“My music is an invitation to step beyond the confines of time, place, and the fragile vessel of flesh, into a universe without borders,” says musician/producer/songwriter Azam Ali about her new single and video “Synesthesia,” the title track of her sixth solo album out November 14, 2025 via COP International. “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 one a reminder that we are participants in a cosmic symphony far larger than ourselves.”
Evoking John Everett Millais’ classic painting Ophelia, the exquisite and haunting video directed by Tas Limur features Azam submerged in a pool filled with verdant flowers and flora. The visual parallel is striking: in Millais’s painting, the drowned Hamlet character floats among blossoms; in Azam’s video, she swims and contorts beneath the surface, existing in the ethereal and liminal realm that envelops her music and even her identity. Embodying the paradox of “synesthesia” (where the senses intermingle… colors can be tasted, sounds can be felt), the video’s lush and saturated environment helps create the immersive nature of her own music.
For all its beauty, Synesthesia also carries deep undercurrents of sorrow and reflection. Its emotional core is shaped by the wars and conflicts that continue to engulf the world and people’s souls. “Society often expects artists to remain silent on politics, as though our only duty was to create beauty untouched by the world’s wounds,” says Azam. “But 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 can’t be separated from my art. How could such experiences not weave themselves into my music, when the essence of art is honesty of expression?”
On Synesthesia, Azam channels the raw edge of post-punk through the ancient textures of Middle Eastern and Persian instrumentation, creating a sound that feels both timeless and visionary. On the previous single, “To Pieces,” Azam explains that the song “stands out for me because it channels the untamed energy of my spirit, a wildness that stretches back to my teenage years, a time marked by intense angst and a deep affinity for industrial, post-punk, and electronic music. There’s a raw, uncompromising edge to this track, a sense of freedom and rebellion that sets it apart from anything else on the album.”
Other highlights include “Green and Gold” which feature intricately detailed programmed drum beats and richly layered synths. The delicate and gauzy “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.
Synesthesia
Track listing
- Synesthesia
- Nothing But Time
- To Pieces
- Hazy Gauze
- Autumn of Goodbye
- Song to the Siren
- This House Is On Fire
- No Longing for Home
- Green and Gold
- In Valleys Green
- Witness
The boundary-pushing nature of her music sits at the core of her identity. Born in Iran, raised in India, and now based in Los Angeles, Azam is a storied musician who has received two Canadian JUNO Award nominations and one HMMA (Hollywood Music in Media Award) for her bold artistry. 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.
Synesthesia will be released digitally, and on vinyl and CD on November 14, 2025 via COP International.
Photo Credit: Tas Limur
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