Omega, by Qwalia

Omega

by Qwalia

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Omega 05:37

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about

Qwalia is the experimental, improvisational home for a quartet of some of London’s most prolific and inspiring musicians.

Led by drummer Yusuf Ahmed (Joy Crookes, Anoushka Shankar, Unknown to Known), much of the band’s music to date surfaced in a single two-day session at the Fish Factory in Willesden, West London.

Although improvisational at its core, the band’s fluency and innate musicality makes it hard at times to believe these pieces weren’t written and developed over weeks, rather than conjured in the moment, with no prior rehearsal. Qwalia’s music is an instinctive aural expression of how things seemed in the moment of creation.

Featuring Ben Reed on bass (Frank Ocean, David Byrne, Richard Russell’s Everything Is Recorded), Tal Janes on Guitar (Jordan Rakei, Cherise, Waaju) and Joseph Costi on keys and synths (Cat Stevens, Tom Herbert, Heidi Vogel), the band’s debut album ‘Sound And Reason’ was released by Alberts Favourites in March 2023.

One year on we’re excited to share the first music from a new batch of songs. Omega is the very definition of a slow burn, emerging from the quiet pulses of a drum machine, the band lock quickly into Ben Reed’s lyrical bass line in a brooding but ever expanding ascent that you feel could confidently journey onwards forever.

credits

released March 20, 2024

Written by Yusuf Ahmed, Tal Janes, Ben Reed, Joseph Costi
Produced by Yusuf Ahmed and Tal Janes
Mixed by Yusuf Ahmed
Mastered by Alex Killpartrick
Recorded at Fish Factory Studios in 2021
Artwork by Kevin Bolliet and Jonny Drop

Released by Albert's Favourites
A&R by Adam Scrimshire

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Qwalia London, UK

Qwalia is a collective of musicians active in many contemporary musical forces today including Frank Ocean, Sampha, Jordan Rakei, Nubiyan Twist, David Byrne, Joy Crookes, Cat Stevens etc.

Herein lies a wide range of musical aesthetics culminating psychedelic-folk, sophisticated funk, ambient and avant- pop into an engrossing, experimental sound. ... more

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