Ash Koosha’s releases are as versatile and complex as his influences might suggest: Born in Teheran, he started experimenting with electronic music on a Commodore 64, studied classical compositions and, thanks to one of his rockband’s gigs, once spent three weeks in prison. In 2015, Iran’s political situation made him seek asylum in Great Britain. Since then, he has lived in London, which had a major impact on his latest record »I AKA I«, the successor of his internet hit »GUUD«. Ashkan Kooshanejad makes use of various different genres, including garage, glitch (»Feather«), breakcore, tribal techno (»Mudafossil«) or hip-hop (»Biutiful«) – but he only picks them up to abstract from them beyond recognition in order to convert them, until they become his very own style. This unique mix sounds best in the psychedelic ambient-collages on »I AKA I«. On many records, the most abstract bits serve as mere fillers – here, the more rhythmic tracks are looped into draginess every now and then. And still, the combination of the two worlds works out well at parts (»Uuh Ohh«). Meanwhile, the atmospherically charged sequences are exciting and elaborate without exception. The sound pattern is mathematically precise, the melody’s standards are consistently high and the mix between known and experimental sounds as released on Ninja Tune could only be called IDM. That is, if the term was actually useable.
I AKA I
