One of the defining characteristics of the current jazz boom in London is the pervasive influence of afrobeat.
Ezra Collective recently played a full concert at East London's Church Of Sound in honour of Fela Kuti, while afrobeat influences are evident across virtually the entire scene.
Perhaps the purest distillation of this influence is the eight-piece adventures of KOKOROKO, who lengthy workouts are already the stuff of legend.
The band released their debut EP today, a self-titled exposition of the intersections between club culture, jazz, and the sounds of afrobeat and high life.
“This is not idle music!” warns Sheila Maurice-Grey, and she's certainly correct: KOKOROKO's debut EP is a defiantly physical experience, something designed to make you move.
Onome Edgeworth adds: “We didn’t want it to sound too clean – that doesn’t really fit into the London sound. We wanted it to sound rough, like going out and hearing music pushed through speakers or the energy of people dancing at afrobeat parties: its music we’ve seen work on dancefloors”.
Opening with the explosive horns of 'Adwa' and closing with the sedate sonics of 'Abusey Junction', it's a stunning release, standing out from the crowd during a particularly fertile time for music in the capital.
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