two years ago) link
A highly competitive category, full of highly respected legendary nominees. I am humbled and grateful for this win. Making a deeply personal and crossover music, in Urdu, and being seen for it… feels like a breakthrough. thank you AND congratulations ❤️ pic.twitter.com/FXyth4w9hK
― dow, Tuesday, 5 April 2022 19:46 (two years ago) link
Arooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooj
She and her band were fantastic at Big Ears, even as an already-fan I was impressed.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 5 April 2022 23:16 (two years ago) link
i'm on a serious Arooj Aftab and Myriam Gendron kick.who else sounds like them? long, slow, gorgeous songs ... language doesn't matter.― alpine static, Thursday, February 17, 2022 8:41 PM (one month ago)
― alpine static, Thursday, February 17, 2022 8:41 PM (one month ago)
Julie Byrne! Don't know how I didn't make that connection earlier.
― alpine static, Tuesday, 5 April 2022 23:35 (two years ago) link
what is Julie Byrne up to, for pete's sake
not to take away from Arooj ... super stoked for her, and that tweet is awesome
― alpine static, Tuesday, 5 April 2022 23:36 (two years ago) link
Congratulations to the sensational @arooj_aftab on being the first Pakistani singer to win a Grammy. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/XFWPGKK1il— Jemima Goldsmith (@Jemima_Khan) April 5, 2022
― dow, Wednesday, 6 April 2022 04:21 (two years ago) link
Anyone in Chicago want 2 tix for tonight's show? Happy to give them away. Wife got COVID and hate for them to go to waste.
― Indexed, Monday, 11 April 2022 16:43 (two years ago) link
Anyone see a show? Going up to Toronto the week and excited to catch her... at what seems to be the only non festival gig she's got booked.
― maf you one two (maffew12), Sunday, 3 July 2022 11:44 (one year ago) link
Yeah it's more an ECM album with Arooj than an Arooj Aftab album. I also found the beginning to be too quiet, but now I'm enjoying the dialogue between piano and double bass and the tranquil warmth (Shadow Forces - Sajni), the slightly darker Eyes of the Endless. I think there's enough tension and beauty to hook me.
― Nabozo, Monday, 27 March 2023 12:57 (one year ago) link
I have precisely zero problems with sleepy ECM plus Arooj.
― Tim F, Monday, 27 March 2023 20:13 (one year ago) link
It's not sleepy, exactly — it's just a slow build. And you really need to listen to the whole thing front to back; you can't really pluck one track out (though I did, obviously, when covering it for Stereogum).
― but also fuck you (unperson), Monday, 27 March 2023 20:15 (one year ago) link
Nate Chinen interviews Love In Exile:
On this special episode of All Songs Considered, Iyer, Aftab and Ismaily sat down in the Brooklyn recording studio Ismaily owns for for an in-depth conversation that touches on the origins of the trio, which they say felt instantly charged with spiritual energies. They also dicussed the implications of the name "Love in Exile," with its play of diaspora and longing; the mysterious way that a song form can emerge out of group improv and "ritual time" as an expression of tempo ungoverned by genre or market concerns.
― dow, Wednesday, 29 March 2023 23:21 (one year ago) link
Saw the Love in Exile trio Friday night . I enjoyed the ethereal soundscapes they did. It's a Vijay Iyer led project. Aftab sounded great when she sang. But she looked a little stressed. Early in the show she noted that she had monitor issues, and then later she didn't talk in between songs much -- a couple of comments about wanting more wine to drink onstage.(that first sounded like a joke or sarcasm, but after second comment about it , she seemed annoyed with the theatre for real).
― curmudgeon, Monday, 17 April 2023 04:39 (one year ago) link
I saw that a couple of dates from the Love In Exile tour have turned up on Dime. Not listened to the sets yet. Have enjoyed teh couple of tracks I've heard by her and did see she got an article in one of teh UK monthlies last moth that I've been too busy to read so far. Hopefully get to that over next few days.
― Stevo, Monday, 17 April 2023 09:06 (one year ago) link
Lot of good stuff on her Bandcamp. I'd take all that over the live Love in Exile performance linked upthread (because Vijay's long-ass ruminations), but haven't yet heard the album or tour bits.
― dow, Monday, 17 April 2023 16:54 (one year ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6QNNxCf-3s
New Aftab, Iyer, Ismaily on NPR Tiny Desk (there's also an older Tiny Desk with Aftab with her own band)
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 14 May 2023 14:35 (eleven months ago) link
Is it just me or is this lovely new single giving Sade vibes?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5IOeXg1jJY
― Tim F, Wednesday, 17 April 2024 19:02 (one week ago) link
Yep, trailer for this sure does
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 18 April 2024 04:53 (six days ago) link
directed by Tessa Thompson
― Murgatroid, Thursday, 18 April 2024 05:59 (six days ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLE-B7_bSSw
this is the single and yeah it is very much giving sade vibes, i love it
― ufo, Thursday, 18 April 2024 09:47 (six days ago) link
gorgeous song and video
― Murgatroid, Thursday, 18 April 2024 16:22 (six days ago) link
New album Night Reign coming May 31. Moor Mother guests on a track
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 18 April 2024 16:38 (six days ago) link
Contender for SOTY (so far) IMO
― Tim F, Friday, 19 April 2024 22:29 (five days ago) link
US tour....in 2025, it looks like
― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Friday, 19 April 2024 23:06 (five days ago) link
Such a beautiful song
― rob, Saturday, 20 April 2024 00:11 (four days ago) link
― Tim F, Friday, April 19, 2024 6:29 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink
absolutely, my goodness
― ivy., Saturday, 20 April 2024 00:18 (four days ago) link
I'm not so sure it works in isolation as a single, but I am sure it will in the context of the album. I like the instrumental development in the middle, the vocal effects are a bit much but still gorgeous.
― Nabozo, Sunday, 21 April 2024 08:59 (three days ago) link
Agree, sounds like an album cut to me. Very hyped for this!
reminds me a bit of Sade's "Immigrant"
― corrs unplugged, Monday, 22 April 2024 07:21 (two days ago) link