Do you ever wonder what would happen if great producers recorded records of their own? Okay, some of them, like Mark Ronson, Terry Melcher, and any number of hip-hop greats. But what if George Martin or Phil Spector would have been like, “Screw it, I’m gonna become an artist in my own right?” I’d be willing to wager most producers have considered the proposition; some have jumped at it.
Ashok Kailath, aka ash.Á˜K, spent a chunk of his career behind the board before switching sides. His new effort, The Unraveled, gives folks familiar with his producing a glimpse into the inside of his mind. His sound is proof that when a producer creates, it’s a vibrant, unadulterated look at his or her personal aesthetic, unencumbered by other artists’ input. For Kailath, that means mixing world with dance, experimental with modern pop — he throws a little bit of everything into the pot to see what works. In short, it all does.
For the video for the album’s eponymous title track, Kailath collaborates with filmmaker Patrick Mason to complement the track, led by past-The Voice contestant Rebecca Loebe. As a midwesterner, the depiction of West Virginia and the Appalachian lifestyle is heart-rending and accurate; the quiet desperation of the characters matches the song’s yearning, steady (almost uncomfortable) calmness. It’s tense, but it’s life. And it’s a masterful work from a masterful producer.
Check out the video for ash.Á˜K’s “The Unraveled” below!
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