Works in Metal is alchemic in its offering as Lamin Fofana’s pursuit of difficult meanings come to the fore yet again. Fofana sets about the arduous process of reworking and reshaping metals, seeking long-awaited transcendence from what writer, teacher, scholar, anti-colonial, feminist activist and Surrealist Suzanne Césaire refers to as the “sordid contemporary antinomies: Whites-Blacks, Europeans-Africans, civilized-savage”. Works in Metal seeks to destroy such paradoxes and damning self-beliefs sonically through sound archives, field recordings and unique production methods as a tribute to Césaire’s prophetic writing.
‘Arc’s Blues Flame’, the album’s opener, is dominated by high synth tones and occasional kick drums suggesting a vastness, equally…
Tag Archive: Lamin Fofana
To celebrate their 10th anniversary, Parisian independent imprint Latency – the stellar label that’s responsible for TLF Trio’s ‘Sweet Harmony’, Laurel Halo’s ‘Raw Silk Uncut Wood’ and, more recently, Nídia & Valentina’s excellent ‘Estradas’ – commissioned HTRK, Indonesian duo Tarawangsawelas and London-based multi-instrumentalist Damsel Elysium to write exclusive soundscapes for a special label night at Rome’s historic Villa Medici.
A year later, they followed it with a second chapter featuring music from CS + Kreme, Mabe Fratti, Angel Bat Dawid, Duval Timothy and Kalia Vandever, and now their third installment arrives with a similarly well-curated lineup.
Laraaji’s up first with the masterful 11-minute…