Soothsayers - We Are Many Versions '2022

Tracks list

       Having released nine albums over the course of twenty years, Afro-dub
specialists Soothsayers are something of a South London musical institution.
Their most recent opus, entitled We Are Many, was released in late 2020 and was
recorded in both London and Sao Paulo. The result was a fascinating blend of the
band’s trademark dub and Afrobeat flavours mixed with some distinctly
Brazilian inflections. Not only that, it represented a positive and uplifting
statement in challenging times - the overriding power of the music leading the
band to continue forward, ever pushing their musical boundaries and concepts.
The album received much support from a host of DJs on BBC 6Music, as well as
reggae legend David Rodigan, Jazz FM and Worldwide FM.
“It’s complex, also fun, tickling your ears in all the right
spots… Let Soothsayers soundtrack your journey across the winter and bring
melodic colour to steely days ahead.” Backseat Mafia
“An album that only feels like it could arrive in 2020. It is of the times
and for the times.” Louder Than War
As we set forth in 2022, and with clubs reopening and dance floors refilling
across the globe, we thought it was time to revisit the album and let a
selection of our favourite producers interpret it in their own way. We’ve
also taken the opportunity to unleash a number of previously unreleased dubs
from the LP. The remixes and dubs come together in the form of We Are Many
Versions, with re-interpretations coming not only from the reggae world, with
acts like General Roots, Prince Fatty and Jamtone adding their own dubby DNA to
the mix, but also the forward thinking worldwide electronic scene, with rising
stars like Dutchie, Lawn, K3:lu, Samuel Sharp and family members Ill Considered
and Wu-Lu contributing with more eclectic offerings. In addition, well respected
U.S. producer Victor Rice is also on board with a number of never heard before
mixes and dubs that add a distinctly tropical touch to the Soothsayers sound.
London reggae dons General Roots re-work the always uplifting Love And Unity
with band members James Mckone (Bass), Joe Price (Guitar) and Cyrus Richard
(Keys) tracking new parts live in the studio. The result, mixed by band leader
Ben Mckone takes the tune into more rootsy territories and provides a sultry
alternative to the inspiritive original.
The Truth & Lies mix of We Won’t Lose Hope by Brighton based reggae
royalty Prince Fatty was released as a single early last year and caused
something of a stir on BBC 6Music and beyond. With keys from none other than
British soul royalty Omar, those stunning vocals from our very own Julia Biel,
and a message that’s sadly just as relevant this year as it was in 2021,
Fatty’s mix is a timeless beauty.
“a sunshine sprinkling..a vibrant new dub treatment from Prince
Fatty“ Steve Lamacq (BBC 6Music)
One Step Away is the first of several re-works on offer from legendary Nuyorican
producer (now based in Brazil) Victor Rice. Having been instrumental in the
recording of the We Are Many LP (much of which was recorded in Sao Paulo,
Brazil) Rice had a number of alternate mixes and dubs tucked away which
we’re now albe to share with you on this album. As well as this raw and
rugged mix, Victor lays down a very special, spaced out dub of not only this
track, but of album favourites Rat Race, Rolling and Love And Unity too.
On that tip, Darren Jamtone, erstwhile producer for our other reggae and dub
outfit Resonators, is also on hand to provide a pair of gorgeously deep dubs of
We Won’t Lose Hope and No Sacrifice - the latter of which also receives a
stunning remix from one of UK’s most exciting, burgeoning music-makers.
Young Bristol based producer and Dutchie steps up to the plate next,
reinterpreting No Sacrifice for the more modern, discerning dance floor. Shades
of jungle, dubstep and bruk echo throughout her production taking Robin
Hopcraft’s pleaful vocals into new spaces and places.
Light The Way, featuring the amazing Senegalese singer Modou Toure, who performs
the song in the Wolof language, was a big favourite from the We Are Many album.
Modou’s lead vocals combined with Soothsayers harmonies, layered trumpets
and a flute improvisation created a rich and evocative tapestry of sound.
It’s a lament on the suffering in the world, and a call for love and
light to show us the way out of the darkness.
K3:lu’s is the alter ego of established guitarist, remixer and producer,
Patrick Hatchett. His remix manages to subtly and respectfully take the original
to the dance floor. A process best explained by Hatchett himself:
“Whilst in the depths of a strict and isolating West Cork lockdown, I
escaped my 2km restrictions, crossed borders, met with old friends and
transported myself to a place of positive, connected and uplifting vibes, adding
my own little nod to disco, 70’s Afro-funk, free parties of the 90s and
dancing at dawn in this remix.”
Elsewhere, Move In Silence is remixed by up-and-coming South London duo Lawn.
Formed in 2019, Lawn is a collaboration between multi-instrumentalists and
friends, Joe Nicklin and Joe Martin. Combining live, acoustic drums with
electronic and synthesised elements, their music combines their love for jazz,
disco, psyche and hip hop. The pair released their debut single Tina on our
sister label Allison Recordings in 2021. “Move In Silence is our favourite
track on the record. We love how the vocals grow in intensity but then soften
and refrain in all the right places. It was amazing to work with a part that
offered so much range in feel that in the end it almost became a guide for how
we should shape our arrangement. Our music is usually a mixture of electronic
sounds and live drums. With lots of organic instrumentation and vocals to work
with from the original, we felt we had to go heavy on the synths to make our
remix really sound like a Lawn tune.”
Another producer, this time from the other side of London, who’s making
waves with his productions is woodwind player Samuel Sharp. His full blown
rework of the album's title track We Are Many is already an underground hit on
the dance floors of the capital. After rejigging the pitch and speeding up the
tempo Sharp reuses many elements of the original. These include the horn
section's melodies and rhythmic patterns, a newly warped melting pot of the
original synth parts and some select chops of the drums. He then crafts a fresh
groove around a pulsating sax bass line with live percussion, beats and analogue
synths as the track builds towards the vibrant climax, leaving us with a
haunting piano bed and woodwind quartet to finish things off. Here you'll find a
contemporary yet club-friendly piece that sits well within the recent UK jazz
scene, encapsulating the raw energy of the original while taking things in a
whole new direction.
And talking of the UK jazz scene, highly regarded ensemble Ill Considered come
through with something very special via their reworking of the anthemic Slave.
The core trio of bassist Liran Donin, drummer Emre Ramazanoglu and Soothsayers
saxophonist and frontman Idris Rahman mix the track with one of their recent
songs entitled Dervish. As Idris explains: “Combining the two sets of
stems together resulted in a surprisingly coherent blend of raw energy that adds
depth to both tracks. Dervish was improvised over a pre-written bassline in 7/4,
whilst Slave was written collaboratively by Soothsayers’ three vocalists,
Idris, Robin and Julia, about rising inequality, unpaid corporate tax, the
injustices of low-pay zero hours contract jobs versus the rising wealth of the
billionaires who profit. Dervish was created after six months of covid lockdowns
and expresses some of the anger and frustrations of this time in a raw,
unbridled burst of energy. Both tunes share a similar uncompromising attitude
and energy, and putting them together was something that just seemed to work.
Emre Ramazanoglu’s mix (and subtle addition of some Middle Eastern
percussion) is raw and deep, and the combined firepower of drums from Kwake Bass
and Ramazanoglu give this a brutal punch.”
Finally, family member and rapidly rising star Wu-Lu joins the fray to add some
bottom end to the band’s very own refit of Move In SIlence. With a more
urgent and percussive feel, this short but beautifully formed version provides
yet another hue and level of intensity to this wonderfully diverse collection. 

