Pre-order the ltd edition clear 7″ vinyl HERE. Listen to the new single “Raha” HERE.
Grammy nominated producer Gaudi (Steel Pulse, The Orb, Tricky, Lee Scratch Perry) joins forces with Italian Afro-funk band Savana Funk to revive the sound of “Cosmic-Disco” of the late 70s with the new EP “Raha”.
The terms “Cosmic-Disco / Afro” are used to describe various forms of African-influenced and Synth-based dance music with a particular method of DJing originally developed and promoted by a small number of DJs in Italy from the late 70s through the mid-80s, a freeform music-journey created with vinyl records, mixing and beat-matching a very diverse range of musical styles, from electro-funk to Brazilian-jazz, incorporating live percussion and effects. Pioneers such as DJ Mozart, Daniele Baldelli, Loda, Pery, Spranga, L’ebreo, Tosi Brandi, Lelli and venues such as Cosmic, Baia Degli Angeli, Typhoon, La Mecca, Chicago, Arlecchino to name but a few, had truly expanded and helped the development of the club-culture in Italy and subsequently in Europe. In his youth, producer and musician Gaudi was one of the punters who regularly attended these venues and followed the whole “Afro” scene, experiencing from the dancefloor that 90-110BPM hypnotic sound and subconsciously absorbing the essence of it. In fact, it is no coincidence that many of the productions he has released in his 35-year career have a strong Afro-influenced imprinting, the last of which is “Raha”, the new collaborative EP to be released on May 8th on Milan-based label Record Kicks as a combo with Savana Funk. A vibrant tribute to what is considered one of the most exciting and original movements in the club scene.
The first single carries the same name “Raha” and it is available from today on all the digital platforms and on April 26th on a beautiful limited edition 7” vinyl. Driven by a solid groove of “Afro-Cosmic”, this tribal number is infused with an eclectic krautrock sound, very distinct and very psychedelic at the same time: a texture generated by analogue synthesizers and “space-funk” riffs from guitar and bass. “Raha” means “peace of mind” in Arabic, the native language of the Italian-Moroccan drummer Youssef, who also appears as a vocalist on this track. Produced by Gaudi, written and performed by Savana Funk & Gaudi.
Active since 2015, Savana Funk are one of the most sought-after “afro-funk” bands in Italy, with hundreds of successful live shows nationwide including performances with Kokoroko, Seun Kuti and Nu Guinea, they have released 5 albums so far: ‘Musica Analoga’, ‘Savana Funk’, ‘Bring in the New’, ‘Tindouf’ and the latest ‘Ghibli’.
London based music producer Gaudi has contributed to a number of albums nominated for awards and prizes such as: Grammy Awards 2019, with the album ‘Mass Manipulation’ by Steel Pulse, BBC’s World Music Award, with the album ‘Dub Qawwali’ by Gaudi & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. His work and music contributions have topped international charts such as: Billboard Reggae Chart no.1 with the albums ‘Heavy Rain’ by Lee “Scratch” Perry, no.1 with ‘Mass Manipulation’ by Steel Pulse and again no.1 with ‘Vessel of Love’ by Hollie Cook. Studio works include name acts such as: Groove Armada, Simple Minds, African Head Charge, Lamb, Horace Andy, Brian Ferry, Don Letts, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, Mad Professor, The Beat and more.