BASSEL & THE SUPERNATURALS – SMOKE & MIRRORS
LABEL: BASSEL MUSIC
TRACK LIST
- Calculated Love
- Stepping Back In Time
- Smoke
- Aleppo (feat. Ashkur)
- Skipping Heartbeats
- Breathe
- Relay
- Black Water
- Mistakes
ABOUT THIS RELEASE
Release Date: April 17, 2020
Bassel & The Supernaturals are proud to announce the release of their third studio production, Smoke & Mirrors, due out April 17, 2020. The Chicago based group tells the story of Bassel Almadani’s experience as a first generation Syrian-American using soulful melodies, funk inspired grooves, and captivating lyrics regarding love, loss, and the war in Syria. The significance of April 17 also holds another meaning for Bassel as it marks Syrian
Independence Day. In the midst of a revolution that has left over 12,000,000 civilians in need of humanitarian relief, the timing of the band’s release combined with Bassel’s global advocacy efforts to support the sustainability of immigrants & refugees reinforce a message of resilience and hope for their eventual independence.
Bassel & The Supernaturals broke out with their 2017 debut album Elements, which earned them critical praise from Noisey, Huffington Post, Associated Press, Reuters, Al Jazeera, Now This, PRI The World, Paste, and many others. The album also led to their involvement in the nationally-acclaimed SXSW 2017 showcase ‘ContraBanned: #MusicUnites’ featuring artists from the diaspora of countries targeted by the travel ban. The momentum for the band continued by inking a digital distribution deal with Six Degrees Records. The band has also been touring heavily, with over 300 performances
since 2016 on stages including SXSW, The John F. Kennedy Center, Summerfest, and Millennium Park. They have also supported many internationally touring artists such as Youssou N’Dour, Brother Ali, Aesop Rock, Emancipator, The Dandy Warhols, and Sinkane. The group works closely with organizations on events and residencies that raise awareness and promote the sustainability of immigrants and refugees . This caught the attention of ArcArtists, who specializes in booking multi-faceted events with arts presenters across the world.
What makes this release so special to Bassel & The Supernaturals is its honesty. Bassel details, “the approach on this record is very direct – from screaming ‘fuck your wall’ to opening up about substance use acting as a crutch for many of us. We’ve seen so many friends and family members impacted by drug abuse and mental illness, and it’s a taboo subject for most of us. Especially as one who identifies himself as Muslim and Arab-American, it’s something I’ve skated around in the past. I’ve learned to embrace who I am and my shortcomings, and I’ll do whatever I can to create safe spaces for others to do the same.” He concludes, “We explored a lot of territory on this album, yet it feels like our most authentic recording to date.”
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