Anoushka Shankar announces Arooj Aftab-produced mini-album

Anoushka Shankar has announced the release of a series of mini albums, that will begin with Chapter I: Forever, For Now. Each chapter will see Anoushka work with a different producer, with Arooj Aftab taking on the role for this first instalment. The two have previous, having collaborated on the Grammy-nominated track ‘Udhero Na’. Speaking of the decision to work with Aftab again, Anoushka says: "I love the genre-fluid world she creates with thoughtful arrangements and sonic spaces. It's something I also value in my own work, but she does it differently. I was really drawn to that different voice, that different colour." 

'Stolen Moments' is the first track to be released from Forever, For Now. The track has a guest appearance from Nils Frahm, who plays piano, glass harmonica, harmonium and slit drum on the mini-album. For 'Stolen Moments' he helped Aftab in coaxing a delicately paced arrangement from Shankar's original, haunting melody. Anoushka describes the result as "a recording that came from truly listening and responding to the moment." Speaking of working with Frahm and Aftab on the track she says: "Exploring space and silence is not something that's always been comfortable for me, and I allowed myself to hold back and not just play notes for the sake of it. It felt like a recording that came from truly listening and responding to the moment." 

As well as Frahm, Chapter I: Forever, For Now features performances from Gal Maestro (bass) and Magda Giannikou (accordion). It will be released on October 6 via Frahm’s Leiter record label.