Tracklist:
1.01 - Soothsayers - Love and Unity  (General Roots Remix) (3:15)
1.02 - Soothsayers - We Won't Lose Hope  [feat. Prince Fatty & Julia Biel]
(Truth & Lies Mix) (4:19)
1.03 - Soothsayers - One Step Away  (Victor Rice Mix) (4:12)
1.04 - Soothsayers - No Sacrifice  (Dutchie Remix) (4:54)
1.05 - Soothsayers - Light the Way  (K3:lu Remix) (7:01)
1.06 - Soothsayers - Rat Race  (Victor Rice Dub Version) (3:38)
1.07 - Soothsayers - Move in Silence  (Lawn Remix) (4:40)
1.08 - Soothsayers - We Are Many  (Samuel Sharp Remix) (4:43)
1.09 - Soothsayers - Rolling (em Barra do Sahy)  (Victor Rice Dub Version)
(3:26)
1.10 - Soothsayers - No Sacrifice  (Jamtone Dub Version) (3:43)
1.11 - Soothsayers - Slave  (Ill Considered Remix) (4:17)
1.12 - Soothsayers - Move in Silence  (Soothsayers Meet Wu-Lu Refit) (2:43)
1.13 - Soothsayers - Love and Unity  (Victor Rice Dub Version) (3:26)
1.14 - Soothsayers - We Won't Lose Hope  (Jamtone Dub Version) (3:56)
1.15 - Soothsayers - One Step Away  (Victor Rice Dub Version) (3:36) 

Related artists