Echoes of Resistance

Has it really been two years since the release of Raz & Afla’s The Cycle? It must be, because here’s another immense drop from the London-based duo to be savoured. For the uninitiated: producer Raz Olsher and percussionist-vocalist Afla Sackley, both stars in their own right, combine to make tunes that are both danceable and intelligent. Veering towards house, but stubbornly hard to pin down, theirs is a very contemporary fusion: hypnotic and beguiling; Afrobeat-inspired and politically aware. With this second release, the pair have settled into their creative symbiosis: Raz at the controls and conjuring up innovative beats, and Afla with his hands on the drums and his mouth behind the mic. There is some space for introspection, and the songs are certainly thought-provoking, but mainly it’s infectiously upbeat stuff all the way. Joyful, thoughtful, clever and danceable – this is one to keep.