A captivating blend of hypnotic vocals, experimental instrumentation and altruistic beats, Birmingham-based artist, composer, vocalist and producer AGAAMA has shared her latest single ‘Sarehole Mill’. Taken from her upcoming EP Wandering Worlds, which is set for release on 15th September via The state51 Conspiracy, the track is a warm musing on the importance of spaces that nurture creativity and humility.
“‘Sarehole Mill’ is about places and people that ground us,” AGAAMA explains about the context of her new single. “We all have these spaces and these people. I hope that when people listen to the track (even though they may not know what or where Sarehole Mill is), that it makes them feel nostalgia, safety, fondness and love and makes them think about being in their own city savannah with their mates.”
Exploring this notion through her atmospheric electronics and cinematic orchestral horn arrangements, AGAAMA creates a palpable atmosphere of contentedness, soothing listeners with her jazz-inspired vocals. Her eclectic sounds stem from a childhood rich with varied musical experiences. Growing up in a British-Jamaican household, AGAAMA was influenced by the contemporary classical tastes of her Father and her Mother’s love for Sarah Vaughan and Quincy Jones. She sang in Church on Sundays and studied classical trombone as a teenager, but she also spent her weekends raving to UK bass music and writhing in the mosh pit at metal gigs. This glorious array of musical experiences have all informed her work as AGAAMA, making her sounds as vast and altruistic as her collective memories.
Her upcoming EP, Wandering Worlds, reflects this kaleidoscopic musical vision perfectly, whilst also tapping into something darker. “I grew up listening to a lot of angsty, heavy music – metal, dubstep, prog rock and bass music. I wanted to make something where you could explore angst and frustration,” AGAAMA explains. “I found that having a space to release angst within music was healthy and helpful on my path toward healing. I really wanted to incorporate this brooding, meditative, almost primal thing that hooked me into music. At the time of making the record, I lost complete interest in beautiful sounds and music. I was craving something darker.”
Listen to ‘Sarehole Mill’ below.
Follow AGAAMA on Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook
AGAAMA UK Tour Dates 2022
19th August – London, Shacklewell Arms (with Muna Ileiwa)
22nd September – London, Hootenanny (with Jack Tyson Charles)
29th September – (EP Launch) London, state51 Factory
3rd October – Birmingham, The Night Owl
Photo Credit: Lucy Feng
Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut
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