Der nicht zuletzt von Iggy Pop und Grace Jones geadelte Kopf und Namensgeber der One-Man-Band Skinny Pelembe hat mit 'Hardly The Same Snake', nach 'Dreaming Is Dead Now' (2019) das zweite Album des in Johannesburg geborenen und in Doncaster aufgewachsenen Künstlers, endlich seine Stimme gefunden.
Entschlossen, die Sammlung nicht wie ein Bandalbum klingen zu lassen, aber auch nicht zu sehr "button push-y”, erfand Skinny seine Songs neu, indem er die ursprünglich live aufgenommenen Instrumente sampelte und neu zusammensetzte, einschließlich der zerhackt-komplexen Beats, die der brillante Malcolm Catto (The Heliocentrics) beigesteuert hatte. Ein mühsamer Prozess, aber ein lohnender, an dessen Ende ein Album stand, das seinen verheißungsvollen Vorgänger hinter sich lässt und die kreative Entwicklung von Skinny als Häutung schon im Titel widerspiegelt; eine trotzig nach außen blickende Platte, die sich mit Familie, Religion und den wichtigsten Wendepunkten im Leben - von der Elternschaft bis zum Tod - auseinandersetzt.
Dass er die Schwere seiner Themen dabei immer wieder mit einem gesunden Humor und dem Hang zu einer gewissen Selbstironie zu brechen imstande ist, macht Skinny Pelembe zu einer der vielleicht furchtlosesten und originellsten künstlerischen Stimmen des zeitgenössischen Großbritanniens.
Search:skinny pelembe
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Der nicht zuletzt von Iggy Pop und Grace Jones geadelte Kopf und Namensgeber der One-Man-Band Skinny Pelembe hat mit 'Hardly The Same Snake', nach 'Dreaming Is Dead Now' (2019) das zweite Album des in Johannesburg geborenen und in Doncaster aufgewachsenen Künstlers, endlich seine Stimme gefunden.
Entschlossen, die Sammlung nicht wie ein Bandalbum klingen zu lassen, aber auch nicht zu sehr "button push-y”, erfand Skinny seine Songs neu, indem er die ursprünglich live aufgenommenen Instrumente sampelte und neu zusammensetzte, einschließlich der zerhackt-komplexen Beats, die der brillante Malcolm Catto (The Heliocentrics) beigesteuert hatte. Ein mühsamer Prozess, aber ein lohnender, an dessen Ende ein Album stand, das seinen verheißungsvollen Vorgänger hinter sich lässt und die kreative Entwicklung von Skinny als Häutung schon im Titel widerspiegelt; eine trotzig nach außen blickende Platte, die sich mit Familie, Religion und den wichtigsten Wendepunkten im Leben - von der Elternschaft bis zum Tod - auseinandersetzt.
Dass er die Schwere seiner Themen dabei immer wieder mit einem gesunden Humor und dem Hang zu einer gewissen Selbstironie zu brechen imstande ist, macht Skinny Pelembe zu einer der vielleicht furchtlosesten und originellsten künstlerischen Stimmen des zeitgenössischen Großbritanniens.
Visceral yet inherently soulful, 'Hardly The Same Snake' is the sound of the Johannesburg-born, Doncaster-raised artist Doya Beardmore finally finding his voice – both literally and figuratively. In practical terms, that involved finding the courage to foreground his gravelly baritone in these gloriously genre-agnostic productions. But it also meant branching out beyond his safety net to figure out the artist he truly wanted to be. As Skinny puts it today, “This album is what I would have created the first time round had I rated my own voice.” The idea of forging your own path – and shedding skin, so to speak – is integral to 'Hardly The Same Snake'. Begun pre-pandemic and completed in the spring of 2021, it’s a defiantly outward-looking record contemplating family, religion and major life milestones, from parenthood to death. Where previously Skinny relied on dream diaries as his primary lyrical resource, this time he took notes at design exhibitions, using these unfiltered observations as a jumping off point for songs. If this superb second album proves anything, it’s that it doesn’t matter how much Skinny errs on the side of self-deprecation – he remains one of the UK’s most fearlessly original voices. Skinny Pelembe's second album 'Hardly The Same Snake' is out on April 28th on Partisan Records.
Dub echo, hip-hop lyricism and heavy guitar fuzz are boiled down into a heady, characteristic musical brew.
On “Dreaming Is Dead Now”, multi-talented wonder Skinny Pelembe meditates on grief, heartache, stunted aspirations and fresh possibilities in post-recession Britain. For his debut album, the Johannesburg-born, Doncaster-raised artist weaves together a patchwork of personal and musical touchstones; memories and observations are dreamily laced together, sun-dazzled California folk diced with the murkier corners of the UK dance lineage.
Tipping a hat to West London broken beat as much as My Bloody Valentine, the album was co-produced by Malcolm Catto (of The Heliocentrics, who’s previously worked with Yussef Kamaal, DJ Shadow, and Madlib), who helped to distil down its bounty of ingredients into the record’s distinctive flavour. Tough, tight-programmed rhythms are washed over with fuzzy overtures, and the title track is the product of a studio session with a foundational drum & bass duo (credited under the covert alias of The Bleeding Edge). It’s the rare kind of record where the messy, in-between musical spaces are given a light to shine.
First discovered through the Gilles Peterson- and Brownswoodfounded Future Bubblers programme, Skinny has since made it onto Peterson’s iconic Brownswood Bubblers compilation series, performed and collaborated with fellow Future Bubbler Yazmin Lacey, and been tipped by the likes of Ghostpoet and James Lavelle. Praise has also come from The Observer, The Quietus and Huck, with previous singles “Spit / Swallow” and “I Just Wanna Be Your Prisoner” bumped up onto heavy rotation on BBC 6 Music’s A-List. He’s also been in demand for live sessions with The Vinyl Factory and Worldwide FM, and supported Nightmares on Wax and Maribou State.
