|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CD
|
|
GB 134CD
|
Work Hard solidifies King Ayisoba's reputation as both a shamanic performer and a restless sonic experimenter. The album is a wild mashup of Ayisoba's frenetic Kologo sound and musical deep dives from an exciting roster of Ghanaian producers and contributors. Curated and partially mixed by Zea, from post-punk legends The Ex. Work Hard has a different focus than Ayisoba's previous releases. This was partly due to the disruptions and adjustments that Covid brought in its wake, which in turn necessitated a more homegrown strategy. The bulk of the recording and mixing was done at Top Link, Francis Ayamga's hilltop studio in Bongo, a town in the Upper East Region of Ghana bordering Burkina Faso. Francis has become an in-demand producer, due mainly to his previous work with Ayisoba, a relationship that also packed in a European tour as part of the King's band, playing the djembe and bembe drums. Francis has thrown himself into curating as much of the local music scene as possible, producing This is FraFra Power (2019), released on Makkum Records, the label of key Ayisoba collaborator and main international "presence" on Work Hard, Zea, aka Arnold de Boer. De Boer, who mixed two tracks and did the mastering (as well as adding vocals and guitar parts), talked of how some of the "Glocal" sounds on King Ayisoba's new record initially came to pass. The record's core playfulness, brilliantly captured by Ayamga, could be a spirit conjured up whilst playing live back in 2019, when Zea and Oscar Jan Hoogland toured with King Ayisoba, Ayuune Sule, Atamina, Prince Buju, and others. Tracks are often adorned with digital candy courtesy of Fruity Loops and Cubase, two programs that often inform the sound of contemporary African pop. Unlike his previous album, 2017's 1000 Can Die, Work Hard showcases no guest musicians, but De Boer sees the local involvement creating a practice akin to that nurtured at the Black Ark studios, both in terms of vibe and operation. As noted earlier, Zea throws a rope bridge to another creative hub with its roots firmly planted in the local community, Katzwijn Studios in Voorhout. For Work Hard, Ayisoba recorded one mid-tour track in this magical converted old bulb shed, the glorious "People Talk Too Much". Despite having a foot in two continents, the album is perhaps Ayisoba's most consistent, "concentrated" release. The sleeve notes and lyrics, in Frafra, Twi, or the King's own style of pidgin English, are strident and sometimes mischievous statements, dealing with uncomfortable issues many often prefer to ignore in an increasingly cloistered West.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
GB 134LP
|
LP version. Work Hard solidifies King Ayisoba's reputation as both a shamanic performer and a restless sonic experimenter. The album is a wild mashup of Ayisoba's frenetic Kologo sound and musical deep dives from an exciting roster of Ghanaian producers and contributors. Curated and partially mixed by Zea, from post-punk legends The Ex. Work Hard has a different focus than Ayisoba's previous releases. This was partly due to the disruptions and adjustments that Covid brought in its wake, which in turn necessitated a more homegrown strategy. The bulk of the recording and mixing was done at Top Link, Francis Ayamga's hilltop studio in Bongo, a town in the Upper East Region of Ghana bordering Burkina Faso. Francis has become an in-demand producer, due mainly to his previous work with Ayisoba, a relationship that also packed in a European tour as part of the King's band, playing the djembe and bembe drums. Francis has thrown himself into curating as much of the local music scene as possible, producing This is FraFra Power (2019), released on Makkum Records, the label of key Ayisoba collaborator and main international "presence" on Work Hard, Zea, aka Arnold de Boer. De Boer, who mixed two tracks and did the mastering (as well as adding vocals and guitar parts), talked of how some of the "Glocal" sounds on King Ayisoba's new record initially came to pass. The record's core playfulness, brilliantly captured by Ayamga, could be a spirit conjured up whilst playing live back in 2019, when Zea and Oscar Jan Hoogland toured with King Ayisoba, Ayuune Sule, Atamina, Prince Buju, and others. Tracks are often adorned with digital candy courtesy of Fruity Loops and Cubase, two programs that often inform the sound of contemporary African pop. Unlike his previous album, 2017's 1000 Can Die, Work Hard showcases no guest musicians, but De Boer sees the local involvement creating a practice akin to that nurtured at the Black Ark studios, both in terms of vibe and operation. As noted earlier, Zea throws a rope bridge to another creative hub with its roots firmly planted in the local community, Katzwijn Studios in Voorhout. For Work Hard, Ayisoba recorded one mid-tour track in this magical converted old bulb shed, the glorious "People Talk Too Much". Despite having a foot in two continents, the album is perhaps Ayisoba's most consistent, "concentrated" release. The sleeve notes and lyrics, in Frafra, Twi, or the King's own style of pidgin English, are strident and sometimes mischievous statements, dealing with uncomfortable issues many often prefer to ignore in an increasingly cloistered West.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
CD
|
|
GB 044CD
|
