Slovo: guitarist-producer Dave Randall (left) and Italian singer Barbarella
Faithless guitarist and producer Dave Randall talks us by way of the politically charged electronic-pop observe by his South London collective Slovo
Slovo is a South London-based collective based by former Faithless guitarist and producer Dave Randall. He has contributed to multi-million promoting albums by Dido, and labored with Sinead O’Connor, Emiliana Torrini and plenty of others. Randall has additionally been concerned in a lot of political campaigns and is the writer of the guide Sound System: The Political Energy of Music.
In the summertime of 2019, he met a kindred spirit, the Italian singer Barbarella (Barbara Pugliese of Barbarella’s Bang Bang) at a pub in Brixton. They determined it was time to make new music for a troubled and polarised world. The ensuing album Bread & Butterflies is due for launch this summer season and State Of Thoughts is the lead single out now.
“State Of Thoughts is a message of hope, love and solidarity throughout these deeply troubling occasions,” explains Randall. “It options Barbarella and experimental hip hop artist Mike Ladd. All proceeds from gross sales or streaming of this music will go to the homeless charity The Brixton Soup Kitchen.”
Right here we be taught extra in regards to the observe’s genesis, improvement and manufacturing…
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Inspiration
The theme that runs by way of most of the songs I write for the Slovo mission is politics – my perception that, whether or not we prefer it or not, our lives are formed by the political struggles which have gone earlier than and by these being waged now. State Of Thoughts isn’t any exception. It was written in the direction of the tip of final yr when it turned clear to me that the right-wing Conservative authorities right here within the UK would win one other election victory.
This might be a deeply bitter blow for tens of millions of progressive folks, particularly the younger, who consider we want a distinct world the place the wants of individuals and the planet are put earlier than massive enterprise and personal revenue. I felt I wanted to jot down a music that inspired folks to by no means surrender. By likelihood, that very same spirit feels becoming now, as all of us undergo the unusual trauma of isolation and worry led to by COVID-19.
Lyrics
I suppose essentially the most attention-grabbing second lyrically within the music, is my adaptation of the normal poem in regards to the goose and the widespread, recited by my good friend, the experimental hip-hop artist Mike Ladd. I feel that the poem dates again to the late 1700s when the ‘enclosure acts’ have been forcing folks off the commons and into work for landlords or the homeowners of the brand new factories. This theft of the commons was the muse of the financial energy of the ruling class, who’ve been exploiting us ever since. Because the poem concludes: “Geese will nonetheless a typical lack, ‘til we go and steal it again.”
Music
In some senses, State Of Thoughts is likely one of the most musically standard tracks on the album. It’s a 138bpm dance tune with an extended construct and (hopefully) euphoric four-to-the-floor dance part. That sort of traditional, uncomplicated association felt acceptable for conveying the message of the music. Barbarella’s distinctive voice and Mike Ladd’s recital of the poem assist to elevate the music past the predictable. Hopefully, the lyrics and the detailed musical layering do too.
In The Studio
Myself and my essential engineer and good friend Andy Marlow used Logic with numerous tasty plug-ins and some good bits of outboard gear for this tune. I used an AKG 414 for Barbarella’s vocals and my trusty 1976 Telecaster Customized for the guitar components. I performed the bass on a brand new Sire Marcus Miller bass that appears to document actually properly. All easy stuff – the best way we prefer it.
Ultimate Ideas
We by no means anticipated to launch this as the primary single from the forthcoming Slovo album. Initially, we needed to go together with one thing extra musically experimental, edgy and overtly political. However when COVID-19 began to take maintain we determined that the precedence was to attempt to elevate folks up and categorical some hope. That is our message of solidarity and love. Oh, and any earnings from gross sales or streaming go to our native homeless charity The Brixton Soup Kitchen.
State Of Thoughts is out now. For extra info, check out slovo.co.uk
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