The neo-soulster’s peerless vocal agility is complimented across the four-track release by ingenious production from ajagon
German-American neo-soul artist Ninja Kidsoul pushes the envelope on his highly anticipated debut EP Never Really Gone, out 1st September on Kabul Fire Records.
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Ninja Kidsoul has managed to keep all kinds of music lovers hyped over the course of the many years since his initial COLORS session in 2016. Despite being discussed as one of the pioneers of New German Soul by ARTE Tracks 2018 and having played Montreux Jazz Festival in 2022, the musical pioneer has never released his own project – until now.
While fans recently only had the pleasure of hearing new music through collaborations on other Kabul Fire releases – like agajon’s nag champa (Sep. 2023, KFR) – the neo-soulster is finally able to announce the upcoming release of his debut EP.
EP focus track ‘Zone’ heralds the release with a restlessly soulful jam about finding your flow. “somewhere in the zone / that’s where you’ll find me”, sings Ninja’s in one of the track’s many addictive hooks. Inspired by his love for 70s funk, agajon’s detailed production compliments Ninja Kidsoul’s sonic storytelling and undeniable vocal agility.
Elsewhere, the four-track EP showcases a selection of Ninja’s sonic range, marked by his versatility in effortlessly switching sounds and vocal disciplines – from singing to rap and back. Inspired by his love for the likes of J Dilla/Madlib (‘Gap Shit’), Frank Ocean (‘Reckless’) or Sergio Mendes (‘Face 2 Face’), or 70s Funk (‘Zone’), Ninja Kidsoul proves that he’s always been an artist, who’s dedicated to finding “a frequency sound of music that hasn’t been touched yet” – to put it in his words. Never Really Gone is the first, conceptual result of that dedication – shared and therefore produced as a whole by agajon. In that sense, this EP very much manifests what quality and standard can be brought to art when two artists sync their unique languages into creating a soundboard that one can cherish but not really replicate.
Born in south Germany’s Schweinfurt to an US-American father and a German mother, it’s this dual heritage which sets Ninja Kidsoul’s music apart from so many of his contemporaries. It was his grandmother who paved the way for Ninja Kidsoul aka. Ahmad Abdul Mateen Ali Nur into the art of music, introducing him to Motown and other musical traditions inspired by icons like Stevie Wonder or The Temptations. Described as “one of the pioneers of the New German Soul” by ARTE Tracks, his progressive leaning and global looking music has turned heads off the back of his COLORS session and performance at Montreux Jazz Festival in 2022.
Being many things at the same time – while hard to put in a box, Ninja Kidsoul above all is a free jazz spirit embodying all that music has to offer with the rare gift from Allah that is his voice.
Never Really Gone is a collection of creative brilliance from Ninja Kidsoul, pairing his imperious flow and ingenious lyrics with ajagon’s peerless production. A debut EP not to be missed.
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