SINGER // SONGWRITER

Whilst working on this whimsical daydream of a tune, Aza's cat - Ness - came into the room and commented with such remarkable regularity that one might assume that he was narrating the lyrics! The track then evolved into a psychedelic trip into the mind of a cat, whilst also observing our furry friends’ seemingly effortless capacity to meditate! “I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them cats.” ― Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment Whereas the demo version - interspersed with Ness's feline outbursts - evokes imagery of The Velvet Underground coming round for tea, this unusual new single - once again with the Midas' production touch of Danny Burton - may remind listeners of 2 of Lou Reed’s contemporaries - namely recalling the psychedelia of “Magical Mystery Tour”-era Beatles, and the soft delivery and harmonies of Simon and Garfunkel, whilst a more modern comparison would be with the fabulous yet tragic Elliott Smith Expect another video incorporating the surreal backdrop of Radical Horizon’s Burning Man Exhibition at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire - which will perfectly complement the music and nonsensical lyrics www.linktree.com/azabrown www.azabrown.co.uk https://twitter.com/thisisazabrown https://www.instagram.com/this.isazabrown/

I first met Al Bradley in 2006 when I was running and promoting Detune - a Deep House Clubnight in Chesterfield at the Green Room. I was living in Leeds at the time and had also put on a few nights at Stinky's Peephouse, which famously also hosted the legendary Back2Basics. Al had been recommended by Darius Syrossian from Crash Records on The Headrow, and he certainly didn't disappoint on the decks, and was an absolute gent away from them too, with an infectious enthusiasm which he generously spreads wherever he goes. He made the time to come to my 50th Birthday Party in the Summer, and expressed an interest in another remix (he'd already remixed debut single "Pure Water" in the June of 2021). I wasn't actually planning on releasing any more singles tbh, but once again, his enthusiasm caught hold of me, and he suggested "Sticky Situations". Just typing this now, I've just realised it's AL I have to thank for the whole "Sticky Situations" single/project - without him I might have just left the album at that, so THANK YOU again AL, from the bottom of my heart...love you, man!

Another video from my latest release "Sticky Remixes Volume 1", and fellow Cestrefeldian and former Purple Gorilla - Sousa_ - has come up with a diamond here, for which I'm incredibly grateful. We first met in the clubbing days in Chesterfield a good 15 years ago at club nights like Detune and Hive, and he also did me a cracking remix of "Pure Water", which I'll also sort out a video for in the very near future. He's a prolific producer in his own right though, and also appears on an @S40Time interview along with another Gorilla - Jonny G. Please give him a follow on all the socials and especially Soundcloud where his work is the most prominent... https://soundcloud.com/sousamusicofficial https://www.azabrown.co.uk

I'm incredibly lucky and grateful to have so many remixes of "Sticky Situations" - I've gotta admit I've listened to this reimagining from my old friend Max - over and over! Really uplifting Pop/Funk with an 80's twist. Max loves his old synths and you can check out more of his fantastic work here... https://thesurgon.bandcamp.com/album/the-surgon?fbclid=IwAR3gBQnfruqY60hc0NAzjKlr7G7wwJ7BsxaBsS8alu4q6TKNuYUSVkg04EI www.azabrown.co.uk www.linktree.com/azabrown

Well, Carmbler has really outdone himself with not only a cracking remix, but also the video to boot. I'm incredibly grateful for the time and effort he's put in here - and what a talent he is! I'm getting "Magical Mystery Tour" vibes here - specifically "Blue Jay Way", although when I was writing this it sounded a bit more like The Velvet Underground/Lou Reed having a sesh with Elliott Smith I shot this in Chatsworth Estate, Derbyshire - September 2022 - when the Burning Man Exhibition was still running - I got up at 6am and filmed it all on my own whilst no-one was about... Please give me a Follow and Sub on my Socials and check out my other videos... www.linktree.com/azabrown https://www.facebook.com/thisisazabrown https://twitter.com/thisisazabrown https://www.instagram.com/this.isazabrown/

Mid September I got up at 6am and headed out alone into Derbyshire (Peak District) on an intrepid adventure to film this video - it took me 3 hours but I reckon it was worth it - what do you think of the end result? The Burning Man Exhibition was something really special... www.azabrown.co.uk www.linktree.co.uk/azabrown

