I Have a Song with Jann Arden?

Vivek Shraya proudly announced the release of a music video for the captivating new version of "I Miss My Friends" originally from her latest visual album, Baby, You’re Projecting. This rendition features the legendary Jann Arden, marking another milestone in Shraya's series of major collaborations, including with Jully Black and Donovan Woods, as well as the release of How To Fail As A Popstar, her new CBC Gem original series that premiered in October.

Speaking of the experience, Arden says, “It was an absolute adventure recording with Vivek!! It’s such a great song with such a universal message of friendship and connection. I think we sound great together!”

"I HAVE A SONG WITH JANN ARDEN!?! Life is strange and awesome!" Vivek Shraya

 Acknowledging Arden's influence on her artistic journey, Shraya says, “I feel like on some level, this song was inspired by Jann Arden’s “Ode to a Friend.” As a fellow Albertan, I owe so much to Jann and the path she has paved for artists like me, and I was obsessed with her album “Happy” (which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary!) which features this song. I remember thinking at the time that it was so special because there were so few pop songs that centre on friendship. Friendship is where I am most vulnerable and needy, so I have listened the shit out of that song and it feels extra special to have this full circle moment with Jann singing on this track.”

Folly Group Coming Through With The Energy

This Friday, January 12 marks the arrival of UK experimental post-punk darlings Folly Group's highly anticipated debut album, Down There!, to be released via So Young Records.  

Fresh off the heels of an acclaimed 2021 debut EP Awake And Hungry and last year's Human And Kind (which received a perfect 5-star review from DORK, and a glowing 4-stars from DIY), Folly Group's long-awaited debut was introduced last year with three singles — "Strange Neighbour," "Big Ground," and "I'll Do What I Can." With an approving nod to their relentless avoidance of genre convention and stunning union of electronic and post-punk elements, each single was met with praise from outlets such as NME, DIY, DORK, The Line Of Best Fit, God Is In The TV, Beats Per Minute, Upset, and more.

Today, the band further celebrates their forthcoming record's arrival with one last single, "Pressure Pad." Their newest cut, which lyrically discusses the all-consuming power of unconditional love, sees the band combining angular guitar lines with frenetic drumming, and synths reminiscent of 8-bit video games, before the track takes one of the album’s frequent unexpected diversions: this time into a trumpet section. It additionally comes alongside an explosive accompanying music video.

As vocalist/drummer Sean Harper wrote of the track: 

"Musically, 'Pressure Pad' is a testament to how far we’ve come as collaborators. Every different kind of remote or in-the-room collaboration we’ve ever found fruitful was involved in creating this Frankenstein’s Monster of a single. Its final version arrived after months of exchanging files, ideas and needless spanners in the works. This is probably the 6th or 7th iteration of this song, and its final form was ultimately dictated by a deadline - we’d probably never have been able to call it finished otherwise. Every room in which this album was made has birthed one or more elements of 'Pressure Pad:' Louis’s flat, Tom’s flat, our rehearsal space, the studio where we recorded the bulk of the record.

Lyrically, it touches on someone else being a massive part of your self, but loving it. It’s about totally going with the flow of a relationship, becoming someone you never otherwise would have been, but not over-analysing that, rather being grateful for it."

Drawing from post-punk, dub, trip-hop, dance music and traditional Afro-Cuban rhythms, Folly Group have established themselves amongst UK experimental rock’s new leading lights. Following their acclaimed EPs Awake And Hungry (2021) and Human And Kind (2022), the London quartet’s debut album Down There! will be released January 12th, 2024 on So Young Records. Marrying open-hearted lyricism with furiously inventive self-production, this bracing, complex record lends a genuinely original voice to a familiar theme: alienation in modern Britain. 

