Ali Suhail’s fifth studio album in the pipeline

Ali Suhail is a key component of the counterculture emerging out of Pakistan. Away from the violent images that go out to the world about this country and in particular Karachi, there are artists who are producing next generation music right here. Ali Suhail is a prime example.He has appeared on Uth Records, Lussun TV and True Brew TV. He emerged with Jumbo Jutt and went on to join bands such as Sikandar Ka Mandar and Takatak. He often plays with Natasha Humera Ejaz, Umair Jaswal and produced Natasha Noorani’s solo EP, Munaasib. The above-mentioned is a reflection of some of his work, not all. In addition to playing various roles in the counter wave, Ali Suhail has a repertoire of solo music that he has been producing since 2013. It began with Words from Boxes (2013) and was followed by Journal Entries (2014), Desolve (2015), Defragment (2015) and Pursuit of Irrelevance (2017). Desolve and Defragment, released “in loving memory of Sabeen Mahmud” – may have released separately but as Ali tells Instep, “I count Desolve and Defragment as two EPs that could form one album.”The breakout music news, therefore, is that Ali Suhail is in the process of working on a new record. It will be his fifth full scale studio album to be precise and one that will feature the prodigal Abdullah Siddiqui on at least one song, who is making a lot of people curious with his song ‘Resistance’ with which he appeared on the latest season of Nescafe Basement 5. Speaking to Instep, Ali confirmed some details. “It’s at its final mixing stages. I’d say about 80 per cent done. It’s a really collaborative record so just getting all the right people and pieces in place takes a little bit of time.”Reticent to share too many details before his solo album comes out, Ali did confirm the rumour of Abdullah Siddiqui being on the album. “Abdullah’s on one song. But there are a lot of people on this one!”I, for one, cannot wait for this song. It’ll be a banger, as history of Ali Suhail and Abdullah Siddiqui reminds us. Throw them together and what will emerge? Answer: a banger of a single. And, given how terrific Ali Suhail’s last album was. Do watch out for his next.–Maheen Sabeeh

from The News International - Instep Today http://bit.ly/2PT8k4i