Pennsylvanian producer Ashok Kailath, recording as ash.ØK, leaves his stamp on everything he touches. His debut album, ‘The Unraveled’, is album of mixed styles and moods, with ash.ØK incorporating elements from dance, world music, prog rock, modern pop, and experimental sounds out of left field.
More than two dozen artists have contributed to ‘The Unraveled’, from Grammy-winning cellist, Tina Guo, to Indian percussionist, Jomy George, and also the West Philadelphia Orchestra, who describe themselves as rooted in Eastern European folk traditions, but with “Philadelphia voices nourished by our jazz heritage, tinged with punk rock, soul, and cheesesteaks, and blended with the voices of our community”.
The title track from ‘The Unraveled’ features the gorgeous and spellbinding voice of singer-songwriter Rebecca Loebe, who won recognition in the US when she competed on ‘The Voice’. On ‘The Unraveled’ she coveys ash.ØK’s moving story of frayed relationships, her voice on the edge of breaking with genuine empathy. The track is further embellished with synths, guitars, and layer upon layer of gossamer soft backing vocals, all providing the perfect bed for Loebe’s soaring performance.
The video is no less dramatic, and ash.ØK has enlisted the services of filmmaker Patrick Mason, who applied his own dark vision, shooting in a gorgeous but faded West Virginia town. The story follows a young married couple, in trouble – bills to pay, expectations unfulfilled, the demands of parenthood. All the problems weigh upon them separately, and increasingly, both entertain desperate solutions. Thankfully, the clip ends happily, but the message is clear: no one is an island; we all need to depend on one another.
You can find ash.ØK online on his official website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Soundcloud.
