Rafiki & Tara Lily Collaborate On Electro-pop Single 'Black Smoke'
9 May 2024
Usually operating within charged tempos of dance music, Mumbai-based producer-DJ-promoter Sohail Arora aka Rafiki joined forces with UK-based multi-genre singer-songwriter multi-instrumentalist Tara Lily on 'Black Smoke', the first single with which he has announced his upcoming EP 'Anand Mahal'.
The track reinvents Rafiki's styles as he moves away from strictly belonging to club-friendly genres to mellow out and get behind Tara Lily's soulful melodies with a grounding thump and counter-melodic basslines and hooks. With influences from dream-pop, retrowave and Rafiki's experience as a dance music producer, the single packs relatable characteristics for listeners of varied stylistic backgrounds while Tara Lily's reverberating hushed voice adds an intriguing and sultriness. The resultant concoction may not blow any socks off but it successfully colours the atmosphere with the mystique signified by its titular element.
The parent 5-track EP 'Anand Mahal' drops on May 31.
Listen to 'Black Smoke' below and follow Rafiki and Tara Lily for more.