Sonic synaesthesia with Aasthma

Blood orange, mint, saffron, amber, incense, dried fruit, gum acacia…
These essences often have very identifiable aromas. But when mixed with each other, it may sometimes be difficult to extract distinct olfactory notes. Well, Aasthma has just invented a sound for each of them.

Stora Skuggan, a Swedish artisanal perfume brand based in Stockholm, released a brand new fragrance this winter, Azalai. Its scents are meant to recall the golden symbolism of the sand and the long camel caravans led by the Tuaregs across the Sahara desert. While the olfactory nuances were developed by expert noses, the Scandinavian brand decided to extend Azalai’s sensory coverage by calling on two Swedish friends to give the fragrance a sound…Peder Mannerfelt and Pär Grindvik took up the challenge.

Discover the 8 smells of Azalai here  – all individually transformed into sonic scents by Aasthma.

Blended together, the sounds of blood orange, mint, saffron, dried fruit, amber, incense, gum acacia and velvione form a warm and nomadic heterogeneous balance.
In Aasthma’s take of Azalai, blood orange, velvione and gum acacia mainly form the texture of the sound scent.

It is not easy to compare fragrances to sounds, just as it can be complicated to describe a smell accurately, especially because our experience of both is so heavily grounded in taste…to each their own. When you enter a perfume shop, for example, how long does it take to mix up the aromas and feel rather disoriented without being able to remember which scent you liked and why? Not much time. Music then adds its touch and plays on the memory. Who knows, maybe one day we will remember a perfume by the music that accompanied it, and the memories the two summoned, before we think about its smell.

This is not the first time that the members of Aasthma have explored the relationship between sound and scent for Stora Skuggan. Last spring, Peder Mannerfelt composed a mix entitled “Six Hits Of Sunshine And The Scent Of Spring” for the Swedish company. Peder elaborates on the concept behind the mix: “It’s supposed to feel like walking around Stockholm on a sunny spring day, taking off your jacket, stopping for a drink and saying hello to a dog“. Listen to the full mix here.

On March 4, Aasthma was in Paris with Stora Skuggan to present the fragrance in music at Dover Street Market.

Aasthma – Arrival available 12″ & digitally here.

Picture: Aasthma