Hear Sid Vashi's New Single 'Prey' - A Glimpse Into Azuma Kazuma

“As an experiment with promising results, Motherland Tourism proves that Indian film music could still in theory retain its core ridiculousness and move forward with the times without being derivative and formulaic.” And thus, Arul Kacker tied a neat bow around Sid Vashi’s last release—a debut LP he put out a little over three years ago.

For those who find themselves swimming firmly with the current of our indie-imbued times, fair to say Vashi’s trajectory has been slow and steady enough to warrant a re-introduction. Especially the week before he puts out his first narrative album, Azuma Kazuma. Almost a year in the making, it’s a definite labour of love, but has it been worth the wait? We figured a sneak peek (listen?) of his single Prey might be the best way to get ahead of it all.

The track, which goes down a lot smoother when listened to as a cog in the wheel that is the entire album, is only certain in its uncertainty. Largely representative of a sound that’s consciously unpredictable is representative of the sound one could expect or not expect from Azuma Kazuma as a whole. The only thing that’s certain is its unpredictability. Bits and bobs of Bollywood, Jazz, Electronica and even Religious music take turns playing both the undertones and the meat in this new release.

Starting off with a vocal interplay between Divya Lewis and Soopy, the initial sound design is almost bonobo-esque with an emotive and ambient pad adding subtlety and calmness. Vashi’s layered this well with drums that sound organic and groovy at the same time. The bass is also tuned to perfection. Then, just when you think you know where the track is going, Josh McDonald comes in with a trumpet section which lends the whole track an unassuming charm. The simple interaction of these parts along with intricate aural elements shape strong auditory hallucinations. The fact that a single can pack this much alone is enough reason to look out for the album and is certainly one to look out for. We asked Vashi three small questions to lend some context to this single, and all that we can anticipate in the album to come.

HG: Tell us about the story that runs through this album?

SV: The album tells the story of FT-1089, just a regular dude whose job is to prospect for new sources of energy on passing astral surfaces. One day on a routine mission, his air support mechanism malfunctions and he almost dies. The album tells the story of his journey, escaping the corporate space colony he lives and works in and trying to return home.

HG: How did ‘Prey’ fall in place?

SV: This song was rearranged and re-recorded several times. I recorded some of Soopy’s vocals for another song, but found that they fit better here. Divya’s vocal part was the strangest thing because I had previously had a vocal sample in there and she came up with something very similar without even hearing it. My buddy Josh McDonald, who I used to play with and who played on a bunch of songs on my last project, sent me some incredible trumpet playing and I used the parts to create a feel of collective improvisation similar to that of Charles Mingus.

HG: In the sequence of the story that guides your album, where does ‘Prey’ fit in?

SV: This song comes in at a time where the hero has successfully escaped but is hopelessly lost. His nutritional supplements are running out and he must resort to foraging for organic material on random astral bodies. However, the starvation and constant fluxes in air pressure cause him to hallucinate wildly and he is having trouble keeping it together.

Listen to Prey below, and keep your eyes and ears peeled for Azuma Kazuma, expertly illustrated by Johnny Ganta, set to release at the end of April.

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Inputs: Tansha Vohra and Achal Khanolkar