Sinkane is an artist with a real stake in our current cultural and political climate. Born in London to Sudanese parents, raised in Ohio, and now calling New York City home, the former skate punk turned afro funk whiz Ahmed Gallab, who performs as Sinkane, refines his sound and message to peak form on his new album Dépaysé, set for release on May 31st via City Slang. Today, Sinkane releases the record’s title track, which features lyrics in Arabic and English and combines psych-rock with elements of Sudanese folk music. “Dépaysé” arrives with a visual by Mad Alchemy Liquid Show, who will do visuals for select U.S. live dates later this year. Sinkane is now confirmed to play at Brooklyn’s 37d03d Festival (formerly PEOPLE) in May and London’s Field Day in June before the full-band embarks on a headline tour of North America. See below for a full itinerary for upcoming dates.

“Dépaysé is a French word that basically means “to be removed from one’s habitual surroundings,” says Ahmed Gallab. “By extension, it means to be disoriented, homeless. That’s a feeling I relate to very much in these times — and I don’t think I’m the only one who feels this way. That word gave me clarity and made my journey of self-discovery that much more exciting.”

“The song came to me in a dream: I dreamed I was walking the streets of Omdurman at night, a city along the Nile in my native Sudan, when I heard someone playing guitar and singing in Arabic. It turned out to be my father! He was sitting cross-legged on the ground, under a streetlight in front of my childhood home. His voice sounded hypnotic, raw and powerful as he sang in Arabic: ‘I am your life/And all of our lives/From within the city until our uprising/Our days have left us in the city and, with our imagination, we move forward.’ He sang that over and over, and I sing those same words in my song. This, along with the rest of Dépaysé, has given me peace. I am no longer afraid of the unknown. I’m no longer confused about my duality of my Sudanese and American identities. Now I accept it, and it’s made me feel new. This clarity has made me feel more connected with people than ever before. In celebrating our differences we should also understand that we all relate as human beings. I’m singing for the day we realize that we all relate.”