A Beat Happening: Jaubi - Part 2

A Beat Happening

Episode 3, Part 2: Ali explains his decision to not become pigeonholed as the "hip-hop cover band," how Astigmatic helped put together the Lahore session with Tenderlonious and Latarnik, and various stories behind the sessions and the albums that came out of it.

This week we welcome to the show Ali Riaz Baqar, a musician, composer, and producer who bridges North Indian classical music with jazz and hip-hop. Baqar is the driving force behind Jaubi, a quartet based in Lahore, Pakistan who first came to many people's attention with a cover of J Dilla's "Time: The Donut of the Heart" that reimagined the original using the Indian melodic framework of ragas. Working with the London-based, Polish label Astigmatic Records, Jaubi released their debut album earlier this year, Nafs At Peace, featuring collaborations with 22a's Tenderlonious and EABS' Marek Pędziwiatr. The album is the result of a short but intense recording session in Lahore that helped crystalize Baqar's approach and capture the freeform essence of the band.

This episode was edited and produced by Laurent Fintoni and Will Horrocks. Intro and outro music by Duke Westlake. Artwork by Kutmah. Design assistance by Paper Resistance and Brandy Flower. This show is a labor of love and if you enjoy what you hear and would like to support us in being able to continue, you can donate via PayPal at https://paypal.me/abeathappening.

In this episode we discuss...

• Moving away from covers, into composition
• Lahore sessions with Tenderlonious and Latarnik
• Creating the debut Jaubi album from the session recordings
• The story behind the photograph on the album cover, the meaning of its title
• Collaborations

Tracklist:

• Tenderlonious - Kirwani (Part 1)
• Jaubi - Raga Gurji Todi
• Jaubi - Nafs at Peace
• Jaubi - Satanic Nafs (The Gaslamp Killer & Mophono Remix)

Links:

• Jaubi Bandcamp
• Interview with Ali in Pakistani magazine
• Video of Tenderlonious and Latarnik in Lahore