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CD
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GB 064CD
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The London-based Afro-dub ensemble Fofoulah have followed-up their debut album Fofoulah (GB 017 CD/LP, 2014) with a more shape-shifting and adventurous recording. Slippery sabar beats, dystopian electronics, and echoing, shamanic chants ratchet up both the dub quotient and the dramatic tension. Creating a sound-world that is both earthy and urban, futurist and rooted - their new album Daega Rek (The Truth) is brought into focus by the rhythms and vocals of Gambian sabar drummer Kaw Secka and the vivid production of keyboardist/saxophonist Tom Challenger. After the release of Fofoulah, the band played extensively in the U.K. and Europe where every concert would see Secka rise to the microphone with his tama (a talking drum) and rap over the last song, cueing rhythmic patterns for the group to play in unison. It was decided to take this exploratory part of the shows forward into the next realm. The concept that emerged for the Daega Rek involved combining recordings of drums and percussion with improvisatory vocalizations and a production aesthetic that pushed the band's collective sound in a much more electronic and dub-based direction. The resultant tracks were shaped by Challenger in his studio, fusing the new rhythm sessions with a variety of manipulated, previous recordings of the band, while also adding an array of synthesizers. Secka then came in to lay down vocals and it was these contributions that went on to define the final songs. Every song has a different meaning, or message, all of them sung in Wolof, a language central to coastal West African countries such as The Gambia and Senegal. Secka's lyrics explore a myriad of topics -- "Njite" for example, focuses on the importance of leadership, and all that it entails; "Seye" (Marriage) explores the nature of human connection; and the title track sets its lens on truth and the riddles of reality. The rhythmic propulsion of the initial recordings made by drummer Dave Smith and Secka at Real World, melds with a backdrop of shifting sonic colors; Johnny Brierley's melodic bass lines underpin the patterns of Phil Stevenson's guitar which intersect with Challenger's keyboards and Secka's incantations. The emphasis on sonic structure and the identity of the material showcases its influences - traditional sabar drumming meeting glitchy electronics and dub textures blending with elements of footwork and drum and bass. Fofoulah remind us that sonic and human experiences combine, resonate and land where they will.
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LP
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GB 064LP
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LP version. 180 gram vinyl; includes download code. The London-based Afro-dub ensemble Fofoulah have followed-up their debut album Fofoulah (GB 017 CD/LP, 2014) with a more shape-shifting and adventurous recording. Slippery sabar beats, dystopian electronics, and echoing, shamanic chants ratchet up both the dub quotient and the dramatic tension. Creating a sound-world that is both earthy and urban, futurist and rooted - their new album Daega Rek (The Truth) is brought into focus by the rhythms and vocals of Gambian sabar drummer Kaw Secka and the vivid production of keyboardist/saxophonist Tom Challenger. After the release of Fofoulah, the band played extensively in the U.K. and Europe where every concert would see Secka rise to the microphone with his tama (a talking drum) and rap over the last song, cueing rhythmic patterns for the group to play in unison. It was decided to take this exploratory part of the shows forward into the next realm. The concept that emerged for the Daega Rek involved combining recordings of drums and percussion with improvisatory vocalizations and a production aesthetic that pushed the band's collective sound in a much more electronic and dub-based direction. The resultant tracks were shaped by Challenger in his studio, fusing the new rhythm sessions with a variety of manipulated, previous recordings of the band, while also adding an array of synthesizers. Secka then came in to lay down vocals and it was these contributions that went on to define the final songs. Every song has a different meaning, or message, all of them sung in Wolof, a language central to coastal West African countries such as The Gambia and Senegal. Secka's lyrics explore a myriad of topics -- "Njite" for example, focuses on the importance of leadership, and all that it entails; "Seye" (Marriage) explores the nature of human connection; and the title track sets its lens on truth and the riddles of reality. The rhythmic propulsion of the initial recordings made by drummer Dave Smith and Secka at Real World, melds with a backdrop of shifting sonic colors; Johnny Brierley's melodic bass lines underpin the patterns of Phil Stevenson's guitar which intersect with Challenger's keyboards and Secka's incantations. The emphasis on sonic structure and the identity of the material showcases its influences - traditional sabar drumming meeting glitchy electronics and dub textures blending with elements of footwork and drum and bass. Fofoulah remind us that sonic and human experiences combine, resonate and land where they will.
