Rafiq Bhatia, the young New York composer and guitarist, releases his debut EP next week, and we've got it streaming below in its entirety, from the driving saxophone jazz of "Sunshower" to the dizzying hip-hop of "Statements," featuring Anti-Pop Consortium's High Priest and the great "wild card" musician Shahzad Ismaily. Compared to some of the pyrotechnical instrumental flourishes elsewhere, my favorite track, "Greenhouse," seems restrained, but it's a wonder as it coils into so tightly itself and unwinds so gracefully. The Strata EP comes out September 25th via Bhatia's label, Rest Assured, with his debut album album, Yes It Will, to follow on October 23th.
Stream: Rafiq Bhatia's Strata EP
Tour dates:
9/25 Pianos New York, NY w/ Anti-Pop Consortium, Alexander Overington
9/26 Music Hall of Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY w/ The Bad Plus
10/2 Pianos New York, NY w/ Shahzad Ismaily, Nadia Sirota
10/9 Pianos New York, NY w/ Celestial Shore, Austin Vaughn
10/16 Mercury Lounge New York, NY w/ Foxygen, The Orwells, Dent May, Tashaki Miyaki, Murals
