Preview: Hamza's Debut Album 'Gitano'

Head honcho of Wind Horse Records, house producer and long time Delhi scenester Hamza has finally put out his debut album ‘Gitano’.

Featuring musical shades from cultures around the world, it's an LP inspired from his travels and life experiences from three different continents: South Asia, Europe, and North America.

Commencing with ‘Sky Song’, a track that carries a bassline and underlining thumping beat (which defines the album on a whole) it also cleverly incorporates breakdowns and upbeat rhythms on the tracks that follow. ‘Blue Groove’ and ‘Ritmo Del Amor’ are tasteful in their own way - both featuring funky basslines, flutes and vocals. ‘Blue Groove’ features a collaboration with Mr Bista. ‘Tech Me To Havana’ and ‘New York 2 New Delhi’ are characterised in their own way, almost apt to the song names. Probably the most dancefloor friendly tracks on the album.

‘Do It Right’ and ‘City Light’ have some classic jazz elements to them, as does ‘Let The Music Play On’. ‘Everytime The Bass Goes Down’ ended up being our personal favourite with its vocoded braggadocio vocals over the interplay of organ and distorted synth bass lines. This one, as a first for Hamza, features his own vocals - a true indication of the man's talent. And to bring down the curtains - the title track 'Gitano' features classic flamenco guitars and traditional singing.

The name ‘Gitano’ is in fact, according to Hamza, the Spanish translation of 'gypsy' and the album took five years in the making: “Gitano, literally is a feeling embodied in the many different sonic landscapes wandered in and out of across the ten track release, touching on Latin, Celtic, flamenco, funk, and jazz influences within its house music foundation.” - Hamza

Wind Horse has recently been incorporating more remixers from the West, encouraging a two-way global relationship. Hamza has also been working to expose an Indian audience to the possibilities of house music through his Sunday Sundowner parties in New Delhi where he is regularly joined by other artists from the Wind Horse roster.

Gitano is set to officially release on 24 February 2014. For now you can hear it in full via the Wind Horse Records SoundCloud below:

Words: Divya Naik