AZAM ALI SIGNS TO COP INTERNATIONAL RECORDS
Working On Follow-Up to Critically Hailed Album Phantoms
Internationally beloved singer-songwriter/producer AZAM ALI has signed to label COP International who will release her first studio album of new material since 2019’s revered PHANTOMS which Billboard called “ripe with dreamy sounds and melancholic lyrics, bridging the gap between organic and electronic with grooves that gently ground the songs.”
As an artist whose music and art transcends genre, language and structure, Azam Ali has contributed original music to film, television, and videogames, in addition to her own recording career as a solo artist and as one-half of chart-topping and ground-breaking international world electronic/ acoustic group Niyaz.
“Being an independent artist for years now after breaking away from the industry model of releasing my music through record labels, meeting [COP founder] Christian Petke and seeing his great passion for the music he meticulously curates and releases on COP International, reawakened the joy I experienced in the early days of my career when I would collaborate with a label to produce a body of work that raised the bar artistically,” explains Ali.
“Azam Ali is a seminal artist; a storyteller whose art connects us with the profound beauty of our shared human journey,” adds Petke. “Her music has left an indelible mark on my heart. She effortlessly bridges worlds with elegance and grace. Her voice carries the magic of millennia, resonating with the echoes of ancient tales and contemporary narratives alike. Working with such an artist is a privilege, and I am looking forward to sharing her music with the world.”
Recipient of two Canadian JUNO Award nominations and one HMMA (Hollywood Music in Media Award) for her bold artistry, Ali is a genre-fluid artist whose ethereal and otherworldly vocals have transcended mere classification. She has collaborated either in-studio or on stage with Serj Tankian of System of a Down, Peter Murphy of Bauhaus, The Crystal Method, Mickey Hart, among many others. Her soundtrack work in film and television include John Wick 3, John Wick 4, Thor-The Dark World, Matrix- Revolutions, 300, The Fight Club, Dawn of the Dead, True Blood, Alias, The Agency, and Prison Break. Not to be unmatched, she is also a well-known musical force in the video game world, having composed music for Uncharted 3, Call of Duty, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, and Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow for which she won “Best Original Song” at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards in 2007. Her critically-acclaimed 2019 album Phantoms was built around electronic textures and rhythms that recall the majestic tapestries of 90s-era 4AD Records (Dead Can Dance, This Mortal Coil, Cocteau Twins) but with modern flourishes woven into its threads
COP International sees 2024 as a pivotal year for the U.S.-based international label, having signed Stabbing Westward, The Cassandra Complex, Beasto Blanco, as well as Azam Ali. Having teamed up with legendary producer John Fryer (Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, This Mortal Coil), who will be producing and engineering a majority of the label’s catalog, COP provides a nurturing environment that allows them to focus on their craft by maintaining a level of closeness and mutual appreciation between artist and label.
Currently in the studio, Azam Ali is crafting her new album, planned for release later in 2024. She concludes, “I am truly proud to be releasing this new album with an impassioned visionary like Christian who cares deeply about the music and artists he works with.”