Subat is the surname and alias of Afghani multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Ajmal Subat, a Los Angeles based artist who has been specializing in a striking blend of Middle Eastern instrumentation & psychedelic indie rock arrangements that defies convention. An avid student of music since the age of 10, Subat initially got his start studying strictly traditional Afghan music through the harmonium, but eventually acquired an interest in American pop & alternative music in his late teens.
Intensely mystified by the early works of Radiohead, Nick Drake, & Depeche Mode, Subat made it his mission to merge his formal traditional training with his newfound love of subversive indie pop late last year, which has finally culminated into his upcoming debut project Subrosa. The first single off of the project is entitled "Adrian", and it is a slow building indie-folk ballad about falling out of love, and how being accepting of the situation can be for the best.
Subat elaborates:
I wrote (half of) Adrian in 2012. It was initially about a person whom I cared about deeply but because my existence in their life wasn't contributing to their growth, I had to wish them the best from afar. First time in my life I realized sometimes you gotta just send them love without being involved. Took a break from the song for a few years.. When i started working on the song again, I realized I was singing it to myself – was a song I needed to hear during the darkest phase of my life. I was caught in a depression loop and couldn't get out. so. the song eventually became the friend both me and my former lover needed to hear.
Connect with Subat: Instagram / Facebook / Soundcloud / Twitter
