East London native, and Massive Attack collaborator AZEKEL returns today with his new single ‘Linger’, the second cut to be revealed from his new EP ‘Raw, Vol.2’, the second and final instalment of the EP series, due for release autumn 2016.

Stream new single ‘Linger’ over on The Line Of Best Fit, Pigeons & Planes, Wonderland Magazine, Hunger, The 405 and below.

With ‘Raw, Vol.1’ dealing with the complexities and emotions of falling in and out of love, Azekel shifts his focus with ‘Raw, Vol.2’ using social commentary as his horizon line for the record. 

Speaking a little more on the new EP, Azekel explained: “I was inspired by the issues some of my friends in the city were finding themselves in, also I was listening to a lot of similar themes in the music from Curtis Mayfield & Marvin Gaye, and became conscious that this idea of social commentary was a theme that bled through their works too. They are two singers that I can really relate to vocally” – perhaps a reference to the superlative falsetto on display on new single ‘Linger’.

Aside from his solo operation, Azekel is a regular collaborator and performer with Massive Attack. They recently worked together on the track ‘Ritual Spirit’, featuring none other than Kate Moss in the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhI5T_NKYxc

Azekel’s inimitable production style stands as the perfect backdrop to his stunning vocal performance on new single ‘Linger’ – elegantly weaving together his collection of observations, held together beautifully by a blues-inflected electronic RnB instrumental. 

Explaining a little more behind the lyrical inspiration for the new single, Azekel has said: “Linger is a song where I wanted to express the qualities of a relationship that are often invisible to everyone but the two people involved…where there is a spiritual presence and other worldly closeness between a couple that transcends just the physical. Gospel music became an influence on the presentation of this song too, not in its musicality necessarily – but more in the way that it expresses faith in a way that is beyond the traditional.”

Recorded in Studio 2 at London’s legendary Abbey Road Studios where seminal British artists such as the Beatles and Pink Floyd recorded their albums – both ‘Linger’ – and the forthcoming EP ‘Raw, Vol.2’ will no doubt firmly establish Azekel as one of the most exciting British artists around right now.

Azekel is set to perform alongside Massive Attack at this year’s British Summer Time festival at Hyde Park, and this year has already seen Azekel hit nearly 5 Million streams on Spotify, as well as previous performances at Glastonbury Festival on the BBC Introducing stage, a session recorded at BBC’s Maida Vale Studios, and a show in New York at the New Yorker Magazine Festival (alongside Bilel, Kelela and James Fauntleroy). Partner that with strong online coverage from the likes of Pigeons & Planes, Pitchfork, Dummy, The Line Of Best Fit and more – along with continued radio support from Radio 1, 1Xtra, Rinse FM, 6 Music, KCRW, Triple J – Azekel is a name that you won’t be able to shake by the end of year.

Stream previous track from ‘Raw, Vol.2’ – ‘The War Inside’ here: https://soundcloud.com/azekel/the-war-inside-1

Follow Azekel, below.

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Azekel on SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/azekel

Azekel on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AzekelOfficial

Azekel on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Azekelofficial

www.azekel.com