Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela’s stand-out track ‘We’ve Landed’, originally released early this year, taken from their critically acclaimed collaborative album ‘Rejoice’. ‘We’ve Landed’ has been reinterpreted in remix form by world-renowned minimalist electronic producer Matthew Herbert in the wake of Tony Allen’s sudden passing in April, at the age of 79.
“It was already a tough brief to remix two such important and wonderful musicians,” commented Herbert. “Before Tony died I was trying my best to make it upbeat and celebratory. But after his sudden passing, all I could hear was his absence. I started on the night I heard the sad news. The mix is in memory of Tony, an inspiring and generous musician.” Allen will be posthumously awarded the Outstanding Contribution To Music at this year’s AIM Awards, taking place virtually on August 12th, with recent single ‘We’ve Landed’ getting a nomination for Best Independent track.
The remix has stayed true to the original but toned the track down somewhat, and the bright trumpet and sharp drum beats are both muted. In between the mix a funeral dirge can be heard mourning the loss of these two greats.
Check it out, here
Order the album ‘Rejoice’ here
Having first met in the 70s thanks to their respective close associations with Fela Kuti, Allen, the Nigerian master drummer widely hailed as the co-founder of Afrobeat (and long-time member of alt-rock supergroup The Good The Bad & The Queen), and Masekela, South Africa’s legendary trumpet player, talked for decades about making an album together.
When, in 2010, their touring schedules coincided in the UK, the moment presented itself and producer Nick Gold took the opportunity to record their encounter. The unfinished sessions, consisting of all original compositions by the pair, lay in archive until after Masekela passed away in 2018.
With renewed resolution, Tony Allen and Nick Gold, with the blessing and participation of Hugh’s estate, unearthed the original tapes and finished recording the album in summer 2019 at the same London studio where the original sessions had taken place.
Allen and Masekela are accompanied on the record by a new generation of well-respected jazz musicians including Tom Herbert (Acoustic Ladyland / The Invisible), Joe Armon-Jones (Ezra Collective), Mutale Chashi (Kokoroko) and Steve Williamson.
Listen to the original, here
