To me, Hanni El Khatib’s music has this effortless coolness coming with a large dose of danger, that makes you see life through stylish sunglasses and with a rebel spirit … After the release of his 2013 Dan Auerbach-produced album ‘Head In the Dirt’, El Khatib is back with his upcoming album ‘Moonlight’ and he has already shared the title track and first single of the album. It’s a departure from his explosive blues-rock he was playing with a visceral abandon and fire in the belly, the tempo of the new song is slower, cooler, as the tune breathes some soulful and even sinister atmosphere. ‘Moonlight’ sounds like a perfect October soundtrack, a bit scary like the month of the dead, with Hanni hurling at the moonlight, and haunting the night over a loop-heavy tune. It’s also super catchy and soon you’ll get addicted to this slick circle drumming and high pitch distorted guitar which transform the song into a thrilling hallucinatory trip.
According to the press release, ‘Moonlight’ feels like the album he’s always wanted to make’ as it sounds as ‘if RZA got in the studio with Iggy Pop and Tom Waits’. It sure is innovative and far away from Auerbach’s Nashville studio, as, this time, Hanni recorded ‘his first do-it-almost-all-yourself 11-song album, at Los Angeles studio, the Lair.
‘My approach is still the same,’ he explains. ‘Do things you’ve never done before. Challenge yourself. Be free and be creative. The same thing holds true for everything I’ve ever done, whether painting or design or skateboarding or whatever. Do it for the right reasons-exploring yourself. That’s what it’s about.’
The new album, ‘Moonlight,’ is out January 20th 2015 on Innovative Leisure, and you can already pre-order Hanni El Khatib’s ‘Moonlight’ LP on iTunes and receive ‘Moonlight’ single for free. Check out the track below, as well as Hanni’s upcoming tour dates.
Tour Dates
10/21 Los Angeles, CA – The Del Monte Speakeasy presented by KCRW & Red Bull (RVSP here)
10/24 New York, NY – ADA 21st Birthday Bash and CMJ Showcase w/ Danny Brown, Zola Jesus, The Juan Maclean (RSVP here)
‘Moonlight’ Tracklist
1. Moonlight
2. Melt Me
3. The Teeth
4. Chasin’
5. Worship Song (No 2)
6. Mexico
7. Servant
8. All Black
9. Home
10. Dance Hall
11. Two Brothers
