Nyamakye Junction - Dasein

Format: 12" EP
Catalogue No.: KITTO2
Barcode: 4062548043334
Release Date: 02 Sep 2022
Genre: Broken Beat/Nu Jazz

Born of chance meetings in Accra, the band brings together a Burundian producer and vocalist, Betina Quest; with a Ghanaian singer-songwriter, Eli A Free; and a German percussionist and multiinstrumentalist, Ma.ttic. Nyamekye Junction take their name from a bustling junction in the Ghanaian capital, where a number of major roads merge, embodying the musical approach of the band: a singular sound at the junction of their cultural heritages.

In Eli’s words, ‘Dasein’ (from the German for ‘existence’, ‘being there’), captures “the need to live in this moment here and now with a heart full of gratitude” while exploring a number of interlinked themes, including the importance of one's environment – cultural and political, as well as physical - in situating, shaping and explaining each individual’s identity.

The band adeptly channel a wide range of influences, from the Ghanaian legends Ebo Taylor and Osibisa through to US mainstays such as Nina Simone and Erykah Badu; with equal regard given to UK innovators like Benjamin Clementine and Mala. The resulting debut EP ‘Dasein’ is a stunning collage which showcases the band’s impressive range and evolving sound by traversing a diverse range of moods, rhythms and textures.

The lead single ‘GMT’ (short for ‘Ghana Man Time’) is a dancefloor-ready track that carries a deft political message. Driven by a weighty bassline alongside punching drums and percussion, for a rhythm section that would be at home in any broken-beat set, the song explores and emphasises differing conceptions of time between the West and Africa with a playful irony.

Later, the lighter ‘Eyes Don’t See’ provides space for the full range of Eli’s balladeering vocals, while ‘Cloud 21’ serves up Dean Bluntesque instrumentals and ‘Aduro’ closes the record with a rousing anti-colonial anthem.

The title, ‘Dasein’, comes from the German for ‘existence’, ‘being there’, and was a core concept in the existentialist philosophy of Heidigger. For the band, it captures “the need to live in this moment here and now with a heart full of gratitude” (Eli) and the themes it raises, including the importance of one's environment in situating, shaping and explaining each individual’s identity, are explored throughout the EP.

Against a backdrop of a heavily male dominated music production space, Betina also quietly champions a course for women music producers in Africa and beyond, providing the driving force behind the band’s distinct sound with intricate, looping productions and synth lines.

TRACKLISTING
A1. GMT
A2. Eyes Don’t See
B1. Cloud 21
B2. Aduro