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ARTIST
TITLE
Reclusive Rituals
FORMAT
LP
LABEL
CATALOG #
BTR 053LP
BTR 053LP
GENRE
RELEASE DATE
3/18/2022
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The multi-talented Shay Hazan fuses rubbery North African Gnawa grooves, with haunting jazz horns and hip-hop inflected beats on Reclusive Rituals. His first project for international groove artisans, Batov Records. Tel-Aviv based musician Shay Hazan is a composer, producer, bassist and bandleader. His versatile bass is frequently heard on national radio, providing the hits of tomorrow with a foundation in the groove. Having commenced producing the album during the first Covid lockdown, this process of creating the album was a marked departure from previous projects. Whereas he would normally call and gather his band together to record his new compositions live, Hazan would come up with a groove first before sending the recording parts to a drummer in Berlin or a saxophonist in Tel Aviv to add a complementary rhythm or melody, and then finally editing the results himself. Having already mastered the double and electric bass, Hazan learned how to play the three-stringed guimbri: a camel-skin-covered bass plucked lute used by the Gnawa people of North Africa, as heard on their hypnotic music. Hazan repurposes the unique qualities of the instrument with a jazz approach. The title, Reclusive Rituals, is inspired by a Jean-Michel Basquiat interview from 1985 where he discusses his reclusiveness and the public demand for gossip on well-known figures. In particular, how advantageous it can be to stay out of the limelight, as the crowd's very nature is to eventually turn on their idols. Hazan interpreted this to imply that personal behavioral patterns are significantly affected by the fear of negative responses, often leading them to non-action. The guimbri's natural inclination to groove is instantly felt on the Gnawa-meets-Afrobeat first single, "Afrobeatz", which is destined to play a large role in DJs record bags as dancefloors reopen. But the laidback, beat-driven foundation opener "Deloop" and "Pink Collar" reveal Hazan's affinity for hip hop and RnB, in particular the UK label Village Life, whose cutting-edge blend of underground jazz and hip-hop was a lockdown favorite. Reclusive Rituals is an exciting new chapter in Shay Hazan's career. His most personal, hands-on album to date, fusing his love of jazz, hip-hop, and Gnawan music. As open-minded purveyors of the finest grooves, Batov Records is its perfect home.
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