Originally published by The Vinyl Factory
Mala, Shabaka Hutchings, Nubya Garcia and Kojey Radical among the 18-strong line-up.
New compilation Untitled will collect seven collaborations inspired by the life and work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, pairing emerging and established musicians to create a genre-defying compilation of new music.
Released by Lonely Table, Anja Ngozi and The Vinyl Factory, with support from the Arts Council England, the album’s unique collaborations include new tracks between saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings and rapper Kojey Radical, and bandmates Nubya Garcia and Joe Armon-Jones working with producer Mala.
The album spans genres and eras, touching on jazz, experimental electronic, post-punk, dub and ambient influences, painting a diverse picture of the UK’s expanding underground sound.
Other artists featured on the release include Wu-Lu – whose new EP S.U.F.O.S is released this month on The Vinyl Factory – as well as AJ Kwame, LayFullstop, Lex Amor, Ego Ella May, Lord Tusk, Coby Sey, Maxwell Owin, Confucius MC, Kwake Bass, Kz, Roxanne Tataei and Moroka.
As LayFullstop says: “We’re celebrating a legend who fought with his brushes and spoke with his work. The need for his work is still as current as ever. The issues we’re attacking are still as current as ever. So it’s only logical that Basquiat is and will continue to be as current as ever.”
Drawing on Barbican’s major Basquiat retrospective in 2017, the project also explores themes around identity, representation and social inequality.
As such Untitled also encompasses a youth project with Ruff Sqwad Foundation, in which seven black and minority ethnic young people aged 12-18 were given the opportunity to visit the Tate Modern and create music in response to what they saw.
Untitled is released on gatefold vinyl on May 31. Pre-order a copy here.
Tracklist:
01. Wu-Lu, Lex Amor, Ego Ella May – ‘Legend’
02. LayFullstop, Moroka, AJ Kwame – ‘Broadcast By Chocolate’
03. Lord Tusk ft. Roxanne Tataei – ‘Know Ways’
04. Kojey Radical, Shabaka Hutchings – ‘No Gangster’ (Produced by Kz)
05. Mala, Joe Armon-Jones, Nubya Garcia – ‘Scratch & Erase’
06. =CoN+KwAkE= – ‘Same Ol Samo’
07. Maxwell Owin & Coby Sey – ‘Response to Michel’
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