Indian-born British composer Cephas Azariah presents his highly anticipated debut album, a 12-track neo-classical LP 'Joy Paradox' to Reflections.
Cephas was always drawn to classical composition, he studied Music Theology and the Arts at Middlesex university and began composing soundtracks for film right away. He drew on the full spectrum of his influences to write his debut album, including neo-classical, ambient and cinematic, and wrote it in his home studio with a piano he bought off Facebook Marketplace. "I finished it all in Scotland in a cabin by the lochs," he says. "It was a beautiful way to wrap it up."
Every track on Cephas Azariah's 'Joy Paradox' has a story, tending to resolve personal conflicts through music, with each piece acting as a gentle unravelling of inner unrest. "This project is a summary of thirty years of life, and a realisation that you can't have good things without sacrifice," Cephas says. "Achieving success takes a certain level of suffering, and that's the paradox of joy."
Throughout his life, Cephas has experienced this paradox first-hand. His parents moved to the UK from India when he was ten, and he grew up witnessing the challenges that came with leaving their culture behind and having to adapt to a new one. "Sometimes you have to put something down in order to pick something up," Cephas says. "And you have to trust that you're making the right decision."
When listening to 'Joy Paradox', Cephas hopes people will be able to sit with and feel comfortable with conflicting emotions. "I want people to commit to their own journey in life, and not feel like they have to arrive already, or be at the start or the end," he says. "I want people to recognise the things they've had to put down in order to enjoy the things they now have."
Cephas' artistry and philosophy blend into one another, and instead of accolades, money and material possessions, he'd prefer to be at peace. "That was always a goal beyond working with a big label or writing amazing music or owning a home," he says.
"I can say now I'm totally at peace with myself," he continues. "This project is all about these cultural intersections that repeatedly come up in life. I often find myself at a crossroads, unsure of who I am, and being at peace is difficult when you just don't know where you fit. I'm brown, I live in the UK, I write a predominantly white genre of music. Then there's family background, heritage, language - it all comes into it. Now I understand that I will constantly live at an intersection, and that's okay."
Vinyl Tracklist
A1. Recompose
A2. Joy Paradox
A3. Kintsugi
A4. Contours
B1. Manna
B2. Mellowness Of The Heart
B3. Fading Anxieties
B4. Unhurried
C1. Amber Clouds
C2. Faber
C3. Faber Sanctum
C4. A Prologue For Winter
D1. Recompose (In Nature) (Vinyl Bonus Track)
D2. Joy Paradox (Strings Reprise) (Vinyl Bonus Track)
D3. Kintsugi (In Nature) (Vinyl Bonus Track)
D4. Contours (Strings Reprise) (Vinyl Bonus Track)
About Cephas Azariah
Cephas is an Indian-born British composer writing music for contemplation, film & media. He combines atmospheric textures and analog piano melodies to create sounds that suspend emotions with a new clarity. After a higher education in Music Theology & The Arts, Cephas went on to soundtrack dozens of films, and score music for the likes of Channel 4, Puma, Soho House and Expedia.
Cephas Azariah is also a touring musician, who’s toured many times with songwriter, collaborator and friend Elle Limebear (who you’ll remember from their collaborative ‘if I can be honest’ EP). He started to release his own neo-classical compositions in late 2021, and we have been captivated with his sound ever since. He also enjoys making the occasional ambient edit of popular tracks, a showcase of his versatility.