Fatima Al Qadiri – Asiatisch

Kuwait-born Fatima Al Qadiri, first associated with the 'vaporwave' microgenre, reveals herself to be worthy of the hype on her Hyperdub debut. The dominant sound on Asiatisch is another microgenre, this time 'sinogrime' – a form of grime fixated on cartoonish, Westernised notions of what Asiatic sounds might be. Her work plays with notions of authenticity – the world Al Qadiri creates is China, but glossy; artificially clean, romanticised and synthesised. 

Szechuan's digitally-recreated pan-pipes and shamisen are satisfyingly artificial. Wudang, with its snatches of Chinese speech, is similarly sparse, punctuated by smooth bass stabs. Many tracks sound not unlike video game music, presenting a digitised hyper-reality. The opener, a Chinese-language cover of Nothing Compares 2 U, is a welcome addition, making the familiar song haunting and strange. More engaging even than this clever, subtle album is the thought of where this ambitious, whip-smart producer might turn next for inspiration.