Amir

Tamino releases his much-anticipated

debut album, 'Amir', via Communion Records /

Caroline Australia. To coincide with

the announcement, Tamino has also

shared a new taste from the album with

'Persephone'.

Of Belgian, Egyptian and Lebanese

heritage, the 21-year-old musician has

written and shaped an album of startling,

visceral, sit-up-and-listen power.

Four of the tracks that feature on his

debut EP, Habibi, find a home on Amir

too including 'Indigo Night' featuring

Radiohead's Colin Greenwood on bass.

It's an album of a variety of different

shapes and textures, delivered in a

soulful and sultry croon by a young

musician with a striking, extraordinary

talent. 'Tummy' slinks brightly, the ying

to 'Verses' folky yang. Whilst on other

tracks like 'Each Time', 'Intervals' and

'So It Goes' the Arabic influences shine

through as melodies lilt over the quarter

notes rarely touched in Western music.

Also joining Tamino across Amir is a

collective of Arabic musicians based in

Brussels called "Nagham Zikrayat". The

Firka (orchestra) is predominantly made

up of professional musicians (these

players were reasonably well known in

their home countries) from the Middle

East, most of which have refugee status

having predominantly fled from Iraq and

Syria.