 KARUAN & BAND |
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Karuan´s long awaited followup to his debut "Dohuki Ballet" is finally here.
Entitled "Pop Arif", album no.2 is nothing you might have expected after listening to his first offering. But yes, "Pop Arif" is magic.
What you will be hearing is the transition of an artist from simply being a composer to a true songwriter.
Instead of riding on the success of "Dohuki Ballet" and dropping a second album straight after, he let his style evolve to the next level. In the tradition of another famous Kurdish musician, Mohamed Arif, his music has taken a slight turn towards pop music.
But neither Mr.Arif nor Karuan intendend to take this route, it all came totally natural. The album title therefore, can be understood as a homage to modern Kurdish music in general and Mr. Arif specifically.
The first thing one will notice, when listening to "Pop Arif" is the heavy use of vocals compared to album no.1. For those who know Karuan personally, this will come as no surprise. Karuan had been singing and playing guitar in Indie-bands through out his teenage years and beyond.
The incorporation of vocals opens up a new dimension, making it even harder to describe "Pop Arif" in a couple of words. Bottom line though, is that Karuan is playing in his own league now. We here at Sunshine call it "Unique Urban-oriental Soul".
His talent to incorporate the most diverse instruments into his clever and thought out arrangements have been driven to perfection on "Pop Arif". Flutes, guitars and foremost vocals are arranged and fitted into his soulful productions.
The outcome is a timeless album, full of real songs and not just simple tracks.
There´s not a single filler - this makes this album so well rounded.
His open minded approach towards other genres, is best manifested with his selection of guest musicians: Classically trained Mara Mastalir, the up&coming L´Enfant Terrible, the leftfield spoken word artist Oddateee, Lai Cheun and Metin Yillmaz Kendal.
Take "The Holy Is Under The Light" for example. State of the art uptempo club beats synched with energy driven guitar riffs and his slightly filtered voice make this song a happening. Perfectly suited for commercial radio, iPods, big festivals and small clubs alike, displaying the album´s cross-over potential.
Or just listen to the exceptional "Chocolate Distance (Hypnotized)". The ladies will love this catchy tune, with its beautiful chords and Mara´s touching voice. This one has hit written all over it!
On "Reflections Of A Poem" the melancholic sound of the flute is mixed with hip hop drums, a touch of dub and spoken words courtesy of Oddateee.
Karuan displays an overall golden touch for melodies. Just listen to the outstanding ballad "Nothing Is Over" or the r&b flavoured "A Sweet Way Out".
The most exciting thing about "Pop Arif" is it´s ability to keep on growing, unlike many albums nowadays, that quickly lose their fascination with the second or third listening.
"Pop Arif" takes the listener on a carpet ride through Kurdish mountains, down to Brooklyn and back to Vienna. |
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