Aftab, Arooj: Love In Exile w/Vijay Iyer & Shahzad Ismaily LP

Arooj Aftab is a semi-classical, Hindustani, minimalist composer, songwriter, and singer who grew up in Pakistan. She was recently awarded the Grammy for Best Global Music Performance, the first Pakistani artist to receive this honor. Renowned jazz pianist Vijay Iyer's accolades include a MacArthur Fellowship, a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, a US Artist Fellowship, a Grammy nomination, and the Alpert Award in the Arts. Shahzad Ismaily is a multi-instrumentalist and composer who has recorded and performed with a diverse array of artists such as Yoko Ono, Laurie Anderson, Beth Orton, Bonnie Prince Billy, Damien Rice, Jolie Holland, and Sam Amidon. Love In Exile asks you to step inside its sense of time, to stretch out alongside these delightful and unhurriedly unfolding songs. Profound impact is achieved with minimal instrumentation: Vijay Iyer on pianos and electronics, Shahzad Ismaily on bass and Moog synth, and Arooj Aftab's exquisite Urdu vocals. Subtle musical interrelationships build into moments of deeply felt drama. Shimmering keyboard melodies and stirring vocals, earthy basslines, and hypnotic drones: together they create an album of stunning gravitas and beauty. Love In Exile was recorded live in a New York City studio with minimal editing, and each listen reveals distinct aspects of this soundworld, sure as it will activate new feelings inside you.