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 are keeping? Hope the icy Autumnal breezes are bringing good vibes your way.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 do not 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, modernists alike all with strong opinions and in some cases deep, cavernous voices.This week’s offering is one from me, the recently dropped album; Spaven X Sandunes. Love the musical story here, beautiful electronic composition full of rhythm and emotion courtesy of Sandunes spurned on by jazz/hip hop drumming from Spaven. This is one of those collaborations that is beautifully balanced between challenging and complimenting 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 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 into early evening when the sun and sky seem to sunburst, blue becomes a kaleidoscope colour show. Late night into early morning works too – different colour story but 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.