Ali Rez is a queer, first-generation Iranian-American hailing from Queens. His key value of living with purpose has shaped him as a leading activist and put him on a mission through music. With plenty of acclaimed singles and a fierce presence in his community, he steps up with a fresh full-length.
Ali Rez’s new album Simon Phoenix brings a modern house music flavour to it, splicing genre-bending R&B elements with dark and hazy synth-pop, all the while moving forward with a powerful kick. Amongst the return of singles that have already made themselves fan favourites, come two new tracks ‘Have it All’ and ‘Get Me Out’.
The first jumps right in with danceability. Grooving basslines dictate syncopated synth pads, all the while the lead melodies, both electronic and vocal, build to a glowing kaleidoscope of sound.
‘Get Me Out’ takes an alternative direction, its drums pulling on trap ideas before dropping away to reveal an emotive mix of driven top lines. The foundations remain the same, warming undertones and effervescent instrumentation, but it wraps up the project with a new perspective for the listener to consume.
Ali adds, “Our intention was for this album to have a higher-energy, dance-oriented feel. I think as soon as you hear the songs, you have no choice but to move your body! We aimed to capture the euphoria of getting ready to go out with your friends – embodying the feel-good music you’re playing when you all get in the car to hit up that newest club or bar. Our visual inspiration was the 90s film Demolition Man where ‘Simon Phoenix’ is the film’s villain, portrayed by Wesley Snipes.
A lot of our writing themes focused on the new advancements that had been happening at the time – living in the ‘new’ world revolved around AI, Tech, and Social Media whilst exploring how these ‘advancements’ may affect our lives. Simon Phoenix is executively produced by Bankwell – a long-time collaborator of mine; we met whilst working at Brewery Studio in Brooklyn, owned by producer Dot Da Genius (Kid Cudi, Kanye West).”
