The album follows the myth-like story of a young girl who seeks to find the cause of a mysterious fire which destroyed her village, and in the process encounters a variety of "souls" who dwell in her town"s collective unconscious, each of which is represented by a different track on the album.
Influenced by Jungian archetypes, mystical philosophy and the folk music of her Middle-Eastern roots, the album is an eclectic and captivating blend of subtle electronica, folk and pop.
Gazel's video for her new single,
Walk On Land, summons the ritualistic nature of dance, seeing Gazel, and an
all-female cast, flow effortlessly through surreal visions of natural beauty, summoning elemental spirits and evoking undertones of mystic significance, accompanied by the track's possessing steel drums and intoxicating melodies.
"We shot the video in Bristol with Conner Foley and Alex Millichamp, with choreography by Hannah Millchamp," says Gazel.
"It was great fun to make a video for such a colourful, summery song, and to create choreography for my lyrics.
"The track is a celebration of the interconnectedness of man and the natural world, so shooting outside in such a beautiful setting seemed a perfect way to express that in the video."
Pangaea and Mixhell have both contributed their own reworks, highlighting the track's unique instrumentation and melodicism set against minimalist, pulsating rhythms, while Rain Is Here, Gazel's own remix, is evocative of the likes of Four Tet or Bonobo.
Subverting swelling and emotive synths and flowing melodies in favour of warped loops and driving beats, the remixes are infectious and mesmeric rebirths of the original.
"When writing 'Gazel's Book of Souls' I knew I wanted to create a mythological structure of the unconscious mind - like an imaginary psychic map," says Gazel.
"I wanted a theme for each song, each representing a different aspect of the human psychic tendency - grief, growth, technology, symbolism, problems of identity and belief in the mind"s fabrications. 'Gazel's Book of Souls' is music that explores dreams, consciousness and the great mystery of the human mind."
Following its release, Gazel will be taking her immersive and captivating live performance blending sonic, visual and spoken word elements on a
four-date run of headline shows, culminating with a date at
The Brunswick, in Hove.
'Gazel's Book Of Souls' will be released on 4th October. Gazel headlines The Brunswick, Hove, on Sunday 20th October 2019. Buy tickets HERE.