Poet, novelist, musician and academic, Anthony Joseph teams up with legendary UK producer Dave Okumu for forthcoming album, ‘Rowing Up River To Get Our Names Back’

Dave Okumu, known perhaps best as frontman for The Invisible, though digging deeper into his production credits, huge names emerge such as; Grace Jones, Amy Winehouse, Jesse Ware, Rosie Lowe and Eska. On this album, the magic and alchemy of Dave’s production style showcase subtle sonics and deep layering resulting in a contemporary sound to carry Anthony’s afrofuturistic metrical
meanings.
Anthony and Dave first came across each other when working with Shabaka Hutchings during Covid broadcasts, and then after Anthony performed some poems on Dave’s 2023 album ‘I Came From Love’, the seeds of collaboration were sown. With a little more psychedelia, a little more experimentation, Dave’s eclectic vision focuses on the actual sounds on these pieces. Anthony stated that “The best producers guide you, not push you” now add to that the fact that both these humans were born on the same day, a concoction of laid back attitudes in people with strong purpose, some real magic can happen, naturally.
Early writing sessions for this record took place in 2022, around Mount Blanc in France. Anthony was away touring with long-time collaborator, Jason Yarde. Ideas were a little thin and they found themselves
somewhat repeating previous work resulting in Anthony rethinking things a little, and so entered Dave Okumu.
LP opener ‘Satellite’ is a fine example of how this new partnership pans out. New musicians have been enlisted; Dan See (Drums), Aviram Barath (Synths), Nick Ramm on Fender Rhodes and Byron Wallen (Trumpet). Add to that the mighty vocal power house of Eska and we have a whole new dimension of soul and depth, to carry Anthony’s statements. “You build a wall, we go under, you build it
higher, we go higher, like a satellite” . On the album's second single, ‘Tony’ - there’s a nod to all drummers and creators of African rhythms, from the point of view of Afrobeat legend Tony Allen. Highlighting this is drummer’s drummer Richard Spaven as Dave’s choice of skin beater. He successfully reminds us that Tony was someone who understood the real power of rhythm and how it is used to unite people.
As well as the new musicians on this LP, Dave Okumu played all the guitars and used the studio as his tool. On ‘A Juba for Janet’ - a poem to Joseph’s mother, and a track so bass heavy that it feels as though
it could sit in a deep dubstep set in Plastic People days, - Anthony’s voice reaches straight down your ear canals next to dark drums, huge synths and delayed saxophone stabs from Colin Webster. Slightly more introspective verses on ‘An Afrofuturist Poem’ see Dave’s beats show off the real future sound of
this record, kalimba, moog bass and guitars all played by the man himself.
Mellower and deeper moments are also present, Anthony’s cryptic yet informative storytelling is at its absolute best on ‘Churches Of Sound (The Benetiz-Rojo)’ - Caribbean and Windrush history reeled off alongside a linear musical timeline of Black music in the diaspora.
A reminder that this body of work is first of 2 volumes, ‘Rowing Up River To Get Our

Names Back’ is not a follow up to Anthony’s previous album, but more a development of his 2006 novel, ‘The African Origins of UFOs’ a book where experimental elements of afrofuturism, metafiction, science fiction, surrealism, mythology are rewritten in Anthony’s innovative language.
Look out for Volume 2 also coming in 2025.
Anthony Joseph releases, ‘Rowing Up River To Get Our Names Back’ (Vol. 1) via Heavenly Sweetness 7th February 2025 and he will play live at Ronnie Scotts in London on 14th March 2025,
with Dave Okumu as a special guest.
CREDITS:
Vocals - Anthony Joseph
Additional vocals, vocal arrangements - Eska Mtungwazi
Producer - Guitars, Bass, Moog, Synthesisers, Programming, Percussion - Dave Okumu
Drums - Dan See
Drums on ‘Tony’ - Richard Spaven
Synthesiser - Aviram Barath
Fender Rhodes, Synthesisers, Nick Ramm
Trumpet - Byron Wallen
Saxophones - Colin Webster
Trombones - James Wade Sired

CD Digipack w/ 2-page Booklet

New album by Anthony Joseph!!
Double LP gatefold w/ printed inner sleeves. 180g vinyl
A jazz and soul flavoured celebration of Rapso, Steel Pan and Calypso, recorded in Trinidad and
feat. icons of progressive Trinidadian music: Ella Andall, Len ‘Boogsie’ Sharpe, 3 Canal and Bro. Resistance! - mp3 320kbps download

Poet Anthony Joseph's fifth album.

The result of a true meeting of artistic minds, with the New York based bassist and singer Meshell Ndegeocello, who composed and produced the whole album, a gem for the words of Anthony.

“Time” should go a long way towards engraving Anthony Joseph’s name in the history books of great black music.



Limited edition white vinyl (200 exs only).

ONLY AVAILABLE IN OUR SHOP AND ON TOUR!



What you get:

- Double Lp gatefold, "Vinyl replica" cover, including a four pages insert.

- Two 180g white LPs

- Full instant download of 11-track album in WAV format

On the devastating “Neckbone”, we found poetry of Anthony chanted in pure Caribbean style, not far from that of one of its models Linton Kwesi Johnson. For the chorus, from this Caribbean accent you could cut with a knife, hides Sly Johnson.

A track made for the dancefloor with a big catchy bassline.

On the B side, we find the percussive "Mano A Mano", poetry on a percussion avalanche in the purest style of the Last Poets.

‘Caribbean Roots’ represents a return to his roots for Anthony Joseph, who has always
remained true to a powerful, deep-seated sense of his Caribbean identity.



Having started out as a joint project with the outstanding percussionist Roger Raspail (Cesaria Evora,Papa Wemba, Kassav), ‘Caribbean Roots’ swiftly grew into a creative force incorporating the rhythms, sounds and vibes that rock the Caribbean from San Fernando, Scarborough,Kingston and Les Abymes to Port-au-Prince and Havana. Backed by a band made up of a blend of local musicians, the album attempts to unite the different islands into a single entity whilst ensuring that the identity of each is in no way diluted by the mix,instead creating a richer and stronger alloy.



The saxophones of Shabaka Hutchings (The Heliocentrics) and Jason Yarde, the trumpet of Yvon Guillard (Magma), the bass of Mike Clinton (Salif Keita) and the trombone of Pierre Chabrèle (Creole Jazz Orchestra) all combine to form a group of Caribbean All Stars to which Andy Narrell, the master of the steel pans, brings ringing drum beats.



Formats :



1CD Digisleeve



2LP Gatefold, 180gr, with insert and download card MP3 320Kbps