Pakistani born singer-songwriter and music producer Mahmood Khan has just released his new single One Line Down. It’s a rousing, uplifting track featuring Mahmood’s irrepressible fusion of world music, folk and pop that takes some cues from Indian subcontinent musical traditions.
Mahmood started in the music industry working as a sound engineer/producer for a music production company in Los Angeles for over fifteen years before venturing on, developing his career and making a name for himself as a music artist. His first solo album, which featured the legendary artist Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, sold over 6 million copies.
He became the first Pakistani born artist to crack the US world music radio stations. In 2007 he came to Australia to study at the Sydney Film School and ended up recording a live album at the Sydney Opera House.
This album featured the song Like The River, a track which became a number one hit on the ARIA pop charts. One Line Down is a band-driven song, featuring superb musicianship and full, panoramic production. From the opening burst of piano, drums, guitar and saxophone the song’s joyous and highly infectious celebratory flavour is clear. There’s a message in there too, one tinged with spiritual awareness.
As Mahmood says about the song, ‘I am really happy about how this record sounds, new and fresh. It is folkish with a world music edge combined with the feeling of the vastness you can only experience in Australia’. Mahmood says, ‘Here in Australia, there is plenty of that. And it is serene and as I get to explore more, I can see my expansion as a writer. My expression has diversified. And as this brings me more peace within, I write more effortlessly.
It is a cycle, a continuous evolution.’ This musical evolution is beautifully and hypnotically evoked. One Line Down is sure to be a genre-crossing hit all over the country firmly establishing the prominence of this gifted music artist.
LISTEN TO MAHMOOD KHAN HERE:
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