(January 29, 2018) FKAjazz’s new album is titled Stereotype Threat, and if you have listened to his solo album done under his ‘government name,’ Samir Zarif, that record title can only be called explanatory. Starting Point, the saxophonist’s 2010 debut, was a mixture of post-bop avant garde and electric fusion jazz. He then joined forces with Brian Lindgren to form the group Pax Humana, a group that fused electronica with jazz and a little hip-hop thrown in to boot.
“Brighter Days,” the first track from Stereotype Threat, finds FKAjazz taking elements from his solo work and his time with Pax Humana to again create something distinct. The track features his saxophone improvisation in a conversation with keyboards, drum machines and slashing rock guitars. This is an artist who refuses to be pinned down. Check it out here.
Howard Dukes