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Roots

Stories from the soil, the roots and traditions of sounds.

Like Water Seeping Through Fabric: The Wordless Force of Hatis Noit

Hatis Noit is not a singer in the traditional sense of the word. She is an experimental voice artist merging various influences from different vocal traditions to a record full of surprises and emotions. "Aura" finds its music in the embodiment of emotions through vocals as sounds and not as words. We met the artist to speak about language, tradition, and her approach to music making.

Musical Memories: Joesef on Growing up on Al Green’s Greatest Hits

"It was a CD I think, the first time I seen the cover. A dark, burnt orange background with a shirtless Al in the middle, half smiling staring straight through the barrel of the camera. Al Green’s Greatest Hits." Self-taught musician and singer Joesef sat down to muse on one of his favorite records. Following the release of his latest single "East End Coast" his love for Al Green explains the soulful touches on the single dedicated to the sense of belonging he experiences in his hometown Glasgow.

Mali Magic: Fatoumata Diawara on the Role of Women in Mali’s Music Industry

'Maliba' the new EP of the Mali-born singer Fatoumata Diawara is a special release. It was created as part of the 'Mali Magic' heritage project highlighting the art and the tradition of the north African country. Following its release, we caught the singer on zoom to chat about the project and her role in the Malian music tradition and contemporary scene.

In The Spaces Between: Will Samson On Finding Belonging And Identity

Just a few weeks back, ambient folk artist Will Samson released "Active Imagination", a beacon of calming and meditative bliss. Reflecting on the surrounding themes of the record, the musician opens up on the matter of national identity, belonging and the feeling of being in between in this very personal guest article.

Kurz vorm Ende der Welt: Ami Warning on Family Ties and Producing her Mixtape

Just before the End of the World, loosely translates the title of Ami Warning’s new record 'Kurz vorm Ende der Welt'. It is the fourth record of the young Munich-based artist and the first one that she entirely self-produced. Over the course of the pandemic, she crafted songs that are uniquely hers and fuses the various genres that influence her style topped with the coolness of the German lyrics.

This Is Not Jazz: Theo Croker on the Death of A Genre and Musical Ancestry

"JAZZ IS DEAD". The title of Grammy-nominated musician Theo Croker is written in all caps and comes with a message. Ahead of the release of his new record "Love Quantum", Elana Shapiro sat down with the artist to talk about what the title of of the single means, acknowledging musical ancestry, and why we should stop calling it "Jazz".

At Cultural Crossroads: Marina Satti On Her Debut Record “YENNA”

The Greek-Sudanese artist Marina Satti is driven to explore cultures and ways of exchange through her language: music. On her debut record "YENNA", she merges traditional Greek polyphony with influences from Turkey, the Balkans, and many more. We spoke to the artist to understand the deep tradition behind her songs and she curated our playlist with her favorite songs from her home country.

“I Enclose Magic”: Ibeyi On Unity, Opposition, and Symbolism of “Spell 31”

Ibeyi, the twins. Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz, the sister duo that moves in between worlds physically and spiritually. Raised between Cuba and France, they draw from their Afro-Cuban roots and Yoruba traditions as well as from contemporary Afro-beat scene and Latin jazz. They just released their third LP "Spell 31", which pays tribute to the ancestry and the traditions present in the musicians' upbringing and bridges earthly explorations with celestial connectivity.

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