Baba Ali

Baba Ali is the combined force of captivating vocalist Baba Doherty and knife-edged guitarist Nik Balchin, with drum machines and synthesizers regulating their pulse. The duo’s prototype sound, which they call “electropunkdisco”, blends elements of dark wave, garage rock and electronic funk with a raw soulful energy primed for sweaty dancefloors. Onstage, Baba Ali is both a menacing and seductive presence, transmitting a wall of sound that fills the room with an infectious feral groove that makes dancing inevitable.

Their EP 2020 ‘This House’ which was produced and recorded in LA with Jamie Hince (The Kills), and released on Danger Mouse’s 30th Century Records. The EP’s lead single ‘House’ attracted the attention of influential radio presenters Lauren Laverne and Jack Saunders, who gave the song regular play on BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio One.

In 2021 they recorded their debut album ‘Memory Device’ with Al Doyle (LCD Soundsystem, Hot Chip) at his East London studio, and its release landed Baba Ali on The Guardian’s ‘One To Watch’. For their 2023 sophomore album ‘Laugh Like A Bomb’, Baba Ali took to production duties themselves in Al Doyle’s London studio, and finished the final mixes with Sheffield producer Ross Orton (Working Men’s Club, M.I.A., Actic Monkeys). The album’s bold and fiery lead single Burn Me Out received heavy rotation on BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio One, championed by long-term supporters Lauren Laverne and Jack Saunders. Baba Ali also performed ‘Burn Me Out’ for their live television debut on the legendary BBC show Later…with Jools Holland. NME described the duo as ‘peruveyours of the brilliantly unexpected’ in their 4 star review of their latest LP.

Most recently, Baba Ali have released their first single for 2024 ‘Heart Racer’ and have just completed a short run of shows in the UK and EU supporting the Kills.