We may be heading toward end-of-year list time, but quality albums are still drifting down on us like autumn leaves. The forthcoming Escapism from GAFF, multi-instrumentalist and former guitarist in Race Horses Alan Gaffey, is a case in point. Tomorrow, second single ‘Chefchaouen’ the follow up to ‘If You Know, You Know’ is shared, and we are pleased to premiere the video today.
The itchy feet and adventure hinted at in the album title informs this song, named in tribute to the famous ‘blue city’ nestled in the Rif mountain range of northern Morocco.
‘A truly incredible place. The song, however, is a straightforward wanderlust thing. A desire to travel and see the world. Last-chance tourism before the coming apocalypse,’ he says.
On Escapism GAFF gets his electronic pop groove right on with chunks of funk and soul. ‘Chefchaouen’ is soft and daydreamlike, cinematic in parts. We love the prettiness of the acoustic guitar, the strings and underlying sense of yearning.
“The songs on this record are undoubtedly informed by a longing for intellectual stimulation, for experience, for escape. Reading a book, appreciating a work of art such as a film, listening to music, talking about music, and indeed… making music: That kind of intellectual stimulation is like a drug to me. More than that, in fact, it’s like water or oxygen. Sometimes circumstances can deprive me of that oxygen,’ he continues.
‘I’ve been in numerous musical projects over the years. During the covid pandemic I was jonesing for the studio. As soon as the freedom to roam gradually began to return, I went back there. A place where I’m truly happy.’
‘Lateral flow tests, self-isolating, social distancing… terms that have since all but disappeared almost as quickly as they became common parlance. But those were the considerations when I started recording what eventually became this album. It’s taken a long time to record and release this record. Things get in the way, which can be frustrating. A lot of that frustration you can hear in this record and its themes.’
Escapism is released on 6 December via Recordiau Côsh Records.
