BUTTERFLY EFFECT

ALEEM KHAN

Urbana Champaign Some young artists showcase an impressive enough spark to suggest checking in on again later. Then there are young artists who appear to exist outside of time and space. Calgarian pop explorer Aleem Khan is firmly rooted in the latter. Born in 1996, he’s already worked in an acclaimed R&B duo, Shaani Cage (rounded out by his equally prolific brother Kaleem), and launched a solo career. Last year’s self- titled solo LP was more than just a promise, offering soulful guitar runs and rhythmic explosions. It was a masterful psych-rock record that demonstrated a busy artist bristling with energy.

Urbana Champaign could easily have showcased a young man losing a battle with his ambitions — it’s a concept album, and he mostly abandons his main instrument in favour of horns, pianos and upright bass. Within seconds, though, Khan proves his decisions are based on confidence, not ego. Urbana Champaign is a collection of wildly mature composi- tions that perfectly balance ethereal ambient passages and free-jazz freakouts with sensual R&B and irrefutable pop perfection. There’s simply nothing else that sounds as confident, engaging or downright thrilling. (Slow Release, slowrelea.se)

CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT URBANACHAMPAIGN IS ABOUT?

It’s the story of a character exploring race, culture and identity as well as pondering the question of what life would’ve been like had they not moved to Calgary from Urbana, Illinois as a child.

YOU’RE SUCH A TALENTED GUITARIST, BUT YOU DITCHED THE INSTRUMENT. WHY?

I sought to use guitar as less of a focal point and more as a texture. I feel there is and has been a focus on the electric guitar in independent music for a very long time. Composing with piano — which isn’t my main instrument — allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and embrace the unfamiliar, bringing out things I didn’t know existed. JOSIAH HUGHES