The Boston Globe calls Asaf Avidan "soulful and ethereal" and names him one of “music's rising stars of 2014." While Avidan has drawn comparisons to Janis Joplin, Jeff Buckley, and Nina Simone, he possesses a voice that is utterly singular. As London's The Independent recently put it, “If you haven't heard Avidan's music, prepare to be astounded.”
To watch Avidan perform is to experience a sensory disconnect. Standing on stage is a skinny, mohawked man, but what one hears is the craggy, whiskey-soaked voice of a woman. “The human voice has a whole spectrum we just don't use because we have these weird taboos and manners, and these ideas about masculinity,” he explains.
Avidan shot to worldwide fame when his track “One Day / Reckoning Song,” performed with his band, Asaf Avidan & The Mojos, hit number one in 14 countries as a remix by a Berlin DJ. DJ Wankelmut took the delicate acoustic lament and dressed it up for the dance floor with synthetic beats and voice distortion. The video has 150 million views on YouTube.
Avidan recently released his debut solo album, Different Pulses to much acclaim in Europe. In the new work, Avidan focuses his passion and poetry into a tight suite of songs linked by robust melodies and intriguing psychological ambivalence. Avidan pushes his remarkable voice to its limits. The new album has already sold over 200,000 copies in Europe, where the remix single “Reckoning Day” has sold over 1.5 million. Avidan has filled prestigious 5000-seat venues such as Olympia and Zenith, and played to crowds of 250,000 in European festivals.