Listen: Wafia - Heartburn

In recent times the name Wafia (Wafia Al-Rikabi) has cropped up plenty at Pilerats. From her feature on Charles Murdoch’s latest Frogs to her assistance on Ta-ku’s flip of Kanye’s all time tune American Girl, the 22-year-old has been incredibly busy of late. With no signs of slowing down, she recently released Heartburn - a soothing down-tempo piece with some serious feels. The track has been produced beautifully, a slinking composition consisting of slack drum combinations, swelling synth and chopped vocal cuts. You can thank Ta-ku and Andrei Eremin for all that! These two experienced producers have crafted something I can best describe as a rhythmic lullaby.

Al-Rikabi’s emotive vocal floats effortlessly over the music bed, you can physically hear the pain of heartbreak in her lyrics. Wafia’s choral ability is simply exceptional and I can assure you a host of musicians will be hunting her services in the very near future.

Heartburn is the first track to come off her inaugural XXIX EP set for release in November. Recorded entirely in Gotye’s studio, the EP sees guest appearances from Ta-ku, Thrupence and Vancouver Sleep Clinic. Interestingly, inspiration for the EP title came from the atomic number for copper (XXIX), which like the element itself encapsulate themes of transition and change. And speaking of change, this release marks Wafia's announcement as she joins the Future Classic fam, which so far has worked out pretty well for a fair few people.

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