“It is a song of destruction, of fire consuming everything in its path, yet within that annihilation lies the threshold of renewal, and the promise of something new,” explains internationally beloved singer/songwriter/producer AZAM ALI about her new single “To Pieces,” which is released today, September 4, 2025 via COP International. Taken from her upcoming album Synesthesia which will be released on November 14, 2025, “To Pieces” is a gorgeously aural landscape of echoing strings, cinematic keyboard washes, and tribal percussions, with Azam’s ethereal vocals floating above it all like a luminescent spectre.
The first single released through her new label COP International (home of The Cassandra Complex, Stabbing Westward, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry), “To Pieces” is a visceral ceremony of sorts, creating a musical backdrop for Azam’s highly stylized vocal prowess. “This is perhaps the most raw and visceral piece on the album,” she explains. “As I was creating it, I kept envisioning a primal scene: the wilderness at night beneath a blood-red moon, fire crackling, and the untamed spirit of something breaking free. At its core, the song speaks of betrayal; the betrayal we inflict upon one another as human beings, and the ruthless betrayal of nature itself, which devours without mercy or distinction.”
Like her critically-hailed previous album Phantoms (2019), Synesthesia was written, performed and produced by Azam and is her second all-English album. Her ground-breaking uniqueness in a genre dominated by male artists has been one of the touchstones of her career as one of the few female electronic artists, creating a textured tapestry that defies genre and definition by incorporating electro, ethnic, post-punk, classical and avant-garde elements into her music.
Deeply layered both musically and lyrically, her sixth solo album Synesthesia is an escape from this tumultuous world, but not without the impact of the cultural and political upheaval. Named after the sensory phenomenon that allows individuals to experience the senses in a different way such as tasting colors or feeling sounds, “synesthesia” is a concept that runs throughout the album. The title track’s accelerating beat contrasts with Azam’s wispy vocals, generating a neural response that is comforting yet daunting. “This song is very special for me because I tried to capture what the sense of synesthesia that I experience is, the way my senses sometimes overlap, blending sound, color, and texture into a single, immersive perception.” The gauzy and delicate “Autumn of Goodbye” offers a softer and radiant ambiance with Azam holding onto the final moments before letting go (Walk with me / Under the sky / And offer me / The stars / On the way down). Synesthesia also offers two eye-opening covers: Tim Buckley’s “Song to the Siren” and Natalie Merchant’s “This House Is On Fire.” The former is a moody take on the original, highlighting Azam’s octave jumping vocal prowess, while the latter transforms Merchant’s languid calypso beat into a propulsive song with Middle Eastern flourishes.
“My music is an invitation to step beyond the confines of time, place, and the fragile vessel of flesh into a universe without borders,” Azam explains. “I want the listener to feel carried into the vastness of the ethereal, where freedom breathes, and every note reveals our part in a greater design. In this realm, we are no longer solitary beings, but shining stars drawn together into galaxies, each tone a reminder that we are participants in a cosmic symphony far larger than ourselves.”
As a citizen of the world (she was born in Iran, raised in India, and now based in Los Angeles), Azam can’t help but be vocally in tune with the events unfolding in the U.S. as well as the Middle East. “Society often expects artists to remain silent on politics, as though our only duty were to create beauty untouched by the world’s wounds,” she says. “Yet history shows otherwise. Artists have always stood at the frontlines of social and political transformation. My own life has been shaped by war, displacement, and the relentless weight of politics, realities that cannot be separated from my art. How could such experiences not weave themselves into my music, when the essence of art is honesty of expression?”
Described by Billboard as “enchanting,” Azam has had her share of praise across the board. Echoes describes her voice as “a sultry, sensual instrument that has probably launched thousands of love affairs, as her voice caresses melodies the way a lover caresses a body,” while Trip hop mastermind DJ Spooky called her “an ethereal beautiful voice from the edge of tomorrow. Think about traditional music vocals, updated for the digital age. Add Bjork, Portishead, Maggie Rogers, and stir.” A storied musician has received two Canadian JUNO Award nominations and one HMMA (Hollywood Music in Media Award) for her bold artistry, Azam’s music isn’t focused only recordings as a solo artist and part of Niyaz. She has collaborated either in-studio or on stage with Serj Tankian of System of a Down, Peter Murphy of Bauhaus, The Crystal Method, Mickey Hart, among many others. She’s contributed to film and television soundtracks, working with some of Hollywood’s most renowned composers. Some select film titles in her resume include John Wick: Chapter 4, John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabelum, Thor-The Dark World, Sandman, Matrix- Revolutions, 300, John Carter, Fight Club, Dawn of the Dead, True Blood, Alias, The Agency, and Prison Break. She is also a well-known musical force in the videogame world. A cross section of titles she’s contributed to include Uncharted 3, Call of Duty, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, Darksiders, and Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow for which she won “Best Original Song” at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards in 2007.
Regardless of the accolades and credits, Azam Ali remains an artist wanting to change the world. “With each album, my aspiration is to delve ever deeper, refining the language of my expression, elevating it toward greater sophistication, clarity, and emotional resonance,” she concludes. “The music that moves me most is music that transports, music that does more than produce sound, but creates a space in which reality itself seems to shift and expand. In this space, the boundaries between what we see, hear, and feel dissolve, and the listener is invited to step fully into an altered sensory landscape. Through this work, I seek to evoke both wonder and disorientation, offering glimpses of the extraordinary ways the world can be experienced when the senses converge and perception itself becomes fluid.”
“To Pieces” is available now via COP International on all DSPs at https://found.ee/azamali_topieces. Synesthesia will be released digitally, and on vinyl and CD on November 14, 2025.
Photo credit: Tas Limur
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