Aladean Kheroufi

“Studies In A Dying Love” is a stunning and cathartic portrait of a relationship’s collapse. Aladean looks to classic soul, forgotten Chicano rhythms and dreamy folk-rock for an emotional dive into the ebbs and flows of the heart.

Created at his Ninth Street Sound studio in Edmonton, Canada over an extended period between 2019 to 2023, the album soundtracks the evolution of heartbreak. “The space is in the basement of a restaurant with no windows,” states Kheroufi, who also goes by Cheb Khero. “It was pretty easy to get lost down there. To me, the sign of a good song is that it takes as long to write it as it does to sing it. The closer to the heart the better.”

Aladean writes songs that are idiosyncratic, soulful and devastating – with a glass-half-full optimism that turns heartache into melancholy party anthems. Drawing inspiration from legendary songwriters such as Curtis Mayfield and Neil Young, combined with a deep passion for hook-laden soul singles, Aladean has created an achingly warm and sophisticated album, with emotive songwriting that explores the complexities of a love lost. Recorded using a selection of analog techniques and instruments, including an original 1970s Tascam 8-track machine, the album has an old soul sound, ultimately informed by his time working at The Daptone House of Soul under the tutelage of Wayne Gordon (Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, badbadnotgood, Mark Ronson).

Across its 11-tracks, Aladean plays bass, organ, synthesizers, guitar, percussion, vibraphone and piano, with support from a slew of beloved friends and collaborators. “This record is the result of community. I was always able to call my friends when I needed a helping hand or a second opinion. If it wasn’t for the people around me, I wouldn’t know who I am.”

Sounding akin to a release from the Hi Records or Muscle Shoals stable, Studies In A Dying Love will appeal to fans of Mayer Hawthorne, Leon Bridges, The Sacred Souls, Michael Kiwanuka, Ray LaMontagne, Sonny Ozuna, Timmy Thomas and Willie Mitchell.

Aladean doesn’t want listeners to think of the album as a pity party though, bringing levity by mixing melancholic lyricism with sun-dappled rhythm and blues. “This is a study in a dying love, but that still means that it is love. All love is important.”