Umoja

Skinshape (Will Dorey) focuses on using tape machines to attain a vintage sound while still creating the original samples from scratch. Dorey had initially envisioned Umoja as an Africa Express-like endeavour, touring the continent and recording with a mobile set-up – based in a city as diverse as London though, he needn't have looked any further than his own doorstep. Eventually working with musicians much closer to home, the record features guest artists from Senegal, Portugal, and Kenya, and it is these well-chosen collaborations that really make the album. The two tracks featuring Modou Tour are particularly strong; instrumentally, ‘Kourou’ sounds like the great Bembeya Jazz National, yet the vocals tap into a smoother groove. ‘Sua Alma feat D'Alma’, is another highlight, bringing in a Latin twist, and ‘Afande’, featuring Idd Aziz's Swahili vocals, presents a blissful blend of Afrobeat meets Maribou State.

Nothing about Umoja feels tokenistic, and the African influence Dorey was searching for is noticeably fluid; shifting between the lyrics in one track to the rhythm in another, Dorey intersperses overtly African sounds with tracks that remain more rooted in Skinshape's typical style. An organic collaboration, this record is a pleasure to listen to from start to finish.