Asa Quana’s album ‘Azule’ is a testament to growth. The days when artists tried one glove fit all formulas, inconsiderate of the diversity of sounds and tastes are behind us. Azule is as diverse as it is wholesome. On the project Asa Quana shows mastery over the alternative and sometimes experimental sounds he performs, beat selection and vocal dexterity alike.
I had a brief chat with Asa for some perspective on his process and where his mind was at when he created Azule.
Your album title Azule, tell me about it?
Azule simply means blue but I added a twist to its definition by making it 3 colors – pink, yellow and then blue each color has its own symbolism or emotional phase. It’s never that deep with me though… pink, the color of my hair, yellow was the color palette of my last mixtape, blue is the color palette of Azule.
Could you describe your creative process on this album? What inspired your ideas, how were they transformed in your mind, what did you start with and how did you refine these beginnings into the finished work of art?
My process is simply overthinking lol.
When did Azule begin? What’s the earliest recorded song on the album?
The first song I made for Azule was ukiyo “meaning” freedom, I made ukiyo this year, january I think yea january for sure
Can you let us in on the train of thought that led you to write Oliver De Coque?
Oliver is me saying I was fighting the world, yes it hit me once or twice but I will die swinging back and this I swear on my life.
How would you describe your own development as an artist and the transition towards your own voice?
I have grown, I am still, my voice, this sound you hear now, I searched everywhere to find it, only to find it where I keep everything I will ever know. I found a symphony
How much improvisation came in on the album?
The whole tape was me improvising lol every single thing, I never wrote down a single lyric for any song on the tape, I just put my headphones on and with a firm grip on the mic I let out something even I never knew I had.
The sounds created on Azule are as experimental as they are alternative both vocally and instrumentally. How do you see the relationship between the ‘sound’ aspects of music and the ‘composition’ aspects?
Sound and composition being a pillar of music has never been a primary consideration of mine tho, it has always been an emotion and a sound that will carry it for me
Your work features some auto tuning I’m sure to achieve a desired effect, What is the relationship between technology and creativity to you and of course who are the producers you worked with to create these sounds?
LMFAO NA NO AUTO TUNES HERE SORRY, I mix my own shit tho lol no producers I did everything myself the cover art, wallpapers, engineering the songs them its was too much for me tho I knew for some reason I had to do this alone somehow deep down i think I knew I had to carry this burden alone lol
On ‘No God’ the outro, there’s a sample from what I assumed is an anime excerpt but I hear your name come up in the sample, can you shed some light on that? The samples you used and how your other interests feed back into your music?
No samples my guy improv 😂 if you got an iphone the translator it can convert words you type into vocal interpretations in any language
What song on Azule is the most personal to you?
How my parents met and oliver
On Evilestt you sing “Round and round my city, I’ve been moving i’ve been searching for drugs” what city would that be?
Enugu state my g
Are recreational drugs a more subtle theme on Azule? What are the more fundamental themes on the album?
It is yea. Deep regret and anger for this very world I am apart of and life known under dark blue clouds that hover over me every waking moment of my life.
The cover art of Azule is by whom?
I drew that
Oh I forgot to ask. Who is on Sweet dreams?
Her name is Sanguine Seven
She was Amazing.
yea she really is
Before we end this I should say, Ukiyo really evoked some emotion from me, not just the lyrics but the whole performance. I’d like to know who some of your musical influences are.
Amber Mark, Beam, Bakar, Amir Obe
thank you fr fr, for having me, I’m glad you enjoyed the tape, i really am ❤❤❤❤
It was great having this exchange with you. Thank you Asa.
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