Off The Grid Onipa
Album info
Album-Release:
2023
HRA-Release:
06.10.2023
Album including Album cover
- 1 I Bore 03:51
- 2 No Commando 03:49
- 3 Marching Over 03:41
- 4 Gospel 03:21
- 5 Kaneshie Joo 00:30
- 6 Machine 2 04:14
- 7 Menua 03:21
- 8 Danger 03:02
- 9 SH33ME 03:48
- 10 Ayo 03:33
- 11 Fine Tho 03:42
- 12 My Father 01:44
- 13 The Juggler 03:47
- 14 Joy 03:59
Info for Off The Grid
African, Hip Hop, Jazz … Off the Grid is a journey that joins the origin story of dance rhythms from Africa to electronic dance music of today’s clubs and festivals, connecting African folklore and storytelling to rap, jazz and hip hop.
Off the Grid is a journey that joins the origin story of dance rhythms from Africa to electronic dance music of today's clubs and festivals, connecting African folklore and storytelling to rap, jazz and hip hop.
From Accra Market cassette tapes to London pirate radio stations, Malian blues to UK jazz - the twin creative forces behind Onipa — Tom Excell (Nubiyan Twist) and Kweku Sackey (K.O.G. & the Zongo Brigade) - together with Finn Booth on drums and Dwayne Kilvington (a.k.a. Wonky Logic) on synths, have built a life-affirming and highly original world of sound.
Off The Grid is the band’s second full-length album, and first release on Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records, featuring an impressive cast of collaborators including Moonchild Sanelly, David Walters, Dele Sosimi and Theon Cross.
ONIPA means human. A message of connection through collaboration... From Ghana to London, from our ancestors to our children, a prism of AFROFUTURISM refracts energy, groove, dance and fire.
Onipa
Onipa
Afro-futurist band Onipa is the collaboration between multi-instrumentalist artist and rapper K.O.G (Kweku Sackey) and Tom Excell, which fuses music from Ghana and London, alongside bandmates Finn Booth (Nubiyan Twist) and Wonky Logic (Steam Down). Since their debut at TGE festival, they’ve gone on to sell out London’s Jazz Café, had multiple headline festival slots, showcased at this year’s SXSW (where they were listed as one of the best acts by The New York Times and KCRW) and We Out Here online, and were invited by Africa Express to perform for Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday celebration as well as Damon Albarn’s ‘The Circus’ in Leyton.
Their debut album We No Be Machine was released in March 2020, with a 4* review from MOJO and UK radio play from Benji B, Tom Ravenscroft and Gideon Coe, however coverage and touring was all badly hit by the pandemic.
Despite the pandemic, Onipa still managed to record an immersive live performance at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios for WOMAD as well as releasing a new album, Tapes of Utopia via Boomerang Records (Sept 2021). The album blends genres from the analogue tones of Afrobeat, Highlife and Soukous to Afrofuturistic rap and electronics.
Tom Excell is the composer, guitarist, percussionist and producer for Onipa, Over the last 10 years, Excell has established himself as an eclectic producer of Jazz, Pan-African music, Reggae, Hip-Hop, Folk and Electronic music with work released on labels such as Domino, Strut, Soundway, Tru Thoughts, Six Degrees, Luaka Bop, Dharma and Easy Star Records.
Excell’s productions have made a name for themselves with support from radio DJ’s such as Giles Peterson, Lauren Laverne, David Rodigan, Craig Charles and Huey Morgan, receiving plays across BBC 1, BBC 2, BBC 3, BBC 4, BBC 6 and BBC 1Xtra. Excell’s productions have received critical acclaim from publications such as The Guardian, The Independent, Mojo, Clash, BBC Music Magazine, Songlines magazine and Jazzwise.
Later this year, they will be releasing their highly anticipated album Off The Grid, on October 6 via Real World Records, with a UK tour to follow.
This album contains no booklet.