In King Ayisoba, Ghana's ancient empire, the 21st century global express, the rhythms that created the past, and the beats forging the present all converge. "King Ayisoba and his band know that traditional instruments are stronger than anything modern," says album producer Zea (The Ex's Arnold de Boer). "Playing them is a gift from God. They'll take what they can use from electronica, from hiplife (the hugely popular Ghanaian style that fuses the local highlife music with hip-hop) but they won't let it beat them, because they know what they have is more powerful. Their music is pulled from the ground." The juxtaposition of the two on 1000 Can Die shows the irresistible drive of both sides. The thick, squelching bass and beats that push under the older rhythms of "Anka Yen Tu Kwai" are overtaken by the guluku and dundun drums that bring in "Yalma Dage Wanga," its rapid-fire melody dictated by Ayisoba's voice and two-string kologo lute. "We wanted the drums leading and upfront all the time, not as exotic additions," Zea says. "The sense of tradition always rises above everything." That overwhelming sense of the past in the present has been the hallmark of King Ayisoba's career. Born in Bolgatanga in rural Ghana, he was a prodigy on the kologo, playing locally until he'd outgrown the possibilities of the area. Moving to Accra, the country's biggest city, he eventually released the song "I Want To See You, My Father." There was nothing modern about it. No hiplife rap, no electronic beats. But somehow it conquered the country and brought the tradition firmly into the mainstream. "It was Song of the Year and Traditional Song of the Year," Zea recalls. "He also had a song called 'Modern Ghanaians' that said we shouldn't forget the tradition. Instead we should use it to fight modern problems." On the juggernaut of 1000 Can Die, the trailblazing Nigerian saxophonist Orlando Julius adds a raw, reedy quality to "Dapagara," while on "Wine Lange," the only song not to feature kologo, Sakuto Yongo's one-string gonju fiddle takes the music into a different, ancient dimension. The title-cut features Ghanaian rapper and producer M3nsa alongside the shapeshifting vision of legendary reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry. Alone or with beats, ultimately the power that propels 1000 Can Die comes from the band itself, from the sense of history that forms every piece of music. On 1000 Can Die, King Ayisoba is digging a new future from Ghana's soil. King Ayisoba: vocals and kologo; Abaadongo Adontanga: dancer, backing vocals, dorgo; Ayuune Sulley: sinyaka, backing vocals; Gemeka Abobe Azure: guluku and dundun drums; Ayamga Francis: djembe and bemne drums.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
GB 044LP
|
LP version. 180-gram vinyl. Includes download code. In King Ayisoba, Ghana's ancient empire, the 21st century global express, the rhythms that created the past, and the beats forging the present all converge. "King Ayisoba and his band know that traditional instruments are stronger than anything modern," says album producer Zea (The Ex's Arnold de Boer). "Playing them is a gift from God. They'll take what they can use from electronica, from hiplife (the hugely popular Ghanaian style that fuses the local highlife music with hip-hop) but they won't let it beat them, because they know what they have is more powerful. Their music is pulled from the ground." The juxtaposition of the two on 1000 Can Die shows the irresistible drive of both sides. The thick, squelching bass and beats that push under the older rhythms of "Anka Yen Tu Kwai" are overtaken by the guluku and dundun drums that bring in "Yalma Dage Wanga," its rapid-fire melody dictated by Ayisoba's voice and two-string kologo lute. "We wanted the drums leading and upfront all the time, not as exotic additions," Zea says. "The sense of tradition always rises above everything." That overwhelming sense of the past in the present has been the hallmark of King Ayisoba's career. Born in Bolgatanga in rural Ghana, he was a prodigy on the kologo, playing locally until he'd outgrown the possibilities of the area. Moving to Accra, the country's biggest city, he eventually released the song "I Want To See You, My Father." There was nothing modern about it. No hiplife rap, no electronic beats. But somehow it conquered the country and brought the tradition firmly into the mainstream. "It was Song of the Year and Traditional Song of the Year," Zea recalls. "He also had a song called 'Modern Ghanaians' that said we shouldn't forget the tradition. Instead we should use it to fight modern problems." On the juggernaut of 1000 Can Die, the trailblazing Nigerian saxophonist Orlando Julius adds a raw, reedy quality to "Dapagara," while on "Wine Lange," the only song not to feature kologo, Sakuto Yongo's one-string gonju fiddle takes the music into a different, ancient dimension. The title-cut features Ghanaian rapper and producer M3nsa alongside the shapeshifting vision of legendary reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry. Alone or with beats, ultimately the power that propels 1000 Can Die comes from the band itself, from the sense of history that forms every piece of music. On 1000 Can Die, King Ayisoba is digging a new future from Ghana's soil. King Ayisoba: vocals and kologo; Abaadongo Adontanga: dancer, backing vocals, dorgo; Ayuune Sulley: sinyaka, backing vocals; Gemeka Abobe Azure: guluku and dundun drums; Ayamga Francis: djembe and bemne drums.
|
|
|
|