Loud Sounds 113
Hatis Noit – Aura (Laraaji rework)
Laraaji's oeuvre is all about the subtlety of emotion. On most of his works he manages to show us a seemingly similar musical landscape from a multitude of emotional angles that all belong to his own sonic universe. His music is a place I always long to return to after my daily struggles, like a traveler longs to return home.
This made his collaboration with Hatis Noit all the more interesting. Hatis Noit, in her turn, is an artist who manages to go from one emotional extreme to another in a short span of a song. Her striking debut Aura is a perfect example of this approach. Laraaji's rework of the song is an undescribable marriage of energy and calmness that the artists achieved by mixing the original with open-tuned zither and kalimba, as well as Laraaji's vocal contributions.
Laraaji's oeuvre is all about the subtlety of emotion. On most of his works he manages to show us a seemingly similar musical landscape from a multitude of emotional angles that all belong to his own sonic universe. His music is a place I always long to return to after my daily struggles, like a traveler longs to return home.
This made his collaboration with Hatis Noit all the more interesting. Hatis Noit, in her turn, is an artist who manages to go from one emotional extreme to another in a short span of a song. Her striking debut Aura is a perfect example of this approach. Laraaji's rework of the song is an undescribable marriage of energy and calmness that the artists achieved by mixing the original with open-tuned zither and kalimba, as well as Laraaji's vocal contributions.
Hatis Noit
The first time I saw Laraaji was in a Thai field, where the strong sun made the dry wind swirl with dust. The sweet sensation of drinking from a coconut, whilst being gently enveloped by Laraaji's laughter workshop, made me feel completely content. Shortly after I learned from friends that his live concert brought them to tears... A few months passed until I could finally witness his live performance myself as we were sharing the same stage in this beautiful church in Knoxville, Tennessee during Big Ears Festival. As I listened to his blissful sounds, I recalled the lingering scent of the dusty field, and nature's beauty that I sought to celebrate with Aura. I'm more than grateful for his contributions to this reworking of the piece.
Laraaji
Contributing to the reworking of Aura was exhilarating fun, a very high sun-filled moment during winter 2024 in Joshua’s Brooklyn studio. We intended to invent multi-timbral sound tracks that would be mixed with Hatis’s engaging vocal art. Performing open tune zither, kalimba and voice was a refreshing creative treat. We recorded a generous amount of tracks to ensure that Joshua and Robert would have a wide variety of material to play with in the mixing session. Upon listening to their final mix, I’m convinced that Hatis’s vocal transmissions are sensitively complimented and honored. Hearing the blending of her voice art and my contributions landed in a luminous place in my heart.
Listen to more music from both artists.
Leyya – What Did I Do Wrong
Leyya's beautifully comforting song with its airy vocals, dreamy guitars and constantly changing synthesyzer textures will appeal to fans of bands like Men I Trust and Tennis. The lyrics penned by singer Sophie deal with the evergreen topic of "self-reflection as a consequence of inner turbulence".
Leyya's beautifully comforting song with its airy vocals, dreamy guitars and constantly changing synthesyzer textures will appeal to fans of bands like Men I Trust and Tennis. The lyrics penned by singer Sophie deal with the evergreen topic of "self-reflection as a consequence of inner turbulence".
Check out more music from the Austrian band.