Push play on Ash Koosha's new album, I AKA I, and you'll realize you are in another realm of electronic music altogether. Less than 25 seconds into track one, "Ote," you find yourself in a squiggling, squelching matrix of sound that's about as comfortable as a bad acid trip. Like a kid who's stumbled upon a late-night horror movie, you'll start to consider turning back to the nice, happy reality you came from. You shouldn't give in, though, because I AKA I is one of the best releases of the year. It just takes a minute to adapt.
Ashkan Kooshanejad is originally from Iran, and has now set up shop as a producer in the UK. His interest and experiences with synesthesia, technology, film, and virtual reality influence his outlandish, futuristic compositions. Explaining the album's title, Koosha says "I face a version of myself which is merged with technology and enhanced: is it a different entity, or is it me but improved? That’s why I called it I AKA I."
Ash Koosha has now released visuals for "Mudafossil," a vortex of bodies that look like they're made of liquid mercury. The video, directed by Hirad Sab and Dalena Tran, feels like a sequel to last year's "I Feel That" video, and they accompany each other nicely. Check out both videos below. I AKA I is available now through Ninja Tune.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1uT9huLwCQ&nohtml5=False[/youtube]
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