After a series of standout singles, LA-based musician and producer Reza Safinia unveils his stunning album ‘Yang’ on Music and Texture this July.
Safinia is an accomplished film composer who has been responsible for numerous soundtracks including HBO’s Warrior. He has also worked with greats such as Dr. Dre and prior to that, enjoyed success as a songwriter and producer/engineer, working with artists as diverse as Britney Spears, Akala and Kylie Minogue. This latest solo endeavour sees Safinia draw on his deep interest in Eastern philosophy and his own spiritual practices to inspire a sound that marries the ethereal with a call to the dancefloor.
This fantastic new album was written as the first global lockdowns were lifted. It follows on from Yin, which was composed at the start of the pandemic. Both albums reflect the energies of those different situations, and both were recorded at 432Hz – a tuning standard that is said to resonate with living beings and our chakras. The albums and their titles are inspired by the Chinese cosmology principle that everything consists of a balance of Yin and Yang.
Here, Yin is the pianos and strings, and Yang the electronic production elements. They have been conceived from meditation and a mindful presence in one’s environment, with deep connections to humanity. Musically, the albums combine everything from electronica to downtempo, melodic house to techno. Importantly, Yang carries a sense of hope for human connection and lust for celebrating life.
‘Yantra’ is a sublime opener that suspends you in choral voices, angelic melodies, and sleek electronic rhythms. This track is to be released with a stunning music video as a key single from the LP. The brain cleansing sense of harmony continues on ‘Watercolor’, a soothing electronic lullaby, and ‘Shiva,’ an epic ten-minute trip to the heavens on delicate pads and a lilting groove. ‘Eddy’ gets more uptempo, with a punchy drum line overlaid with more turbulent synth designs, and ‘Dream’ is a perfectly cathartic piece of richly melodic downtempo. Darkness begins to build through the tense synth phrases of ‘Vitruvian’ and twisted beats of ‘Prana’, then ‘Shushumna’ restores balance with a more expansive, star-gazing mood. The scintillating synth work on ‘Helix’ lights up a deep, dubby rhythm, ‘Funkbible’ brings astral synth explosions, and ‘Tantra’ closes on a gorgeously gentle mood with innocent, heartwarming melodies.
‘Yang’ is an accomplished and cinematic electronic meditation from a true synth magician.
Release date: July 16th, 2021.