With the release of her debut album, Nabihah Iqbal makes two big announcements. Firstly, that she’s leaving her old Throwing Shade moniker behind. By embracing the name she was born with, she proudly wears it as a female British Asian artist making electronic music. Secondly, that she will be releasing her album on Ninja Tune.
Incorporating live instrumentation more than before, ‘Weighing of the Heart’, takes on a bolder, more inclusive sound than her previous releases. Channeling influences from the likes of CAN and Bauhaus, she melds moody, propulsive basslines with shimmering synth atmospheres. The title alludes to an Ancient Egyptian myth about judgement and the afterlife, the concept of which underlies various ideas that are explored throughout the album.
The album’s intertwining styles are underpinned by Iqbal’s writing, drawing on themes of existential doubt, pondering the struggles and pleasures which mark day-to-day life. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the lead single ‘Something More’ – released today – her subdued vocals exploring the feeling of being eternally unsatisfied with what you’ve got.