Fatima Al Qadiri returns with Brute

A new album exploring “her transnational experience” will land on Hyperdub in March. 

It’s been two years since Fatima Al Qadiri caught the attention of all and sundry with her debut album Asiatisch. That record made enough of an impact to score the Senegal-born, Kuwait-raised, New York-based artist many an end of year accoladea when 2014 drew to a close. In the mean time she has kept busy in the group Future Brown with Daniel Pineda, Asma Maroof and J-Cush, resulting in an album and EP for Warp Records. Hyperdub meanwhile closed out 2015 with the release of Kode 9’s long player Nothing, and have already stepped into the new year with a single from Dean Blunt under the freshly inked Babyfather pseudonym.

Al Qadiri and Hyperdub align once more as news arrives of a second album from her on the label due in March which hovers in the same curious sound sphere as Visionist, Rabit and other such adventurous grime expressionists. The theme behind Brute is one of police states and protest, as is explicit in track titles such as “Curfew” and “Aftermath”, not to mention the provocative sampling in the likes of “Blows”. As the press release would have it, “Brute provides a chilling sonic backdrop to a world of normalised brutality, a painful illumination of the facade of democracy.” These themes are present in the album artwork depicting the sculpture Po-Po (2015) by Josh Kline, heavily altered by art director Babak Radboy. Those wishing for a musical taste of Brute can check the album track “Battery” available to stream below.

Hyperdub will release Brute by Fatima Al Qadiri on March 4.

Tracklisting:

1. Endzone
2. Blood Moon
3. Breach
4. Curfew
5. Battery
6. 10-34
7. Oubliette
8. Blows
9. Aftermath
10. Fragmentation
11. Power

Hyperdub on Juno 

Header photo courtesy of Camille Blake