Faizan feat. Husen – ‘Blinding Lights’

‘Blinding Lights’, by The Weeknd, was basically the soundtrack to last year’s summer. It was a party-starter at a time when we weren’t able to have parties. Sonically it wasn’t so much a clash of genres but rather a coming together of them; new wave-inspired synthpop, electro-funk, hip-hop, Caribbean music, dark club music, and anything else that made us want to get up and dance. The track has spawned many covers, and probably the most creative one you’ll hear is this beachside instrumental reinterpretation from Faizan, along with saxophonist Husen, two of the best-known musical artists from The Maldives.

Faizan feat. Amadeus – ‘Aether’

Using a handpan, Faizan manages to bring out sounds you can only imagine, producing a sense of chill while reminding the listener of a steel drum, and sometimes of a synthesiser. You’ll find it hard to believe it’s not an electronic instrument; indeed it’s not powered by electricity at all, but rather the most analogue of all instruments – the hands.