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CD
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GB 017CD
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Midline pricing. The London-based quintet Fofoulah (meaning "it's there" in Wolof) was formed in 2011 and features Tom Challenger (Red Snapper) on saxophone and keyboards, Phil Stevenson (Iness Mezel) on guitar, Johnny Brierley (Outhouse Ruhabi) on bass, Dave Smith (Robert Plant's Sensational Shape Shifters) on drums and Sabar drums, and Kaw Secka (Irok) on Sabar drums and tama. With the rhythms of the Sabar drums -- a traditional form of Wolof drumming from Gambia and Senegal -- at its heart, Fofoulah's music has evolved into an inspired cosmopolitan mélange that also incorporates elements of electronic music, dub, improvisation and Afro-rock. Like the complex city they live in, their music is shaped and lifted by diverse sound-worlds and cultures. Having performed mainly in the creative hubs of east London and Bristol, in 2013 Fofoulah released the Bene Bop EP, a collaboration with Senegalese singer Biram Seck. Later that year the band entered the famed Real World Studios near Bath to begin work on their radiant debut album Fofoulah. Produced by drummer Dave Smith (Robert Plant, JuJu) Fofoulah is a previously unvisited crossroads where Sabar rhythms meet dub bass lines and sci-fi synths; liquid melodies and Wolof rap entangle with trance-like dance grooves; and raw guitars, horns and samples blend with west and north African song forms. In the album's liner notes, bass player Johnny Brierley describes the creative journey that led to the making of the album: "The rhythms and traditions of the drums were essential starting points for our compositions and acted as the building blocks for all the other instruments -- our music has developed and evolved with each member's musical background and influences being heard within the band... Fofoulah, our first album, is a snapshot of the band at this moment in time and the result of a constantly developing sound." In keeping with the band's expansive approach, the album also features an incredible roster of guest voices: Senegalese singer and Bristol resident Batch Gueye, UK hip-hop sensation Ghostpoet, Algerian/Parisian singer Iness Mezel and the acclaimed Gambian-born, Fulani musician Juldeh Camara (JuJu, Robert Plant). Fofoulah is not merely a cross-cultural project. They are a dynamic band born naturally out of personal friendships and varied backgrounds, the nerve net of contemporary London and the post-global interconnectedness we all experience daily. The band is propulsive, innovative, celebratory, and always leaning forward. They are a thrilling extension of the deeply-rooted Sabar rhythms upon which their music revolves.
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LP
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GB 017LP
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LP version. 180 gram vinyl pressing, housed in a gatefold sleeve and includes digital download code. The London-based quintet Fofoulah (meaning "it's there" in Wolof) was formed in 2011 and features Tom Challenger (Red Snapper) on saxophone and keyboards, Phil Stevenson (Iness Mezel) on guitar, Johnny Brierley (Outhouse Ruhabi) on bass, Dave Smith (Robert Plant's Sensational Shape Shifters) on drums and Sabar drums, and Kaw Secka (Irok) on Sabar drums and tama. With the rhythms of the Sabar drums -- a traditional form of Wolof drumming from Gambia and Senegal -- at its heart, Fofoulah's music has evolved into an inspired cosmopolitan mélange that also incorporates elements of electronic music, dub, improvisation and Afro-rock. Like the complex city they live in, their music is shaped and lifted by diverse sound-worlds and cultures. Having performed mainly in the creative hubs of east London and Bristol, in 2013 Fofoulah released the Bene Bop EP, a collaboration with Senegalese singer Biram Seck. Later that year the band entered the famed Real World Studios near Bath to begin work on their radiant debut album Fofoulah. Produced by drummer Dave Smith (Robert Plant, JuJu) Fofoulah is a previously unvisited crossroads where Sabar rhythms meet dub bass lines and sci-fi synths; liquid melodies and Wolof rap entangle with trance-like dance grooves; and raw guitars, horns and samples blend with west and north African song forms. In the album's liner notes, bass player Johnny Brierley describes the creative journey that led to the making of the album: "The rhythms and traditions of the drums were essential starting points for our compositions and acted as the building blocks for all the other instruments -- our music has developed and evolved with each member's musical background and influences being heard within the band... Fofoulah, our first album, is a snapshot of the band at this moment in time and the result of a constantly developing sound." In keeping with the band's expansive approach, the album also features an incredible roster of guest voices: Senegalese singer and Bristol resident Batch Gueye, UK hip-hop sensation Ghostpoet, Algerian/Parisian singer Iness Mezel and the acclaimed Gambian-born, Fulani musician Juldeh Camara (JuJu, Robert Plant). Fofoulah is not merely a cross-cultural project. They are a dynamic band born naturally out of personal friendships and varied backgrounds, the nerve net of contemporary London and the post-global interconnectedness we all experience daily. The band is propulsive, innovative, celebratory, and always leaning forward. They are a thrilling extension of the deeply-rooted Sabar rhythms upon which their music revolves.
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