Kashaiof (ַּכָשיֹוף) is the duo project of Eyal Lally Bitton and Itzik Gil Avizohar, both are interdisciplinary artists and central mainstays in Jerusalem's experimental music scene as being core members of the extreme art collective, studio and underground venue Studio Straus.
Named after an archaic local electronic components store, the project’s title is also a phonetic echo of the Hebrew word ‘Kishoof’ (כישוף) meaning sorcery. The enigmatic duo take the practice to heart as they conjure up technology, magick, nostalgia and primordial/ futuristic elements into their sonic artillery; with bone-piercing vocals, lucid melodies and compositional approaches derived from early electronic music and musique concrète, they introduce the aesthetics of Power Romantics: a dichotomy between captivating sublime harmonies and uncontained chaotic elements. This extreme dynamic range reflects the complexity of the environment which brought it to life, particularly the volatile nexus of spirituality and violence which is the holy city, Jerusalem.
Kashaiof's debut album Home (released in 2020 via Chondritic Sound, LA), described as a true isolationist; an audible daymare, questions the perception of mundane, everyday objects and their ability to evoke the uncanny.
In their upcoming album MA out on Under My Feet. on February 25th Kashaiof shifts their focus from the objects themselves to the in-betweenness. For the two, the term 'MA' lies in ambiguity - in Hebrew (ָמה) means - “what״, while in Japanese (間) means - negative space, gap, pause. On this seam, Kashaiof are exploring the potentiality in those gaps, an invitation to the unknown in order to look after the poetic connections that emerge and construct the world of MA - resulting in their most unique aesthetics yet, morphing between genres, structures and compositional approaches. This album offers the view of a multi-layered horizon under which Bitton and Avizohar sculpt a dreamlike sonic emotional world, built on unanswered questions.
credits
released February 25, 2022
All tracks composed by Itzik Gil Avizohar & Eyal Bitton
Recorded at Studio Straus & Mezkeka Studios
Mixed by Assaf Tager & Eilon Elikam
Mastered by Conor Dalton @ Glowcast
Artwork by Hila Angelica
By celebrating experimental arts in various forms, Under My Feet. has been actively contributing to the growth of the artistic community in London, since 2015.
I cannot praise this album enough. This album is absolutely terrifying! The many starts and stops creates this very h settling tension. Each start expands on the stopper idea previously. It’s like the music equivalent of walking through thick fog while passing out multiple times throughout trying to find a place to orientate yourself. There may or may not be something sinister in that fog, but you don’t want to stick around to find out. Bought the vinyl so I summon the fog demons through spe showhornwithteeth
This ambient pop album from Chute Records label head Jan the Man captures melancholy, contemplative moods simply, and without words. Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 15, 2021