A collaboration between Horrors-endorsed indie outfit Toy and Bat For Lashes’ Natasha Khan, on their debut album, the brilliantly named Sexwitch offer their own distinctive take on Iranian, Thai and Moroccan folk and psych tunes.
Having trawled through scores of recordings from all three countries, the group have settled on a nice mixture of tunes that add up to one of the most unique recordings you’ll hear this year. A remarkable piece of sonic experimentation that combines chanted vocals, tribal drumming and eerie electronic textures, the opening ‘Ha Howa Ha Howa’ is conceivably what Scott Walker – a recent collaborator of Khan’s – would sound like if he decided to make a psychedelic record.
Other highlights include the funky rhythms and spiky guitars of ‘Helelyos’, and the creepy ambience of ‘Kassidat El Hakka’, on which Khan repeatedly intones, “Life has no time for me”. The album closes with the slow-burning rocker ‘War In Peace’, which boasts a majestically powerful vocal from Khan.
You should acquaint yourself with the strange and wonderful spell cast by Sexwitch.