XOA – Mas / Mon Ecole

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Sizzling with analogue synths, slicing guitars, warm bass lines and crisp drums, XOA’s compositions take influence from the sounds of London’s fervent electronic music scene, fusing Broken-beat and House music foundations with golden era 70s Afrobeat, Funk and Jazz.
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XOA is the solo / collaborative project from multi-instrumentalist Nick Tyson. Hailing from London, Tyson has immersed himself in the richness of the city’s music scene from a young age, experiencing and absorbing everything from classical orchestras to the underground clubs, alongside a relentless touring career with numerous bands.

Diron Animal – Alone

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Born and raised in the Angolan ghetto of Cazenga, the now Portuguese-based instrumentalist’s new record is a melting pot of musical styles and cultures.

“I come from tribal music” says Diron. “I had a traditional music group, then I moved to a Capoeira group where I was a main corrido and I played batuque. Around that time I also started introducing Hip Hop and Kuduro styles. Then I mixed Kuduro with Hip Hop and Kuduro with Rock. Now I am making music for all people and all ages.”

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With a foot firmly set in his ghetto roots, the album is a personal exploration:“Cazenga is a place where a lot of the Angolan dances were invented, where children roam around barefoot and have no food but can transform their struggles into creativity”, says Diron.

This movement and struggle is at the core of the new record. Traditional African styles blended with Portugal’s frenetic electronic music style, culminate in a vibrant, energetic and rhythmic record that deals in both adversity and positivity.

Listen to the first track, Alone. The LP will be available in october 4th 🙂