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| Band Name: | Yusuf Azak |
| Official Website: | Band Website |
| Origin: | Glasgow, UK/Turkey |
| Year Formed: | |
| Band Members: | Yusuf Azak |
| Genres: | Alternative, Folk, Indie, Lo-Fi |
Yusuf Azak Background Info
It was my tape recorder and there was very little anybody could do about it. It wasn’t expensive; i had the necessary equipment and there was no way of recording the songs without me. My first EP ‘Gazelle’ was recorded in my old flat in Carnarvon Street, followed by my second EP ‘Light Procession’. I finished recording my album ‘Turn On The Long Wire’ around the start of 2010, and released ‘Prizefighter EP’ in October 2010. A huge thank you to Emma P who performed some amazing viola. (via Facebook)
MarsBands Review
Write this name down: Yusuf Azak. I’d bet good money that you’ll be hearing a lot more about him in the years to come. Yusuf Azak makes some creepy good music. Why “creepy good”? Listen to it, then you’ll understand. It’s like he’s whispering/gasping on every lyric.
You’ve got to admire a guy who records his music with a tape recorder. That’s an artist who’s more concerned about the art of music than anything else. And from day one we here at MarsBands have been trying to re-instill in everyone that despite what today’s mega-pop-stars showcase, music is, was, and always will be the most sincere form of art. Yusuf Azak demonstrates this with every song, every breath, in every note.
Yusuf Azak is on the Song, By Toad record label (which, by the way, if you are in the mood for more awesome music, is a great place to find some). Additional background info on Yusuf seems to be a little difficult to come by. According to his page from his label’s site, he is of Turkish descent, in case you were wondering.
Back to the music - Yusuf Azak’s music isn’t just music, as we touched on earlier. It is art. The combination and layering of his voice creates harmonies that are simply other-worldly. The first song of his that I heard and immediately fell in love with (and proceeded to play over and over) was Lay Me Down. It is beautiful, elegant, and intensely mysterious in that I cannot understand a single word he says. Of course, that has never stopped me from liking a band before.
There are songs from bands like Superbus and InCulto that I have no clue what’s being said, but the way the words are sung in combination with the music, I don’t hear them as words, I hear them as instruments. And that’s precisely how it is with Lay Me Down. The lyrics, which I’m sure are lovely, are lost on me. Their sounds, however, take a great song and elevate it to something words simply cannot define or do justice to. Not to be overlooked in all the brilliance that is Yusuf, not mentioning his brilliant guitar playing would be downright criminal. This isn’t your average guy playing a guitar, mind you. He uses a guitar much the same way a painter would use a brush to create something extraordinary. It’s not just about strumming, it’s about the intricate ways he plucks strings. Plucking a string doesn’t seem like it would be all that intricate of a process, perhaps. But the way Yusuf does it, it just feels right.
I don’t normally gush over musicians like this unless I really find them incredibly talented and fascinating. That by itself should tell you how good Yusuf Azak is. So, I will let you explore his music now. All of his songs are magical, but I recommend starting with Lay Me Down. Then move on to Eastern Sun. And then Sanctuary. Then do as you please, but those were my favorites. Enjoy!
Where They Are From
Glasgow, Glasgow City, UK
