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PREMIERE : Raz & Afla - Windowlicker
BUY LINK: https://presave.kud.li/WAHDIG200
Label: Wah Wah 45s (https://soundcloud.com/wahwah45s)
https://www.wahwah45s.com/
https://www.instagram.com/wahwah45s/
> Raz & Afla (https://soundcloud.com/user-210653630)
https://www.instagram.com/raz.and.afla/
Wah Wah 45s present two very special cover versions from our beloved Afro-electronic duo, Raz
& Afla. Having recently released their sophomore LP, Echoes Of Resistance, to great acclaim and support ranging from Nick Grimshaw on BBC 6 Music to Tash LC on BBC Radio 1, the pair offer up their versions of two very different pieces of music that have become a mainstay in their live sets, and means a lot to them personally.
First up is their version of the deeply rooted Afro-disco come pop/soul classic Going Back To My Roots.
“We love this song. The lyrics resonate with us, talking about the meaning of connection to a land and its people. The history of this song is also fascinating, from Hugh Masekela and Orlando Julius through Odyssey and Richie Havens. We wanted to give it our own flavour. You can’t choose your heritage and where you are born. It is always a part of you and we like to celebrate that.”
Written and first recorded by Lamont Dozier in 1977, Going Back To My Roots was famously covered by Richie Havens in 1980 before becoming a huge crossover hit when interpreted by disco outfit Odyssey in 1981. It’s that version that provides the inspiration for the artwork on this release, courtesy of designer Michael Sallit, but musically Raz & Afla very much give their take their own unique dance floor feeling. It’s a version which has received support from Craig Charles and Lauren Laverne on BBC 6 Music.
“It’s just one of those ones that you’ve got to dance when you hear it! It’s definitely gonna be in my DJ sets
this year, I’ll tell you that!“ Craig Charles
“They say, ‘We want to give it our own flavour.’ Job done!” Lauren Laverne
Next, it's something of a left turn, tackling Aphex Twin’s sleazy and sinister turn-of-the-century dance floor bomb Windowlicker and taking it somewhere completely unexpected, as Raz explains:
“We wanted to go to a different place from our influences for this one. When we told people we will cover this tune everyone said ‘but how?!’ In Raz & Afla style. We had an idea of what elements to recreate from the original and how we can reference it within our spectrum of sounds. It was so much fun to do and really kicks off at our live shows.“
It’s a heavily percussive reinterpretation, replete with spooky wordless vocals, funky guitars and spine tingling synths that builds into something of a future Afro-house anthem, whilst respecting the genius of the original recording. And it’s not only the music that is paid tribute to, with graphic designer Michael Sallit once again coming up trumps and here using the inspiration of Chris Cunningham’s iconic artwork to deliver an equally tongue-in-cheek thing of beauty.
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By Les Yeux OrangeBUY LINK: https://presave.kud.li/WAHDIG200
Label: Wah Wah 45s (https://soundcloud.com/wahwah45s)
https://www.wahwah45s.com/
https://www.instagram.com/wahwah45s/
> Raz & Afla (https://soundcloud.com/user-210653630)
https://www.instagram.com/raz.and.afla/
Wah Wah 45s present two very special cover versions from our beloved Afro-electronic duo, Raz
& Afla. Having recently released their sophomore LP, Echoes Of Resistance, to great acclaim and support ranging from Nick Grimshaw on BBC 6 Music to Tash LC on BBC Radio 1, the pair offer up their versions of two very different pieces of music that have become a mainstay in their live sets, and means a lot to them personally.
First up is their version of the deeply rooted Afro-disco come pop/soul classic Going Back To My Roots.
“We love this song. The lyrics resonate with us, talking about the meaning of connection to a land and its people. The history of this song is also fascinating, from Hugh Masekela and Orlando Julius through Odyssey and Richie Havens. We wanted to give it our own flavour. You can’t choose your heritage and where you are born. It is always a part of you and we like to celebrate that.”
Written and first recorded by Lamont Dozier in 1977, Going Back To My Roots was famously covered by Richie Havens in 1980 before becoming a huge crossover hit when interpreted by disco outfit Odyssey in 1981. It’s that version that provides the inspiration for the artwork on this release, courtesy of designer Michael Sallit, but musically Raz & Afla very much give their take their own unique dance floor feeling. It’s a version which has received support from Craig Charles and Lauren Laverne on BBC 6 Music.
“It’s just one of those ones that you’ve got to dance when you hear it! It’s definitely gonna be in my DJ sets
this year, I’ll tell you that!“ Craig Charles
“They say, ‘We want to give it our own flavour.’ Job done!” Lauren Laverne
Next, it's something of a left turn, tackling Aphex Twin’s sleazy and sinister turn-of-the-century dance floor bomb Windowlicker and taking it somewhere completely unexpected, as Raz explains:
“We wanted to go to a different place from our influences for this one. When we told people we will cover this tune everyone said ‘but how?!’ In Raz & Afla style. We had an idea of what elements to recreate from the original and how we can reference it within our spectrum of sounds. It was so much fun to do and really kicks off at our live shows.“
It’s a heavily percussive reinterpretation, replete with spooky wordless vocals, funky guitars and spine tingling synths that builds into something of a future Afro-house anthem, whilst respecting the genius of the original recording. And it’s not only the music that is paid tribute to, with graphic designer Michael Sallit once again coming up trumps and here using the inspiration of Chris Cunningham’s iconic artwork to deliver an equally tongue-in-cheek thing of beauty.