Collaboratively self-produced by the full band, Down There! is thorough in its exploration of being a young adult in this country: covering mental health ("Bright Night"), physical health ("Freeze"), financial pressures (‘East Flat Crows’) turbulent friendships ("I’ll Do What I Can") and more. Its lyrics are split between lead-vocalists Harper and Milburn, who – despite their respectively more abstract and literal styles – deal with shared themes of “disenfranchisement, dejection, anxiety and financial ruin,” Harper explains. “For every personal step forward, an off-the-cuff decision by a politician we’ll never meet puts us two steps back – a lot of the time we’re basically furious.” 

The band tie many of these feelings to the realities of being a young musician, which they have to balance with full-time jobs. “We don’t have enough time to do this band, but we do it anyway. We make enormous sacrifices in areas of our lives, out of blind faith that we’re right to be doing this.” This underscores the feeling that Down There! is – despite its themes – a triumphant album. Its committed, meticulous creation and honest lyricism speak to the group’s shared self-belief and determination, against the odds this album details. “The mere fact that it exists is a victory.”

“I want somebody to be walking to school listening to it,” adds Milburn. “They’ve got to nip across the park, and it’s full of mist because it’s four degrees and the second week of January.”

“I’d like it if people felt they were hearing a band that wasn’t resting on its laurels,” claims Harper.

“I’d like ‘surprise,’” adds Doherty. “I’d like it if there’s just one or two moments on this album where someone who doesn’t know much about us goes ‘Oh. Fuck me. That’s a bit special.’”

FOLLY GROUP LINKS
Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Threads | YouTube | Bandcamp

United African Diaspora Launches Campaign to Support Thomas Sankara Center for African Liberation and Unity in Burkina Faso

The United African Diaspora Launched their fundraising campaign to support the Thomas Sankara Center for African Liberation and Unity in Burkina Faso-  The United African Diaspora, a Pan-African organisation based in Calgary, Alberta, has announced a fundraising campaign to support the Thomas Sankara Center for African Liberation and Unity in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. To increase literacy rates and provide greater access to literature, the organization aims to raise CAD 1000 by December 31st, 2023.

“Africa currently faces a significant literacy challenge, with only 67.4 per cent of individuals aged 15 and above able to read and write. To address this issue, the United African Diaspora is focusing on supporting grassroots initiatives like the Thomas Sankara Center, which was established in 2021,” says Prudence Iticka, an organizer at the United African Diaspora. 

The Thomas Sankara Center not only serves as a free lending library but also organizes film screenings and runs a weekly after-school program for elementary school children. It stands as a unique resource in Ouagadougou, being the sole location where the local community can access free books on African history for both children and adults. The center is run entirely by young locals who volunteer their time to contribute to the educational development of their community.

"As a Pan-African organization rooted in the diaspora, it is our responsibility to transfer resources to grassroots initiatives in the continent," said a representative of the United African Diaspora. "We believe that supporting education and access to literature is fundamental to fostering growth and empowerment within African communities."

The organization aims to raise $1000 CAD, which would enable the Thomas Sankara Center to add at least 50 books to its library. The fundraising campaign will run until December 31st, 2023.

For Canadian contributors, donations can be made via E-transfer to bpucalgary@gmail.com with the note 'books.' International donors are encouraged

To contribute directly to the centre’s GoFundMe page at https://gofund.me/5d0104a7.

United African Diaspora was founded in 2020, is committed to building a strong and autonomous African community capable of meeting the needs of its people and contributing to the development of the African continent.

ALBUM REVIEW - Duncan Daniels - The Time Traveler

On "The Time Traveler," Duncan Daniels pays tribute to his origins, to the person he has become and to Port Harcourt Nigeria, the city that is credited as the origin of his musical talents.

