PREMIERE | Sharif Ali, 'Higher Lows'
Coastal dalliances with Sharif Ali; press photo courtesy of Simon Biddle-Snead.
The artist known for his work with Great Spiders, Killer Ghost and more, Sharif Ali, presents a first listen to the solo EP debut Higher Lows. Rumored to have delivered this new batch of songs between skateboard excursions in Palestine to his current residency somewhere in Mexico — Sharif’s own debut reveals an endearing layer of vulnerability coupled with organic, electric elements that maximizes the minimalist components to a level of homespun grandeur.
Higher Lows begins with the title track that starts off with tales of transcending from the bottom to top of the mark aspirations. The chorus recitations of, You, should have let met down, higher and higher and higher and higher, reverses the let-downs of life into a heady flight complete with an elevated—yet blasé head space. The trip moves and grooves into the hotline hype of "1-800-EMP-ATHY" that intoxicates with a second sense that seeks to channel a universal feel for everyone in surrounding environments. Ali keeps the party going with a surreal hand clapping gospel styled affair on the joyous "Nu Relics", to the heart-wrought emotive edge of "Dream Job" that breaks down passionately under the weight of careerist conceits. The EP cycle of Higher Lows is completed with the closer "No Fear of Death" that reaches upward toward the heavens with outstretched hands in a heavy postlude that strives to break through the threads of the mortality continuum.
The international art world of Sharif Ali; press photo courtesy of Simon Biddle-Snead.
Sharif Ali took the time to share some candid insights via third party cable correspondences:
The highs and lows that elevated and informed the conceptual ideas that gave birth to Higher Lows.
Duality is a theme for this set of tracks. We’re faced with two completely diametric options so often it’s practically comical. I mean how many people are made to feel like they’re supposed to stay where they don’t wanna be just to work a job they don’t like and buy shit they don’t need so they can forget for a second that they’re literally dying? It’s a tough position to be in and I think it’s a major contributor to the sense of ennui and misanthropy that people tend to feel. The songs divulge my own internal debates with depression, commercialism, politics, career fulfillment, and mortality. Things I think most people relate to and struggle with. If you listen to hipster-y [sic] pop music then chances are you’re at a point in your life where you have to confront a lot of these issues and make lasting decisions about how you’ll proceed. I don’t have the magic answers or anything but I’ve managed to talk myself off the ledge this long. Maybe my thought process echoing over a bunch of weird synth sounds will help someone out somehow.
The chic styles of Sharif Ali; press photo courtesy of the artist.
What sorts of ways have you been both creatively and personally inspired from your globe trotting adventures, busting boards in Palestine and wandering around the rest of the world, penning pop pearls?
Some people enjoy comfort and stability, others seek change and novelty. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I fall in the latter category. Life is about gathering experiences and synthesizing them into something positive. Songs are stories and stories have a function in culture. That’s something to be mindful of if you wanna write a good song. The more you travel, the more people you meet. Every person in the world has a story. And all the stories intertwine. A good song tells many stories by telling one.
How have you found your work in both Killer Ghost and Great Spiders respectively have further influenced your audio aesthetic decisions when writing/recording solo work? What do you feel is liberating about the synthesizer in your work, as Higher Lows showcases some fine and fancy keyboard work.
Omar has a really good ear for tone and arrangement and we both have similarly weird taste. We talk about sound and songwriting and stuff a lot. There’s so much freedom in it, it’s weird how often people choose the same things. I think that’s why I like synthesizers so much. It’s liberating. You can make any sound you want. A guitar always sounds pretty much like a guitar—and there’s plenty of variety there too—but a synth can sound like a thousand things. I mean if I had my druthers I’d get an actual choir and string section and timpani and all sorts of shit but for now I’ll just fake it on synths.
Gas station blues with Sharif Ali; press photo courtesy of the artist.
What old and/or new artists, albums, groups, etc are currently the object of your obsession?
Ask me again next month and I’ll have completely different answers, but...
Mostly I’ve been looking for stuff outside the US lately. I read a bunch about how the cadence of language affects songwriting and it was pretty fascinating so I’ve been kinda contemplating that. I’ve been really into this like 70s/80s era electro funk/soul stuff from Africa lately. There’s a YouTube channel called NigeriaFunk that has some really good music on it. When I’m feeling a little mellower I’ll usually listen to bossa nova. The tropicalia movement produced a bunch of amazing art and Brazil in general is just wildly prolific. Chico Buarque and Elis Regina are probably my most rotated at the moment. I’m still finding my way through the Middle East, musically, but there’s a lot of really cool sound from there. They nailed the call and response thing like a thousand years ago. Sometimes I’ll hear the same thing in a folk song that’s been passed down for centuries and a pop song that was written last year. That’s the best. I don’t know I guess the more you listen to, the more it all starts to sound the same. If something is appreciated over a span of a hundred years and across the globe then it’s gotta be good right? Okay, nobody I’ve showed this to has liked it but I think it’s amazing. There’s this thing on YouTube where people take a super familiar song and manipulate the audio. My favorite is “All Star” by Smash Mouth but all notes are C. Look it up. It’s incredible. You don’t realize how conditioned you are to the harmony until it’s different. It’s jarring, but it’s like still good. I love it. For me, the most predictable thing is usually the most boring thing so hearing “YMCA” with every other beat missing or “Careless Whisper” in a major key is like strangely invigorating.
Rolling hard and smooth with Sharif Ali; press photo courtesy of Simon Biddle-Snead.
Upcoming adventures worthy of note.
I need to sort of get my life in order for a bit before I do anything too crazy. I wanna play some shows in LA and NY. I have friends there I’m hoping I can talk into doing it. I believe I’m playing some shows in Mexico later this year. Going to Spain to teach English eventually. I don’t know, I’m not much of a planner. I’ve been trying to do things I never really imagined myself doing before. I don’t know what that means next yet.
Words of wisdom to impart:
Want not. Have not. Care not.
Sharif Ali's solo debut EP Higher Lows will be available February 28 via Halfshell Records.
Cover art for Sharif Ali’s Higher Lows EP.