Afar Odea is the musical pseudonym of Leipzig-based musician Konrad Jackisch. Having worked on it since 2018, he is now set to release his eponymously titled debut LP in September 2024.
Ahead of the album’s release, Afar Odea has unveiled his latest single, Wake Up Again. Featuring propulsive percussion and, gradually building, looping melodies, the overall sound has a hint of the influential German band Neu! about it. However, where Neu! pursued a mechanical, industrial sound, Jackisch is creating something more organic, and explicitly appealing to our emotions. His vocals tremble and whisper, as the song builds from its gentle foundations, gradually applying a sensation of acceleration.
Beyond Neu!, I hear more contemporary sounds in Wake Up Again. The guitars and cracked vocal aesthetic are reminiscent of Dirty Projectors, and overall Afar Odea creates an aesthetic that feels like a more organic version of that which James Blake employs. Overall, the song is beautiful, memorable, and inventive, all at the same time.