Indo-Infused EDM-Hip Hop At Its Best – “Hifi Hafla” by Rorschack and T.O.N.E.-z
L.A. based producer Rorschack and Emmy-nominated emcee T.O.N.E.-z have teamed up with Bay area EDM label MalLabel on their new project Handcuffs and have dropped a track that is taking EDM to a whole new level. This album is the one you want to hear at a festival, at a party, while at the club. The album combines a number of influences to create an album that is glitch-hop, jazzy, and downtempo inspired and truly innovative in its inspiration and creative combination of musical styles.
Rorschack, also known as Noam Aharon, was born in Israel but has traveled and explored many different places, including Kolkata, India, where he spent four years learning the mandolin from the master player S. Mojumdar, a revolutionary in the world of indo jazz world fusion. After, he returned to Israel and brought with him the musical stylings he had learned that ultimately were a combination of Indian music, Middle Eastern music, and elements of Funk Rock.
Rorschack moved to California in 2008 and dove into the electronic music world head first, designing electric guitars with Visionary Instruments, working, composing, and recording with multiple incredible artists, including Patrick Sebaq, David D’or, and more, in addition to performing with Emancipator, Random Rab, and Steve Kimock.
The other half of the brilliant “Handcuffs” debut, T.O.N.E.-z has been successfully creating music in the last ten years, dropping mix tapes and albums. His songs have been featured on television, with his track “Long Hard Times To Come” becoming the theme song for the FX television show ‘Justified”, and leading to him becoming the first rapper ever nominated for an Emmy. His music has also been featured on television shows such as “Buckwild” on MTV and “Bones” on Fox.
“Hifi Hafla” is a track that immediately grabs you once you hit play. The song certainly starts out strong, with the beat being laid down right off the bat. The lyrics start and hit the ground running, and the emotional landscape of the song blasting out of the speakers from the second it starts is captivating. “Hifi Hafla” may have a mixture of instruments and inspirations, but it’s not confused about its origin nor its strong presence. If this song were a girl, she’d be confident, exotic, and absolutely mesmerizing.
“Tell me what you see when you look into my aura,” the rapper invites. It’s a perfect example of what this song is all about: fusing genres, incorporating Middle Eastern and Indian music, and just providing great electronic music in general. It’s like what might have happened if Cat Stevens had been exposed to trance music and acid thirty years later and collaborated with RZA. That lost potential is scooped up and brought into being here with “Hifi Hafla”.
Hifi Hafla truly showcases what is best about each artist and plays what appears to be effortlessly to their strengths. T.O.N.E.-z is immediately present on the track, and Rorschack provides the hypnotic, mysterious instrumentals. The hook is catchy and immediately sticks, as does the chorus.
One thing is for certain. “Hifi Hafla” is Indo-infused, electronic hip hop at its very best. It’s like French and Asian fusion cuisine: some things just go together, and end up mixing to create something completely unique that is so dynamic and immediately likable, you wonder how you ever got along without it.
Track for Review: https://soundcloud.com/mallabelmusic/rorshack-ft-t-o-n-e-z-hifi/s-a0ocv
Bio
Bay Area’s EDM label, MalLabel is excited to announce their latest hip-hop-electronic joint, Handcuffs. A project with LA based producer Rorschack, and Emmy nominated emcee T.O.N.E.-z, Handcuffs is a jazzy glitch-hop, downtempo inspired album that shows what’s possible when lines are blurred in music today.
The track ‘Bartab’ tackles the subject of meeting that someone special, followed by ‘Handcuffs’ which portrays the difficulty of even approaching that special girl without getting called on the game you ain’t even tryin’ to play. ‘Computer Luv’ is a chill ride through a tripped out soundscape. ‘Naked She Was’ is a wonderfully introspective treasure of sound to round off this profound collection.
The pair connected last July when Rorschack was working on a peace project. “I had a track called Disaray,” explains Rorschack. “When I needed a rap verse, a friend sent me some of T.O.N.E-z past work and I knew he was the right one.”
Signed to Select Records in the 90s (along with Chubb Rock and Kid N Play), rapper T.O.N.E.-z has been making music for the past decade, selling many mixtapes and albums. His track “Long Hard Times To Come” was chosen as the theme song for the FX television series ‘Justified,’ making T.O.N.E.-z the first rapper nominated for an Emmy Award. More, his music as appeared on TV shows like MTV’s ‘Bucwild’ and Fox’s ‘Bones.’
Noam Aharon a.k.a Rorschack was born and raised in Israel, but spent years exploring the music scenes of Italy, Spain, and Berlin. He lived in Kolkata, India, where spent four years learning from the great master mandolin player S. Mojumdar, an international pioneer in the indo jazz world fusion. When he returned to Israel, he brought with him his unique talent and musical knowledge he had learned combining Middle Eastern, Indian music and Funk Rock elements. In 2008, Rorschack relocated to California and decided to venture into the electronic music production world, while designing electric guitars with the company Visionary Instruments. Over the years he has worked and recorded with Mark Eliyahu, David D’or, Patrick Sebag, Fanna Fi Allah, Ustad Dildar Hussein of Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan, Akara, and SaQi, as well as performed with Steve Kimock, Random Rab, and Emancipator.
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