In one of the most intriguing collaborations in recent memory, Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis has teamed up with the late, great drummer Tony Allen (best known for his work with Fela Kuti) to the EP Lagos Paris London which will be released on August 30 via Transgressive Records.
Credited to Yannis & The Yaw, featuring Tony Allen, the EP is released alongside its title track “Walk Through Fire”, which has just premiered as Jack Saunders’ hottest record on Radio 1.
Yannis & The Yaw is definitely not the beginning of a solo career: the “yaw” in the name refers to the nature of a project that emerged completely organically during a specific period of time; a distinct musical excursion that Yannis hopes will resurface episodically as events, surroundings, and musical collaborators fortuitously fall into place.
This is precisely how 'Lagos Paris London' came about. Yannis had been a fan of Tony's for years, so when a mutual friend offered Yannis the chance to work with Tony in 2016, he jumped at the chance to head to Paris. The studio turned out to be exactly what you'd imagine a Fela Kuti session circa 1972 would be like: African percussion instruments and analog gear in every corner, the glow of wall-to-wall mirrors glazed only by the thick chain fog. -of smoking.
Alongside Tony's frequent collaborators Vincent Taeger (percussion, marimba), Vincent Taurelle (keyboards), and Ludovic Bruni (bass, guitar), the drummer's initially “pleasantly dismissive” reception of Yannis evolved into an “undeniable connection to across generations, across cultures, across experiences,” as their two-day session produced an EP’s worth of material, which was further developed over a handful of subsequent sessions. But between scheduling conflicts and Covid restrictions, completing his ideas proved frustratingly elusive. Naturally, when Tony passed away in April 2020 at the age of 79, Yannis felt compelled to make the project a reality.
Yannis comments: “It was imperative to finish it in a way that I had never felt with another album. There was a deep duty to do it, to finish it as well as possible and to show respect when publishing it. Watching some of the drum takes was a moving experience because those recordings were some of the last pieces of music he worked on. There is a timeless quality to these drum tracks and you feel a continuity of their life and energy through them. “I wanted people to hear this and it's nice to be able to do it for him, but of course it's a little bittersweet.”
The title track, “Walk Through Fire,” immediately establishes the project as a bridge between the duo's two cultures: irresistible funk-driven rhythms but with muscular punch, Yannis's booming baritone and some portentous keys, for if anything. Its lyrical imagery – a metropolis in the midst of a revolutionary struggle – reflects the fierce protest songs of Fela Kuti and draws inspiration from the 2016 Parisian garbage strike.
The broader EP goes far beyond the traditional Afrobeat style that Yannis hoped to make. Instead, it possesses a wealth of pan-African influences, both old and new, hints of Foals echoing off the outskirts like distant thunder, while Tony acts as a “Drum driver at the heart of the tornado”. Above all, it is a celebration of the man who inspired it; a communion with the past that provides an escape into the present.
As for the near future? Yannis hopes to bring the EP's upbeat, laid-back exuberance to select shows in the UK, France and perhaps beyond. He also plans to return to Yannis & The Yaw in the future for more collaborations with inspiring musicians from around the world.
1. Walk through fire
2. The rain can't reach us
3. Night green, heavy love
4. Under the strikes
5. Clementine
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