By: Sterling Martin

saQi is back and sounding fresher than ever with his newest captivating album, The Muse. 

The album’s title track, “The Muse” doubles as its intro track. Truth & Worth spitting vocals alongside saQi‘s trumpet and versatile production style only give a small taste of what the release offers as a whole. 

“Your Love” features the hypnotizing voice of Anuttara Deva. A subtle echo, wicked instrumentation and soft claps together create a powerful, yet slow-tempo track. Taking the mood in an entirely different direction is “The Mask.” This soothing journey of ethnic flavor will have you dancing before you have time to resist.

Another standout from The Muse is “Falling Under Water.” Of course, it has the signature saQi sound, but it also displays a variety of new world music elements.

Plenty of songs throughout the middle of the release like “Graceful” and “Creation’s Call” are perfect for kicking back, relaxing and enjoying whatever it is you do to celebrate the New Year.

A few of the songs on The Muse are actually remixes of other songs. The first of the pair, “Tincture” by Feral Fauna, received a jazzy rework with colorful horns and instrumentation. An appealing attitude in the singer’s voice creates emotion and pairs perfectly with saQi‘s style. Lulacruza’s “Uno Resuena” is a similar flip, with some bass-filled breaks and slick percussion work.

The final track on the album, “Sunshine and Rain,” features Charis Ruby. This chilled-out installment serves as the perfect outro to The Muse, and will only leave you craving more saQi.

In the words of Luke Solman himself:

“Within each of us exists the power to harness a creative spirit. This divine entity has come to be known as The Muse. In ancient cultures credit for creative endeavors was given to one's Muse and not the individual. During the course of making this record I came to understand this phenomenon and experience it firsthand. Through collaboration, songwriting, brainstorming and experimentation I discovered how making space for something bigger allowed incredible stories to be told. This record contains many such stories brought to life by myself and several dear friends and collaborators. I offer Immense thanks and gratitude to them for their work, and to their creative spirits for gifting them with song. I hope the music inspires you to find your own muse and let your story be told”

Perfect for any occasion, The Muse is worth grabbing and keeping in rotation as we set off into 2016!