A first-time collaboration between friends and South Asian artists ALO WALA and PAV4N - founding member of the legendary London rap crew Foreign Beggars - ‘Here And Now’ has all the trappings of becoming your new favourite earworm.
Produced by Italian super duo, Satori Stereo Saiyan (Ckrono and Clap! Clap!), the track’s big-room, stadium-sized dynamics start innocently enough, with a G-Funk-styled flute worming its way through the intro before double-kicks and military snare drills lift the track into a warehouse crescendo, culminating in a big percussive workout.
Punjabi-American singer Alo Wala – meaning ‘light vendor’ in a Hindi-Bengali mash-up – is known for a hybrid hip-hop sound that blends thunderous bass, and global sonic influences – an ode to her nomadic life of having lived across four continents.
She has carved out a unique space on the dance floor with her militant yet joyful music, crafting a quirky signature sound that is unmistakably her own, and after a hiatus to focus on motherhood, ALO WALA made a triumphant return in 2023 with her EP Tough Gains, and has since performed at festivals across the world, including Oasis Festival in Morocco and Paléo Festival de Nyon in Switzerland.
On ‘Here And Now’, ALO WALA’s vocals exude a raw, almost childlike quality – her signature style – in a way that feels unguarded, and untamed. Lyrically, ‘Here And Now’ captures the essence of simple, more carefree times, evoking feelings of lust and romance, feelings so innate yet often lost amidst the complexity of today’s world.
PAV4N brings his usual bombastic, grimy self to this beat, exuding both promise and temptation with lines like, ‘Here today gone tomorrow / Time me na beg me na borrow / Bypass the pain and the sorrow / I take the lead and they follow’.
The duo – whose paths crossed for the first time in India more than a decade ago when they discovered their mutual love for London-based brand Kokon To Zai – always wanted to collaborate and ‘Here And Now’ presented the perfect opportunity.
“‘Here And Now’ was one of the first songs I made after taking a little break from music, and was the first track with producer unit Satori Stereo Saiyan (Ckrono and Clap! Clap!),” says ALO WALA. “It was in the wake of loss, and represented hope. PAV4N is just a legend, he’s prolific and quick with it too. I remember he heard a sketch of the song and was immediately in. I’m always learning from him and am humbled to share this song with him and with my friends Satori,” she adds.
‘Here And Now’ by ALO WALA x PAV4N releases on February 7 on French label X-Ray Production. This is the first single of many anticipated drops, featuring exceptional collaborations, to be released with X-Ray Production in 2025
Words Platform Desk
Date 10.02.2025