Afro-house collective &friends releases the first EP since the projects 2022 debut, Ominira. Out now via &friends own imprint Hidden Hands, the EP is in collaboration with fellow producer Samuel Cosmic and follows nearly a year of singles that have set the stage for a more robust body of work.
Ominira is a 2-track delivery, with “Halele” and “Ineko” showcasing returning core West African vocalists Oluwadamvic and Phina Asa. Meaning “Liberty” in the poetic native language of Yoruba, Ominira reflectively weaves together a captivating narrative of resilience, defiance and triumph. Personal at its core, across both tracks Oluwadamvic and Phina take listeners on a melodic journey that explores themes of perseverance, freedom and oppression.
“Halele” opens with a deep and driving soundscape expanded by Oluwadamvic’s brooding vocals. The lyrics brim with perseverance, emphasizing that we must remain strong and not stop our pursuits in the face of adversity. Phina Asa’s vocal range glistens through the duration of “Ineko”. The track marks Phina Asa’s vocals making their way back to the &friends soundwaves for the third time this year, following up her first single “Dangerous” and the projects’ Armada Music debut with an official cover of Armin Van Buuren’s “This Is What It Feels Like”.
In an exlusive EARMILK track-by-track, the &friends crew shares exclusive thoughts on both of the tracks that comprise Ominira.
"Halele" ft. Oluwadambvic
"The tracks looks at the in-depth journey of a determined human that will definitely have ups and downs on the journey of life but the lyrics interprets that we must remain strong and not allow anything stop us as we move forward, remembering the important things that keep us human and staying true to that childhood fun aspect of life and not pay too attention to the negative side of things… Halele lee zoom means simply let’s Go forward.. let’s march towards success"
"Ineko" ft. Phina Asa
"The song is talking about the envious eyes of men. No matter where she goes or what she does those envious eyes will envy and always stare no matter what . But despite the angry stare and envious eyes she will still keep going forward for she has done nothing wrong in doing what she likes. It’s kind of a moral, people will hate People for no reason but that doesn’t mean one should pause their lives because of those envious eyes."
&friends is the musical concept and brainchild of New York based Sean Thomas. Drawing the breadth of his inspiration for these musical works from the global cultures, Sean had a vision to create a project embodying tradition, culture and community culminating in the coining of &friends. This year already has seen &friends begin to make its way across the desks and release schedules of major labels in dance music, he just released anAmapiano Edit “Ode Ireti” (o-le-le) via iconic afro-dance imprint MoBlack Records and made his major mainstream dance label debut on Armada Music in May with an official cover released of Armin Van Buuren’s “This Is What It Feels Like”. &friends was greatly inspired by the members of African Dance Troupe The Incredible Kids who made one of their beloved dancing videos to the Amapiano edit ahead of its release. To support the troupe, &friends raised over $7,000USD to support their project. The project also made its Armada Music debut this year
2023 is already delivering a thoughtfully produced, artfully composed compilation of works from the &friends collective. With &friends’ first EP setting the stage for future bodies of work, the project is set to make its way to even more dance floors around the world to unite us all.
Connect with Oluwadamvic: Instagram
Connect with Phina Asa: Instagram
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