AN NCS PREMIERE: ARSAFES — “ZIGGURAT”

We’ve been following the creative pursuits of Moscow-based artist and sound engineer Roman Arsafes for almost as long as this site has been in existence. We first learned of him through the excellent releases of his band Kartikeya, and since then have followed his work through many other earlier and later projects in which he has either been a member of a group or a solo artist, including Nevid, Above the Earth, Zmey Gorynich, and of course Arsafes. Today it’s our pleasure to bring you the premiere of a new Arsafes single named “Ziggurat“, which is being released today via Bandcamp.

Roman composed the song, produced it, and performs all the instruments and vocals, with orchestral arrangements by William Graney. The single on Bandcamp comes not only with the full new song but also with an instrumental-only version of the track, plus stems for drums, guitar, bass, keyboards, and vocals.

“Ziggurat” combines beautiful, sweeping orchestration with powerful drum rhythms, body-shuddering Meshuggah-esque riffs, and vocals that manage to be both flesh-raking and melodic — especially in the rising chorus, which is damned infectious. It’s the kind of song that’s both physically jolting and heart-swelling. It puts a charge of electricity straight down the spine and an uplifting melody in the head that’s hard to dislodge.

A very cool song… straight through to the accordion that appears at the finish, and one I’ve had on repeat over the last halk-hour, with more plays yet to come.

To get the “Ziggurat” single, go here:

https://arsafes.bandcamp.com/album/ziggurat

Arsafes on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/arsafesmusic/