Skinny Pelembe has corralled together a cast of talented friends for his new EP. It's the second release from the Doncaster-raised, multi-talented producer-cum-bandleader since signing to Gilles Peterson's Brownswood label in February. This one's a group effort, with each of its tracks featuring a different artist, each of them an act he's met through music or through linking with Brownswood's talent development programme Future Bubblers two years ago.
The EP touches on hip-hop, psych-rock and jazz-influenced sounds, continuing in the gloriously magpie-like approach of his earlier releases. Each of its songs started as a rough idea which was then fleshed out and re-imagined with his collaborators. He says that the title of the EP comes from some advice which he left for himself on an old notebook. The singer-guitarist-producer, born in Johannesburg and raised in Doncaster, signed to Brownswood earlier this year and debuted with the 'Spit / Swallow' single in March. It's seen support from Dazed, The Quietus and Huck. He's been invited as a guest onto Jamz Supernova on Radio 1xtra, as well as Tom Ravenscroft and Lauren Laverne on 6 Music. He recently featured as one of the guests chosen for 6 Music's showcase at The Great Escape. The single release will be followed by Skinny's first UK Tour in September.
Having recently signed to Brownswood Recordings, announced via new track 'I'll Be On Your Mind', Skinny Pelembe lines up his first single proper for the London imprint. 'Spit / Swallow' spans pastoral pop, psychedelic textures and hip-hop-tipped, chopped and spliced guitar, interlacings samples with rolling drum breaks and echoed falsettos. B-side 'Toy Shooter' follows in similar fashion, bridging psych-rock exaltation with beat-head, synth-jamming production.
Born in Johannesburg and raised in Doncaster, Skinny Pelembe is based in London. 'I'll Be On Your Mind' has been receiving radio support from Lauren Laverne on 6 Music, Huw Stevens on Radio 1, Jamz Supernova on 1xtra and Tom Ravenscroft on 6 Music, with previous single 'Seven Year Curse' picking up airplay on Benji B on Radio 1 and Gilles Peterson on 6 Music.
Peterson has shepherded his rise, first through his Future Bubblers programme for new artists, followed by his inclusion on legendary compilation series Brownswood Bubblers. He's been profiled by Pigeons & Planes and Clash, and 'Seven Year Curse' was supported in record shops like Rough Trade, Sounds of the Universe, Phonica and Sister Ray.
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First Word Records is very proud to present a brand new EP from Yazmin Lacey - 'When The Sun Dips 90 Degrees'.
This EP follows on from her two recent singles, '90 Degrees' and 'Something My Heart Trusts', both of which are included here, along with three previously unreleased tracks, 'Heaven', 'Body Needs Healing' and 'Burn & Rise'. This set illustrates again Yazmin's candid songwriting delivered in her uniquely laidback soulful style, whilst a glorious fusion of neo-soul and jazz performed by Pete Beardsworth and her trusty band rides throughout.
In recent times, Yazmin has made live appearances on Jazz FM, BBC Radio 4, 1Xtra and NTS, & received widespread acclaim across the airwaves, including BBC Radio 2, BBC 6 Music, Worldwide FM and Mi-Soul, plus Spotify love from the likes of The Independent and heavy support from DJs such as Gilles Peterson, Jamz Supernova, Tom Ravenscroft, Huey Morgan and Jamie Cullum. Yazmin appeared heavily in The Guardian / The Observer's recent extensive feature on the UK's new Jazz movement too.
Initially a Brownswood 'Future Bubbler' graduate, Yazmin self-released her debut EP, 'Black Moon', last year. This lead to a Maida Vale session late 2017 with Jordan Rakei, Moses Boyd, Oscar Jerome and now label-mates, Children of Zeus. She kicked off the year with a performance at the Worldwide Awards with Skinny Pelembe, and has recently done shows with artists such as Ezra Collective, Tall Black Guy and Fatima. Yazmin has a UK tour scheduled for later in the year, as well as several festival appearances across Europe locked in. There's a lot more to come from this Notts-based Londoner yet.
In Yazmin's words: "'90 Degrees' is about that time of the day / night when there's a shift in pace and energy. When you decide to lock off from the 'outside' world and create your own atmosphere, take some time to give thanks for what's breathing love into your life and smoke off the fuckeries. Everyone needs a little routine for self preservation."
Legendary labels Decca Records and Blue Note have joined forces for Blue Note Re:imagined; a brand new collection of classic Blue Note tracks brought together for the first time, reworked and newly recorded by a selection of the jazz scene’s most exciting young talents today. Representing a bridge between the ground-breaking label’s past and future, the project will feature contributions from a rollcall of internationally acclaimed jazz, soul and R&B acts-Shabaka Hutchings, Ezra Collective, Nubya Garcia, Mr Jukes, Steam Down, Skinny Pelembe, Emma-Jean Thackray, Poppy Ajudha, Jordan Rakei, Fieh, Ishmael Ensemble, Blue Lab Beats, Melt Yourself Down, Yazmin Lacey, Alfa Mist, and Brit Award-winning Jorja Smith.
This is the next 7’’ singles installments with Steam Down’s version of Wayne Shorter’s Etcetera (ft. Afronaut Zu) and Yazmin Lacey’s version of Dodo Greene’s - I’ll Never Stop Loving You.
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