Yarrow was made during lockdown 2021. The intention of this record is inviting deeper connection between Scottish traditional music and electronic dance music, recognising and honouring the roots of electronic dance music in the cultures of the African Diasporas.
Project leaders Zazim and Rua Soul collaborated with 9 wonderful guest artists: Monkey Jhayam, Paix, Erick Mauricia, Jonny Hardie, Jackill, Nyasha Kanyimo, Anoushka Nanguy, Tom Campbell-Paine and Simon Gall.
Zazim + Rua Soul acknowledge that as white artists engaging with Black culture, the dance music we made previously to this album was largely disconnected from our cultural roots in Scotland. We recognise this disconnection as part of pattern of appropriation, exoticism and extraction common in the practices of white artists engaging with Black Culture.
Yarrow documents us beginning to address our ancestral disconnection and to embrace our own culture. We have worked reflectively to begin healing our ways of processing, communicating and making decisions. Our aim is to identify and unlearn the privileges and power dynamics in our inherited way of being. We want to make and collaborate in a way that is nourishing for all involved.
The record was made primarily in Scotland, between our home studio in Govanhill, Glasgow, Clashnettie Arts Centre in the Cairngorms & Starla Recordings in Lochwinnoch. Outside of Scotland, collaborators also made recordings in Brazil and Senegal.
Production influences include Dub, Kuduro, Hip-Hop, Salsa, UK Bass
music and Electroacoustic Music.
Cultural influences in the music include: Malinke Drum Ensemble music, Bothy singing, Reggae and Soundsystem Culture, Afrobeats, Shona Mbira music, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Afro-Cuban Percussion music and Traditional Scottish tune playing.
credits
released July 15, 2022
Mixed by Ronan Fay at Green Door Studio
Mastered by Sam Smith at Green Door Studio
1. Ancestors ft. Paix
Paix - vocal
Zazim - whistle, production
Rua Soul - keys, synth, production
Lyrics by Paix
2. Fire Dancin ft. Jackill
Jackill - rap vocal
Rua Soul - chorus vocal, guitar, synth, production
Zazim - whistle, production
Lyrics by Jackill and Rua Soul
3. Rudo Chipo ft. Nyasha Kanyimo
Nyasha Kanyimo - vocals, mbira
Zazim - synth, production
Rua Soul - production
Lyrics by Nyasha Kanyimo
4. Birkin Tree ft. Jonny Hardie
Jonny Hardie - vocal
Rua Soul - production
Lyrics are Traditional North East Scotland
5. Bomba ft. Monkey Jhayam
Monkey Jhayam - vocals, production
Zazim - percussion, production
Rua Soul - guitars, synth bass, production
Noushy - trombone
Tom Campbell-Paine - flute
Lyrics by Monkey Jhayam
6. Koredjuga Flight ft. Erick Mauricia
Erick Mauricia - percussion, vocal, direction
Zazim - percussion, synth, production
Rua Soul - percussion, guitar, production
music is Traditional Malinke arranged by Erick Mauricia, Zazim and Rua soul
7. Vampirão ft. Monkey Jhayam & Moctar Sawane
Monkey Jhayam - vocal
Moctar Sawane - djembe
Rua Soul - guitar, production
Zazim - percussion, production
Tom Campbell-Paine - flute
Lyrics by Monkey Jhayam
8. Roslin Castle ft. Jonny Hardie
Jonny Hardie - fiddle
Rua Soul - guitar, bass synth, production
Zazim - production
Music is Traditional Scottish arranged by Rua Soul and Jonny Hardie
9.Yarrow ft. Monkey Jhayam
Monkey Jhayam - vocals, production
Noushy - trombone
Zazim - whistle, percussion, production
Rua Soul - guitar, keys, bass synth, production
Lyrics by Monkey Jhayam
10. Tam Lin ft. Jackill
Jackill - Vocal
Zazim - whistle, bass synth and production
Rua Soul - production
Lyrics by Jackill
11. Anam Cara
Rua Soul - guitars, production
Zazim - bass synth, production, vocal
Lyric by Zazim
12. Pedestal ft. Paix
Paix - vocals
Tom Campbell-Paine - flute
Rua Soul - guitar, bass synth, production
Zazim - production, percussion
Lyrics by Paix
Thank you to Creative Scotland for funding and believing in this project. Mark and Starla Recordings out in Lochwinnoch for letting us use his amazing studio. Helen for letting us stay at Clashnettie Arts Centre in the Cairngorms to finish off the album, and for being such a wonderful host. Ronan and Sam at Green Door Studio in Glasgow’s West End for being so patient and helping us make this record sound as good as possible. Ellie and Tripod Training for their support throughout the process and for beautifully challenging us. Shaun Azrak for creating such a wicked visual representation of the record. John O’Donohue for writing his book ‘Anam Cara’ which one of the tracks is named after: the inspiration this brought was huge. Link Up Music Studio in Sao Paolo and Danilo Rastae for their brilliant engineering of Monkey Jhayam’s vocals. Greentrax Recordings and Tobar an Dualchais for licensing out some wicked material. Our flatmates for putting up with the noise and being encouraging and wonderful throughout. Our wider friend network for all the support throughout, couldn’t have done it without ya’s. All the amazing collaborators: was such an dream and inspiration to work with such talented, wonderful souls. And finally our Ancestors for their support, wisdom and guidance in this process and in our lives.
Gratitude
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