IBEYI share new single ‘Rise Above’ feat. BERWYN, a reimagination of Black Flag’s formative anthem. Taken from their forthcoming album Spell 31 out May 6 via XL Recordings.
Afro-Cuban, French twins Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Díaz, also known as Ibeyi, today share the fourth single from their imminent third-studio-album Spell 31, out next week on via XL Recordings. ‘Rise Above’ is a cover of Black Flag’s 1981 formative anthem, performed and reimagined by Ibeyi, their producer Richard Russell and east London musician BERWYN. Having never heard the song, Lisa and Naomi were presented the lyrics in a recording session by their producer Richard Russell and they quickly got to work, looping an old sample of their father’s drums (the late, renowned percussionist Miguel ‘Anga’ Díaz) improvising a new sonic world for lyrics written a decade ago that still resonate today.
Speaking on the song Lisa-Kaindé explains: “We read the lyrics and we immediately felt their relevance to how we felt about the world in its current state. We got to work on the melody and had the full song done in 5 minutes. Jorja Smith heard the track and told us we had to get BERWYN on the song. We had him by the studio to listen to the full album. I left to make tea, upon returning to the studio BERWYN had already written his verse for “Rise Above,” before he had even finished listening to the album. We knew we had something special, what a gift!”
On the forthcoming Spell 31, Lisa and Naomi set out to remobilize the power of their birth given destiny as Ibeyi, which has led them on a path to restoration in pursuit of true harmony, healing and magic. Inspired by ‘Spell 31’, taken from The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, the project features 10 tracks, written, produced and recorded by Ibeyi, who beautifully crafted the songs alongside their expert long-term producer Richard Russell (Ash, Ibeyi). Featuring Jorja Smith, Pa Salieu, BERWYN, Ibeyi’s father and mother.
Building on an already paramount anticipation, ‘Rise Above’ follows previous released album singles ‘Lavender & Red Roses’ featuring Jorja Smith, follows in the wake of the beautiful ‘Sister 2 Sister’, and the phenomenal first offering from Spell 31, ‘Made of Gold,’ which features Gambian-British rapper Pa Salieu. “Ibeyi’s Spell 31 is Ibeyi’s boldest offering yet, an antidote to apathy in a divided world,” explains activist and storyteller Janaya Future Khan in an essay on Spell 31. Read the full essay here.
Since the release of their critically-acclaimed sophomore album Ash and the duo’s globally acclaimed, eponymous debut album, Ibeyi’s music has garnered fans and collaborators in some of the most iconic artists of today including Beyoncé, Alvin Ailey, JR, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Prince, Roy Hargrove, Adele, Kamasi Washington, David Byrne and Emicida; a result of Ibeyi’s uniquely, captivating blend of Yoruban music with modern jazz, pop, electronic, soul and hip-hop. Their music and original compositions have been featured in the films ROMA and How to Stop a Recurring Dream, and in campaigns for Chanel, Nike, and Louis Vuitton. Spell 31 will be Ibeyi’s third studio album release, out May 6th on XL Recordings / Remote Control Records.
Ibeyi – ‘Rise Above’ (Feat. BERWYN) (Official Video)
Stream / Download: https://ibeyi.ffm.to/riseabove
Ibeyi – ‘Lavender & Red Roses’ (Feat. Jorja Smith) (Official Video)
Stream / Download: https://ibeyi.ffm.to/lavenderandroses
Ibeyi – ‘Sister 2 Sister’ (Official Video)
Stream / Download: https://ibeyi.ffm.to/sister2sister
Ibeyi – ‘Made of Gold’ (Feat. Pa Salieu) (Official Video)
Stream / Download: https://ibeyi.ffm.to/madeofgold
Ibeyi
