Ana Quiroga joins Houndstooth announcing debut album 'Azabache'
Stream the magical first single 'Wallada' now and pre-order the album.
Following notable releases on Editions Mego as Electronic music duo LCC, and multiple singles and collaborations on Nicolas Jaar’s Other People label and Modern Obscure Music, experimental electronic artist Ana Quiroga (pronounced ah-nah kee-ro-gah) announces her debut album Azabache (pronounced ah-sah-bah-cheh) for release on 8th September via Houndstooth. Ana also shares the first single from the project ‘Wallada’ which is available now to buy digitally and stream.
Azabache is somewhat of a personal odyssey for Ana. Shaped by Ana’s deep connection to her homeland Asturias and her experience since moving to London, the project is both intimate and enchanting. From the rich Celtic heritage of Asturias – the mines, minerals, and mystical feminine energy – to the urban occultism of their now-home London and the streets of Hackney and the East End, ‘Azabache’ embodies the connection between deep and highly symbolic ancestral roots and these contemporary new beginnings.
Taking the listener through experimental, ambient soundscapes, drone techno and industrial, synth-based sonics, Ana works to emphasize the significance of magick in self-discovery and the exploration of the extraordinary within what feels like a timeless sonic realm. Azabache blends organic sound recordings with synthesizers, energetic drums, and drones, merging with Ana's distinct and captivating vocals. From the rich Celtic heritage of Asturias – the mines, minerals, and mystical feminine energy – to the urban occultism of their now-home London and the enchanting streets of Hackney and the East End, Azabache embodies the connection between deep and highly symbolic ancestral roots and these contemporary new beginnings.
The first single ‘Wallada’ is out now, a perfect choice to introduce the project. Largely inspired by the outspoken and liberated Andalusian poet Wallada bint al-Mustakfi, ’Wallada’ acts as a chant to Ana’s queer identity, and like other tracks on the album, is an ode to the forward-thinking women who have challenged the establishment (particularly – and in line with the album’s mystical themes – witches). The track contains a mixture of Ana’s musical and cultural influences, from the Arabic Spanish heritage to the British alternative electronic and rock scenes, again representing two locales that have formulated the final project.
“This combination of organic and synthetic sounds is a signature in my music that I have been exploring for many years and it comes a step forward with this album.” – Ana Quiroga
The album brings together contrasting elements, just like how the natural landscapes, majestic mountains, and untamed sea of Asturias are intertwined with a rich industrial heritage. Sci-fi technology, drone techno influences, and dark distorted sounds converge with the enchanting themes of folklore, witchcraft, and mysticism, creating a bewildering paradox of machine-like precision (representing the scientific and the proven) and the ethereal world of magic itself. This intriguing juxtaposition blends the tangible and the intangible, offering a unique sonic experience that blurs the boundaries between the natural and the industrial, the technological and the mystical.
Proving that technology is paramount to their practice, Ana will transport the project into a new visual conceptual show in collaboration with artist Estela Oliva, ‘Azabache AV’, premiering at Sónar Barcelona on 17th June. The new show will be a visual interpretation of the album; a gateway into a hybrid experience, experimenting with filmmaking, world-building and games.
Stream the album’s first single HERE.
Ana Quiroga – Azabache
Tracklist:
1. As Above
2. Where It Begins
3. La Figa
4. We, The Witches
5. Les Mis Muses
6. Tensegrity
7. Wallada
8. Tremors
9. Inner City Light
10. So Below
Credits:
Written, composed, produced and pre-mixed by Ana Quiroga Olavarrieta
Mixed by Paul Corley
Mastered & cut by Matt Colton at Metropolis, London
Wallada: Bass guitar by Chris Norrish. Additional vocals by Catalina Barceló
Inner City Light: Written in collaboration with Gorka Molero. Bass and backing vocals by Gorka Molero.
© Original Artwork by Estela Oliva
Graphic Design by John Philip Sage
Photography: Leon Chew
