UHURU EP by United Freedom Collective

United Freedom Collective – the group led by Robbie Redway, Mathieu Seynaeve and WaiFung Tsang, from their beach-side studio in Margate — are set to release their new ‘UHURU EP’ on Maribou State’s Dama Dama imprint on 19th July.

Since 2020, the ever-expanding collective has collaborated with the likes of Falle Nioke, Joshua Idehen, Labdi, Jordan Stephens (Rizzle Kicks), FACESOUL, Eliza Shaddad, and William Rees (Mystery Jets) on a series of EPs that celebrate eclecticism, analogue warmth and fluid production, always placing songcraft at the forefront of the art. This adventurous spirit has earned them radio support from Gilles Peterson, Cerys Matthews, Don Letts, Jamz Supernova and Tom Ravenscroft at BBC 6 Music; in addition to tastemaker stations such as Dublab (LA) and Worldwide FM; and festival slots at Blue Dot and Lost Village.

Continuing the spirit of collaboration on which the project was founded, the four tracks comprising ‘UHURU EP’ bring together the exceptional and diverse talents of Billy Blond, Mantawoman, Clinchy Royal and the Institute Collective. “They all come from extremely different backgrounds, which makes for an eclectic – and hopefully pleasing – soup of sounds,” declares Robbie. “From a production angle, we were listening to a lot of Arthur Russell, Woo, Blake Mills, El Michels Affair and Young Fathers amongst others.”

Lead single “In Another” is very much a Margate affair, featuring the vocals of Margate-based Billy Blond aka Vince Kidd alongside contemporary vocal ensemble Institute Collective, led by composer, producer and musical director Hughie Gavin. “It’s really just a celebration of love, and how we combine as humans,” says Robbie. “It’s fitting that it was a very collaborative effort, with Liam [of Maribou State] contributing to production and the Institute Collective on choral duties.”

The title track “UHURU” (meaning ‘Freedom’ in Swahili) was born of a trip to Kenya where Robbie recorded at Santuri Studios in Nairobi with local rap artist Clinchy Royal whose vocals flit between Swahili and English. “I was on a trip to play at a festival and collaborate with local artists, and met Clinchy at an electronic music conference there. We went outside into the sunshine to chat about music and he showed me some of his writing, which I loved,” explains Robbie. “The next day he came to the studio I was renting in central Nairobi, I played him some beats and he basically rapped the lead vocal in one take. It was a magical moment. Obviously the idea of freedom resonates with us as a collective. Hopefully giving Clinchy a new platform to showcase his talent will help him on his way to reaching his goals.”

Mantawoman aka Reylon Yount, is a world class yangqin (Chinese hammered dulcimer) player and singer-songwriter from San Francisco, now based in Margate, UK. The transcendent sound of the yangqin can be heard throughout the track “Whiplash”. “I invited Reylon to my studio late last year after I’d seen her play a mesmerising solo show at WhereElse in Margate, and was completely blown away by her virtuosic playing,” says Robbie. “We had an instant ease and chemistry in the studio together and the track was basically finished after one session. Subsequently I produced Mantawoman’s debut solo EP ‘The Way She Makes Us Waves’, and we’ve become close friends.”

“Whilst writing this EP we became interested in the Jungian theory of personas, or the different masks we wear - designed on the one hand to make a definite impression upon others, and on the other to conceal the true nature of the individual,” explains Robbie. “It was a bit of a theme to guide us through the recording process on this record; to attempt to create from a truly authentic place and was also the principal inspiration for the artwork by Mathieu Seynaeve.”

'United Freedom Collective is about the space from which we create, from which things arise. It is a shared space, where we can all meet, if we find access to it.'

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