ali dada & sofia sturm - laguna

Urban Cosmonaut Radio

„Nanu?“ – this little interjection in the German language expresses wonder, surprise and a curiosity for what has just been presented to you. It playfully resembles the title of our release „nanou“, produced by Zurich based trio @ali_dada, whose dreamy and unwinding music has indeed aroused our curiosity, surprised us, made us wonder and keen to dive deeper into their world of soothing soundscapes. This EP may be seen as a soundtrack for moments in which you feel free from capitalist tension. Catching up on Jenny Odell‘s advice in „How to do nothing - Resisting the Attention Economy“, the mood of the songs may be a dedication to the idea of #NOMO – „the necessity of missing out“. An opposition to the overstimulation of our everyday life: „This idea of doing nothing is trying to give permission to have some emptiness.” We affirmatively embrace this idea as an invitation to pause, recline and laze while listening to those 4 calming songs. It‘s the assent to an idle that has facilitated the realization of this EP for ali dada. Obligation-free time opened up spaces for ideas and sketches to flourish. „zwueschetag“, as a „day in between“ originated in the beginning of the pandemic and describes a tool for ali dada to handle the uncertainties of a life without stability. „345“ is the street number of an off-space (www.345off.space), where the trio has recorded and produced their music, and which provides a vibe that allows them to engage optimistically in these fickle times of live. In ali dada‘s productions you‘ll ever find a playful combination of elements from various, rather distant genres. References to experimental ambient vibes meet the love for jazzy, psychedelic guitars and warm, mellow hip-hop beats. In extended jam sessions they reflect on how the sounds feel to them and how they actually want the listener to feel. And indeed you seem guided – to slow down, linger and listen carefully. As the 3 musicians are sensible for imperfections and glitches you often can hear tiny, subtle elements, such as snippets or field recordings in the background. It‘s these little acoustic surprises that expand the space for dreaming and shape a cosmos in which you want to close your eyes and drift away in airy realms or sparkling beach water. who is ali dada? orlando ludens: guitar, bass, post-prod mf jaeger/rulla: beats, modular, soundscapes, post-prod max licht: synths, food, spaces, post-prod sofia sturm (featured on laguna): harp mishy misch: advisory board, enabler and important ally