Yannis Philippakis of Foals has teamed up with the late Tony Allen for a new project called Yannis & The Yaw. The EP Lagos Paris London will be released on August 30. The first single, Walk Through Fire, is accompanied by a new song titled Under The Strikes. The infectious highlife rhythms and cascading brass blend together with Philippakis’ vocals soaring throughout the track. The video is available to watch on YouTube.
Philippakis started teasing the project in 2017 and has revealed that the music was in development before Allen passed away last year at the age of 79. Allen was one of Afrobeat’s great pioneers and had worked with the likes of Fela Kuti and The Good, The Bad & The Queen. Allen’s regular collaborators, Vincent Taeger, Vincent Taurelle, and Ludovic Bruni also contributed to the project.
Under The Strikes was written about a series of refuse strikes in Paris that Philippakis encountered on his way to the studio. The concept of living in the greatest period of human history but disintegrating at the same time is explored throughout the project. Philippakis has said that he felt compelled to write a certain type of lyric for the project that perhaps wouldn’t feel right within the context of Foals.
There will be a series of shows in the build-up to the release of Lagos Paris London including a performance at the Nice Jazz Festival, followed by headline shows at Amsterdam’s Paradiso, Paris’ La Cigale, and finally a sold-out show at KOKO in London on September 13
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