Soothsayers - We Are Many '2020

Tracks list

South London-based band Soothsayers are set to release their ninth studio album
We Are Many. Held together by heavy basslines, solid grooves, and socially and
politically charged lyrics; the album takes the listener into different sonic
spaces with elements of dub, Afrobeat, improvisational jazz and electronica.

The initial steps in recording We Are Many came in January 2019 when the bands
founders - saxophonist Idris Rahman and trumpeter Robin Hopcraft - set out on a
journey to Brazil. With executive production in the Sao Paulo studio by renowned
music journalist and author David Katz, they hooked up with bass player and
producer Victor Rice who theyd met sharing the bill at Freedom Sounds festival
in Cologne, Germany a year earlier. Victor organised a session in Studio
Traquitana, home of acclaimed Brazilian band Bixiga 70, and invited a selection
of local musicians. Percussionist and singer Ligia Kamara contributed lyrics and
melodies written in the studio, and drummer Bruno Buarque, guitarist Joao
Erbetta and bassist Victor provided some solid, personality-driven input. Fresh
and vital, what came out was a fascinating blend of Soothsayers dub and Afrobeat
mixed with distinctly Brazilian inflections.

After arriving back in the UK, Idris and Robin set about creating the remainder
of the album in a different, yet complimentary way, and called on the services
of Wu-Lu and Kwake at their The Room studio in South London. Things started to
take shape very quickly, Wu-Lu and Kwake combining Soothsayers music with
electronic elements, while also referencing elements of the current UK jazz
scene.

When lockdown hit in March 2020, there was still a lot of work to do in order to
complete a full album and Robin and Idris set about working on tracks with their
musicians remotely. Having time to consider the album as a whole, they found
strong connections between the music recorded in Brazil and the tracks recorded
in London and they set about fusing and combining these elements further into a
satisfying whole.

UK based Sengalese singer Modou Toure was enlisted to guest on one track while
percussionists Satin Singh and Maurizio Ravalico were engaged to help affirm a
sound-world where Brazilian flavours, such as the low-end Surdo drum, were
combined with sounds more readily associated with reggae and Afrobeat.

Soothsayers three part vocal harmony is a defining factor in this album. With
strong references to the vocal styles of reggae legends such as The Gladiators,
Mighty Diamonds, Heptones, and Abyssinnians; it has benefited from the
long-standing friendship between Robin, Idris and Julia Biel. Lyrics, melodies
and harmonies were presented, discussed, explored and recorded at Idris and
Julias home studio in Streatham in a relaxed and positive way, with concepts
from social and political commentary turned into powerful songs.

Themes cover political observations of Trump and beyond alongside Brazils
president Bolsanaro (Rat Race), speaking out against increasing levels of
violence from the Brazilian government towards its native and indigenous people
(Love And Unity) and keeping hopeful despite the impending horrors of a no-deal
Brexit (We Wont Lose Hope).

Elsewhere they discuss striving to create space for meditation and reflection
against the background noise of 24/7 news and social media (Move In Silence),
the daily grind (No Sacrifice) and workers rights (Slave), while highlighting
those that fall through the cracks in society and end up without a permanent
address, what led to this and how close we all are from this happening (One Step
Away).

We Are Many represents a positive and uplifting statement in the face of
challenging times - the overriding force, power and positivity of the music to
continue forward, pushing the boundaries of musical concepts into the future.

Whilst heavy questions of life and death and the future of our species surround
us all, music is a guide that can help us perceive the challenges in a different
way - a guide that can help us towards a deep inner peace. If we listen, music
can help light the way. We hope you will listen, and we hope you will experience
the joy, meditative power and beauty in the connection of different musical
cultures that was experienced in the creation of this album.

Tracklist:
01. Soothsayers - Rat Race (5:00)
02. Soothsayers - Love and Unity (3:25)
03. Soothsayers - We Are Many (4:42)
04. Soothsayers - Move in Silence (3:04)
05. Soothsayers - One Step Away (4:15)
06. Soothsayers - No Sacrifice (4:57)
07. Soothsayers - Rolling (em Barra do Sahy) (4:25)
08. Soothsayers - Slave (3:15)
09. Soothsayers - Light the Way (3:40)
10. Soothsayers - Hands in the Ground (3:57)
11. Soothsayers - We Wont Lose Hope (3:57)

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