ash.ØK is wholly independent, and makes his music without a label or a corporate machine behind him, and yet he’s still managed to forge his way through the music industry, and has worked with a number of well-known artists, and seasoned veterans over the years.
His previous album, ‘The Unraveled’, had Grammy Award winner, Jeff Chestek at the engineering helm; Chestek has worked with the likes of Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, and Kelly Clarkson. As a producer ash.ØK is known for merging genres and influences. He’s gone from boom-bap and trap, to electronica and folk; his latest project, ‘Breathe Me In’, sees the Philadelphia-based artist collaborate with Anna Yvette, who’s recently worked with Machine Gun Kelly, as well as NY based singer-songwriter, Rianjali, who has worked with Shawn Mendes.
The music video for ‘Breathe Me In’ was directed by Rahi Patel, an up and coming director whose unique visual style makes the clip a modern take on traditional Indian folklore.
In this story, a demon with a lust for power (played by actor Manav Gulati), has been granted his wish of controlling life or death, and he’s been given the ability to turn anyone into dust, just by touching them on the head. Not long after he gains this power, he falls deeply in love with a princess (played by Exodus Artistry’s Preethi Kamath) and demands her affection. Fully knowing her impending doom, she quickly comes up with a plan – if the demon can follow her dance and keep up without any mistakes, she’ll willingly be his. The demon follows her, step for step, studying her every move and keeping up without relenting, following her as she tries to throw him off. He finally catches up and faces off with her – and in one single, final step, she touches her forehead. The demon, caught up in the moment, repeats this fatal move and destroys himself, crumbling to ashes.
Shot in and around Philadelphia, the video uses grafitti-torn abandoned warehouses and desolate woods as a backdrop. In addition to the story, the music video also pulls in folklore from both North and South Indian culture, featuring elaborate ritual-influenced paintwork on the demon and heavily using classic Indian dance as the main vehicle for the story.
You can stream and download ‘Breathe Me In’ on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, and Bandcamp. Buy CDs from ash.ØK’s official website. You can find out more about ash.ØK online on his official website, SoundCloud, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
