This track popped up in a playlist I was listening to and intrigued me instantly with its unique, creative sound. Although the track predominantly consists of just four layers of instrumentation – a violin loop, a male and female spoken word recording, and a tabla as the percussion – it is the way these layers interact that’s so fascinating.
The tabla seems to be the driving force, setting the pace of the violin recording. Where it gets interesting is how tightly woven together the tabla and the vocals are. As the track progresses, these two instruments become closer entwined until it sounds as if the complex rhythms of the tabla are triggering the vocals themselves.
The tabla is an instrument that’s centuries old, and the human voice has existed longer than our recorded history; yet on this track Asa-Chang & Junray do something completely new with them. And throughout that uniqueness, they still create something that is relatable and enjoyable. Give it a listen below:
Bandcamp:
TOTW Playlist: