Siren Islands Arooj Aftab

AROOJ AFTAB

SIREN ISLANDS

Siren Islands is a raw collection of ambient, experimental electronic music from Pakistan-born, Brooklyn-based composer and performer Arooj Aftab. Aftab has a style all to her own, layering “intricate vocals over subtle electronic manipulations, jazz references, and heritage influence to create a tangible atmosphere of invitation and mystery” (I Care If You Listen). Carrying strong themes of female empowerment, and taking inspiration from the mythology of Sirenum Scopuli, the record has been praised by the New York Times's Seth Colter Walls as "easily one of my favorite releases from the first half of this year."

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Siren Islands is a raw collection of ambient, experimental electronic music, carrying strong themes of female empowerment, and taking inspiration from the mythology of Sirenum Scopuli. While working on the project, Aftab spent many winter nights in a very deep musical meditation, experimenting with analog synthesizers, loop pedals, electric guitar, and her own deeply enchanting voice. It is an immersive work filled with "spiraling soundscapes for lo-fi dreaming."

Written and performed by Aftab alone, each track is recorded live and tracked to a single mono input, creating an intimate world that is difficult to escape, balanced between the ancient and contemporary.

from distant waters, from parallel worlds,

concealed by the drifting mists of floating islands

come the siren songs

beckoning the spirit to submerge and submit

Tracklisting:

Island No. 1
Island No. 2
Island No. 3
Ovid’s Metamorphoses

Written and performed by Arooj Aftab
Mixed and mastered by Damon Whittemore
Artwork “Miss Rockaway” courtesy of Swoon Studio
Liner notes by Radhika Singh