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01. Fofoulah - Nyari Garong
02. Fofoulah - Ndanane Fofoulah
03. Fofoulah - Seye Fofoulah
04. Fofoulah - Daega Rek
05. Fofoulah - Njita Fofoulah
06. Fofoulah - Chebou Jane
07. Fofoulah - Knicki Fofoulah
08. Fofoulah - Kaddy
09. Fofoulah - Pulo Fofoulah
ARTIST
TITLE
Daega Rek
FORMAT
LP

LABEL
CATALOG #
GB 064LP GB 064LP
GENRE
RELEASE DATE
11/16/2018

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.