“Ever wondered who you might have been if you hadn’t chased your dreams?” Barack Obama was an Ice-Cream Scooper, Beyonce was a Hairdresser, Harry Styles was a Baker, Steve Buscemi was a Firefighter, David Bowie a Butcher’s Delivery Boy… When Aaron “Aza” Brown parted company with seminal 00’s Indie Band - The Chasers - he became so disillusioned with music that he turned his back on the profession altogether for over 15 years!! In the Interregnum, he retrained and worked as an English Teacher, and incredibly - taught himself Indonesian and forged a new life as an Art Dealer between the UK and Bali. In the “Indian Summer” of his youth though, thankfully, he’s decided to take the plunge and returns to music with a song about self-belief, gratitude and courage - “Optimism personified” according to David McPhie (Joe Cocker, Free, Pink Floyd). The infectious lyrics “Maybe you will, maybe you won’t” - relate to Aza’s deliberating whether to come back to what he loves, and leave his past lives behind. With his 5th single, Aza hopes to inspire people to follow their own dreams - whatever they might be. Influences - The Beatles, The Verve, Talk Talk, Jellyfish, The Doors, Divine Comedy, Crowded House, Frank Zappa. From performing twice at the Ally Pally in 2018, recording with Arctic Monkeys producer Alan Smyth and playing the Rock The Boat Cruise (Festival at Sea) in the same year, Aza’s band - The WonderWhys - supported The Happy Mondays at an electric hometown gig in Chesterfield the next year. With the enforced lockdown, however, gigs ground to a halt, and Aza chose to record with local producer - Danny Burton (Finley Quaye, John Entwistle, Zak Starkey), who was so impressed with his vocal harmonies that he invited him to sing on his own solo album “Night and Day”. The album “Exennial” will be available early in 2022, before at least 2 more singles. In a recent interview on Talk Radio in London, Aza performed an acoustic version of “The Way That I Roll” to the delight of presenter - Bob Mills, and will be appearing on Liverpool Live Radio with Jon Jessop early November 2021 - ahead of the single’s release. “Music to watch a sunset to” We Are YMX; “The ethereal sheen of The Verve omnipresent” Press Party; “One of this year’s biggest standouts” Roadie Music; “His vocals rest over your shoulders like a life-long friend and pull you close - sharing the positivity of the track” The Other Side Reviews; “Music I could definitely start my day with” Sinusoidal Music; “Recreating the sound of sunshine” Os Garotas de Liverpool www.azabrown.co.uk www.linktree.com/azabrown

Filmed almost entirely on the Summer Solstice 2021, this song has been a project 20 years in the making. Originally conceived on a particularly majestic Midsummer's Day in 2001, where I felt the "magic hung in the air", I vowed to only work on the song each Solstice, and hence - "locking in the magic"! I actually forgot about it after a few years (a few dreary English Summers and "life getting in the way"?) until a similarly resplendent Midsummer's Day whilst I was on holiday in Llandudno in 2017 - revived the spirit of the song's birth, recast the spell, and reignited the passion to finish it. I hope you can feel the warmth of the sun's rays as it rises, and the euphoria in the air of Midsummer's Day www.azabrown.co.uk www.s40time.com https://linktr.ee/azabrown (links to all social media and interviews etc) "Midsummer Skies" words and music by Aaron Brown Produced by Danny Burton www.dannyburton.com Filmed by Aaron Brown and Leigh Davis Editing by Glenn Bolton

A bit more of a "cosmic" version of Midsummer Skies - a huge thanks to Mariana Sousa Aguiar for adding the lyrics Filmed almost entirely on the Summer Solstice 2021, this song has been a project 20 years in the making. Originally conceived on a particularly majestic Midsummer's Day in 2001, where I felt the "magic hung in the air", I vowed to only work on the song each Solstice, and hence - "locking in the magic"! I actually forgot about it after a few years (a few dreary English Summers and "life getting in the way"?) until a similarly resplendent Midsummer's Day whilst I was on holiday in Llandudno in 2017 - revived the spirit of the song's birth, recast the spell, and reignited the passion to finish it. I hope you can feel the warmth of the sun's rays as it rises, and the euphoria in the air of Midsummer's Day https://linktr.ee/azabrown (links to all social media and interviews etc) www.azabrown.co.uk links to all socials here, plus news, reviews and interviews, as well as exclusive content. Join the community! www.s40time.com