On PurpleVille.
Duncan Daniels something I like to call the introductory track. While it pays homage to Port Harcourt, that’s not the only thing the track does. This is the one where you’re introduced to who the Artiste is. The storytelling gives credence to his ‘PH’ origins, from using popularized Port Harcourt slang like ‘Abobi’; the artiste takes us to the stories of his early days as an artiste in Port Harcourt. Duncan’s vocals are laid side by side, those of the choir I mentioned initially. The choir referred to here is Ara Muzicc Choir. And at no point in this song did they disappoint with the ‘ooohs’ in the lows or their harmony in the highs. Production credits go to Kulkeh Beats, a frequent collaborator of Duncan’s with production credits on at least 60% of  Duncan's most recent "S.O.L.O" Album. The song has strong potential to be Port Harcourt’s theme music, depending on the reception. 

On “Carolyn”
Duncan sends a message to a past love interest. Apparently, Duncan had been interested in Carolyn who didn’t pay him attention at the time. Carolyn does show up when she hears about his successes, however, Duncan is no longer interested. The song has a hook that doesn’t sit well with me as regards delivery however, Timi Dre assists in such a way, that the hook works after a few spins. Timi Dre proves himself beyond any pre-existing doubts that his vocal prowess should not be toyed with. His vocal texture is maybe only similar to Oxlade, or maybe I’m hearing other things. But the melodies are popping off and unpredictably too! No choir but Timi Dre is one person singing like 5 people. He handles the task. I feel Carolyn’s pain, she dropped the ball, big time!

On “Blood Pressure”

We quickly understand why Carolyn is yesterday’s news. There’s a rising blood pressure someone’s eyes is giving Duncan. Much like all of the songs on the project, the song doesn’t follow the fast paced tempo that the recent songs in the Afrobeats genre have made us accustomed to. Rather, this track takes a different direction that gives room for Duncan to flex his versatility. The production for me is reminiscent of production by Jesse Jagz. Except, the production credits for this groovy sounding slow jam goes to Peter Abdallah. Assisting on the track are London-based Chai T and another of London's finest; Mukhy. The intentionality of this song goes further as it features live saxophone by Norwegian-based saxophonist and wind instrumentalist Lady Albatross and UK bass player Jay Brown.

Whoever, Duncan’s love interest is, they shouldn’t end up like Carolyn. Make this song for no waste! Too lit!! - Peter Jev - AITC Africa 

To end the project, Duncan Daniel enlists New York City-based Nigerian rapper, Iceberg Slim who is considered a Nigerian rap veteran for “Show Me Love”. The track carries a simple message that tells people to give flowers to music creators when they’re still here. This one reaches deep into the soul, as it talks about life and all of the struggles that life comes with. It’s emotional enough to close the project. It carries with it a weighty truth that music veterans are not as celebrated until they’re not with us anymore. And this true for a number of artistes, not just Duncan Daniels or Iceberg Slim; a number of veterans have been seemingly forgotten. 

The Time Traveller either closes off for some or if you’re me, it’s on repeat! The project is solid and doesn’t struggle to conform to new sounds to fit into a specific box. Rather, experience plays a solid part; with an undoubted musicality to each track. While the EP positions itself as a travel through time, which the music rightly does as Duncan reminisces on his origins in the early days in Port Harcourt through to the end where he talks about getting his flowers for his 2 decade long career. 

The project should also get some credit for its exploration of the theme of love, from Duncan’s love for PH, to falling out of love with Carolyn, to the love that gives him a rising temperature and Blood Pressure. Duncan Daniels allows us to see him, in his element; he gives us a peek into his love life as well while reflecting on the time spent making music.

The production is stellar from Kulkeh Beats on Tracks 1,2,3,& 5. London based-Ghanaian producer Peter Abdallah takes on Track 4 and delivers his polling unit.

On the mixing and mastering end of things, Alex 'Crez' Creswell, adds this project to another successful outing with Duncan Daniels having previously worked on songs such as "Back Outside" and "Yard Party." with both songs getting considered for Grammy nominations this year.

"The Time Traveler" EP is available on all digital streaming platforms for your listening pleasure Friday, November 17, 2023. Stream until the tracks start to skip! Visit www.duncandanielsmusic.com