Yusuf Azak
Anyone following me on Facebook in the last week will have been unable to avoid my growing excitement over the release of Yusuf Azak's debut album Turn On the Long Wire, and the positive attention it's been getting from music blogs and podcasts.
I first heard Yusuf's music when I was listening to demos for Glastonbury Festival's 'Emerging Talent Competition. Michelle had had Yusuf's demo in her box, and was really excited about it, so brought it to the panel. The recordings sounded a little bit as if they'd been made on a cassette recorder positioned halfway across the room, but there was something beguiling about them. Beneath that, was clear that a lot more care had gone into them than into many hundreds of the other discs we'd been listening to for weeks.
Taken as a whole, the panel didn't choose to put Yusuf through to the finals - it was an exceptionally strong year in the 'Acoustic' category, to be fair, even the extraordinary Birdengine didn't make the final - but a couple of us kept watching him, and after a while I plucked up the courage to invite him to write a piece for the upcoming Attack!!!! CD.
The result was 19:19.
In 2009, Yusuf collaborated with me on The Key Underground for my (as yet incomplete) Two Heads project.
2009 was also the first time I'd seen Yusuf play live, on my birthday and then at the Attack!!!! 13 launch. Live, his sound is stripped down to just his voice and guitar, both of which he uses to idiosyncratic but bewitching effect. It is actually in the live performances that I think his greatest strengths show. I like Yusuf because it feels to me as if he is always on the edge of something, expressing something which is almost inexpressible, and pushing his guitar in such a way that it always feels as if he might just miss the next note.
Last week Michelle and I went to see him play at the Grain Barge. That was the first time I knew that the Key Underground had made it onto Yusuf's new album and so I not only have a (hardly deserved) thanks but also a writing credit! It is a peculiar joy to hear someone of his calibre sing your own words to an audience.
Not only that, but it's very satisfying to see the album and even the track in which I had a hand attracting diverse praise, especially remembering back to hearing those first few demo tracks years ago. I think best of all was probably seeing it featured on Jon Hillcock's New Noise podcast.
Well worth checking out the video for the first track on that podcast, too, Pogo's incredible 'Snow White' remix, 'Wishery':
Some other feedback for the track and album (get them here!) - so gratifying to see this:
Herald Scotland - "...as distinctive a sound as has appeared this year"
Codes and Signals - "A sweet little sample from a Mills and Boon novel come to life, repeats all the way through, like a romantic Eno who has never drunk coffee"
It All Started With Carbon Monoxide - "...best played loud, I find, with all your windows open so that people passing by can enjoy it too"
Have Fun At Dinner - "What Yusuf Azak has achieved with 'Turn On The Long Wire' is a solid and enchanting debut album"
Sound of the Overground - Band of the Week; "What's not to like?"
Drowned in Sound [on 'Eastern Sun, from the album] - "...I nearly made it Single of the Week..."
Folly of Youth - "A headphone album for today’s looped guitar freak-folk movement?"
GaydarNation - "Fourth track ‘The Key Underground’ is the standout... this is a debut to savour..."
Mojophenia - "It`s only occasionally a character like Yusuf Azak comes along, an extraordinary talent"
Edinburgh Man - "If I did albums of the week, this would certainly be that. It’s quite special, and quite unlike anything I’ve heard this year"
You can download Yusuf's first two EPs in full, for free from his myspace, and also check to see live dates there.
You can buy the full album Turn On The Long Wire for only £8 and download two more tracks for free from Song, By Toad records.
I first heard Yusuf's music when I was listening to demos for Glastonbury Festival's 'Emerging Talent Competition. Michelle had had Yusuf's demo in her box, and was really excited about it, so brought it to the panel. The recordings sounded a little bit as if they'd been made on a cassette recorder positioned halfway across the room, but there was something beguiling about them. Beneath that, was clear that a lot more care had gone into them than into many hundreds of the other discs we'd been listening to for weeks.
Taken as a whole, the panel didn't choose to put Yusuf through to the finals - it was an exceptionally strong year in the 'Acoustic' category, to be fair, even the extraordinary Birdengine didn't make the final - but a couple of us kept watching him, and after a while I plucked up the courage to invite him to write a piece for the upcoming Attack!!!! CD.
The result was 19:19.
In 2009, Yusuf collaborated with me on The Key Underground for my (as yet incomplete) Two Heads project.
2009 was also the first time I'd seen Yusuf play live, on my birthday and then at the Attack!!!! 13 launch. Live, his sound is stripped down to just his voice and guitar, both of which he uses to idiosyncratic but bewitching effect. It is actually in the live performances that I think his greatest strengths show. I like Yusuf because it feels to me as if he is always on the edge of something, expressing something which is almost inexpressible, and pushing his guitar in such a way that it always feels as if he might just miss the next note.
Last week Michelle and I went to see him play at the Grain Barge. That was the first time I knew that the Key Underground had made it onto Yusuf's new album and so I not only have a (hardly deserved) thanks but also a writing credit! It is a peculiar joy to hear someone of his calibre sing your own words to an audience.
Not only that, but it's very satisfying to see the album and even the track in which I had a hand attracting diverse praise, especially remembering back to hearing those first few demo tracks years ago. I think best of all was probably seeing it featured on Jon Hillcock's New Noise podcast.
Well worth checking out the video for the first track on that podcast, too, Pogo's incredible 'Snow White' remix, 'Wishery':
Click to viewSome other feedback for the track and album (get them here!) - so gratifying to see this:
Herald Scotland - "...as distinctive a sound as has appeared this year"
Codes and Signals - "A sweet little sample from a Mills and Boon novel come to life, repeats all the way through, like a romantic Eno who has never drunk coffee"
It All Started With Carbon Monoxide - "...best played loud, I find, with all your windows open so that people passing by can enjoy it too"
Have Fun At Dinner - "What Yusuf Azak has achieved with 'Turn On The Long Wire' is a solid and enchanting debut album"
Sound of the Overground - Band of the Week; "What's not to like?"
Drowned in Sound [on 'Eastern Sun, from the album] - "...I nearly made it Single of the Week..."
Folly of Youth - "A headphone album for today’s looped guitar freak-folk movement?"
GaydarNation - "Fourth track ‘The Key Underground’ is the standout... this is a debut to savour..."
Mojophenia - "It`s only occasionally a character like Yusuf Azak comes along, an extraordinary talent"
Edinburgh Man - "If I did albums of the week, this would certainly be that. It’s quite special, and quite unlike anything I’ve heard this year"
You can download Yusuf's first two EPs in full, for free from his myspace, and also check to see live dates there.
You can buy the full album Turn On The Long Wire for only £8 and download two more tracks for free from Song, By Toad records.