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12"
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KITT 004EP
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To celebrate three years since the release of Andrew Ashong and Kaidi Tatham's now classic Sankofa Season, Kitto Records invite some of their favorite artists to remix and reimagine the music. The result is an all-star lineup that crosses genre and generations to produce a truly cracking EP, one that is clearly rooted in the original music while also moving into new, unexpected territories. Whether it is dubstep pioneer Mala bringing a heavy and sophisticated twist to "Low Ceilings," or breakthrough post-punk artist Wu-Lu flipping "Washed in You" into a completely new realm, complete with a captivating feature from the one and only Lex Amor, the quality on show is undeniable. Shy One brings one for the bruk heads, with a bumping remix of "Learning Lessens" that flips between styles and mood, deftly using Andrew Ashong's floating vocals to great effect. Gavsborg and Shanique Marie round out the EP by bringing the full force of their forward-thinking Jamaican music collective Equiknoxx to bear with a soulful reimagining of "To Your Heart."
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LP
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KITT 002LP
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Born of chance meetings in Accra, the band brings together a Burundian producer and vocalist, Betina Quest; with a Ghanaian singer-songwriter, Eli A Free; and a German percussionist and multi-instrumentalist, Ma.ttic. Nyamekye Junction take their name from a bustling junction in the Ghanaian capital, where a number of major roads merge, embodying the musical approach of the band: a singular sound at the junction of their cultural heritages. In Eli's words, Dasein (from the German for "existence", "being there"), captures "the need to live in this moment here and now with a heart full of gratitude" while exploring a number of interlinked themes, including the importance of one's environment -- cultural and political, as well as physical -- in situating, shaping and explaining each individual's identity. The band adeptly channel a wide range of influences, from the Ghanaian legends Ebo Taylor and Osibisa through to US mainstays such as Nina Simone and Erykah Badu; with equal regard given to UK innovators like Benjamin Clementine and Mala. The resulting debut EP Dasein is a stunning collage which showcases the band's impressive range and evolving sound by traversing a diverse range of moods, rhythms and textures. The lead single "GMT" (short for "Ghana Man Time") is a dancefloor-ready track that carries a deft political message. Driven by a weighty bassline alongside punching drums and percussion, for a rhythm section that would be at home in any broken-beat set, the song explores and emphasizes differing conceptions of time between the West and Africa with a playful irony. Later, the lighter "Eyes Don't See" provides space for the full range of Eli's balladeering vocals, while "Cloud 21" serves up Dean Bluntesque instrumentals and "Aduro" closes the record with a rousing anti-colonial anthem. "Being there", and was a core concept in the existentialist philosophy of Heidigger. For the band, it captures "the need to live in this moment here and now with a heart full of gratitude" (Eli) and the themes it raises, including the importance of one's environment in situating, shaping and explaining each individual's identity, are explored throughout the EP. Against a backdrop of a heavily male dominated music production space, Betina also quietly champions a course for women music producers in Africa and beyond, providing the driving force behind the band's distinct sound with intricate, looping productions and synth lines. For fans of: Obongjayar, Young Fathers, Alewya.
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LP
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KITTO 001LP
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2020 release. South London soul artist Andrew Ashong returns with his first full release since 2014 -- an expansive six-track collaboration with Kaidi Tatham, the unrivaled underground virtuoso described as the UK's Herbie Hancock. Sankofa Season takes both artists to new heights as they seamlessly complement each other's musical language, giving voice to productions that criss-cross genre and time to move into their own distinct lane. Expect deep jazz funk, hazy contemporary soul, jazzy broken beat, breezy Latin soul, organic deep house, and much more. A chance DJ set in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with British Ghanaian soul artist Andrew Ashong on the decks, and UK broken beat legend Kaidi Tatham jamming along on synths and flute, was the crux of their new collaborative EP Sankofa Season. Remembering that night Kaidi says: "Andrew came in with a load of amazing records man, but then he played Manolo Badrena 'The One Thing', and I still remember, that's when I knew, this guy's proper, he's serious. I was like who is this dude, he smashed up the place, an amazing night." "Sankofa" translates to "go back and get it" in the Twi language of Ghana, and is the message throughout the six-track EP. Whether it's looking back at the London club scene on "Low Ceilings", or exploring the diasporic connections of music on "Sankofa Song", while also taking in the events of the year so far, Andrew explains: "Let's not spend too much of our divine energy retraumatizing ourselves and obsessing over grievances. We've got to address it, but we have to move forward, and try and make it better". Sankofa Season takes both artists to new heights as they seamlessly complement each other's musical language, giving voice to productions that criss-cross genre and time to move into their own distinct lane. Speaking on the recording process with Kaidi, Andrew says: "I don't even know how to describe how fluid and fast and how on point and how abundant his musical expression is, it's insane". Kaidi adds, "I just knew exactly what to do with Andrew man, straight away. But this is just the beginning -- this is just the start, people ain't ready". The EP follows Kaidi Tatham's 2018 album It's A World Before You, and is Andrew Ashong's first full release since his 2014 self-titled EP. Sankofa Season is the inaugural release for Kitto Records, a new label based in Belfast and London. RIYL: Sault, Moodymann, Theo Parrish.
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