Nana’s Sunday Jams: Tree of Life - Spaven X Sandunes

Published on 2020-10-11 00:00:00 by Nana Fani-Kayode

**Banner a_rtwork by the majestic Trav, all of Nanas jams are gathered in_ this playlist.****Yes, yes, yes, Sunday Jammers! Warmest of greetings and sun salutations. How are you keeping? Hope the icy autumnal breezes are bringing good vibes your way.

A New Chapter in Jazz Exploration

So, I am turning over a new music leaf this week in every sense: new subject matter and a new musical journey for me. For the next four weeks, it’s all about Jazz, one of the few genres that I am not entirely solid with and often find frustrating for a variety of reasons that don’t really add up to much. Mainly, the issue is that it never fully moves me. There are pieces and musicians that are utterly cosmic—the classics like Davis, Coltrane, Parker, etc.—but I often find the contemporary stuff a bit dry or just confounding. That ends—or at least pauses—here, and it’s new things a-go. Another part of this is enlisting the help of some trusted pals whose musical tastes reach deep into the furthest regions of Jazz, a lovely mixture of purists, fusionists, and modernists alike, all with strong opinions and, in some cases, deep, cavernous voices.

Spaven X Sandunes: A Harmonious Collaboration

This week’s offering is one from me: the recently dropped album, Spaven X Sandunes. I love the musical story here, a beautiful electronic composition full of rhythm and emotion courtesy of Sandunes, spurred on by jazz/hip-hop drumming from Spaven. This is one of those collaborations that is beautifully balanced between challenging and complementing disciplines.

The track is ‘Tree of Life’, and it’s just the right amount of breeze and bite; taking you up one minute and bringing you back down the next without the uncomfortable bump that often signals the end of a dream state. It’s the sweet, sweet spot, so find a time if you can somewhere in the in-between. Mine would be between late afternoon and early evening when the sun and sky seem to sunburst, blue becomes a kaleidoscope color show. Late night into early morning works too—a different color story but the same state—and a vantage point if you can, to watch it all go by. Gorgeous.

The sonic lushness is not the only reason for this choice; I am a relatively new fan of Sandunes but have fallen hard. The definition of an epic musical girl crush, her talent is arresting. A composer, producer, and beatmaker, her output is immense—see everything! And she hails from outside the usual canon. Sandunes is taking her musical sophistication and smarts onto the global stage—opening for Bonobo at The Manchester International Festival, commissioned by Warp Records and Boiler Room to play at The Barbican alongside prestigious events in India. To say she is blazing a trail would be an understatement, and I am all moth to the flame.

So, if you have a perch in mind or there is one you’ve been meaning to try, then make this the musical sage to cleanse it, make it yours, and enjoy.

Written by Nana Fani-Kayode