Navigating the sort of lo-fi semi-acoustic ambience which is bred for a lazy afternoon’s easy listening, Eswatini twosome Mr Freddy’s new EP Otupam Sessions is here for your leisurely enjoyment.
A selection of tracks recorded in the bustling life of Mozambique’s capital, Maputo (see what they did there), the EP pairs the talents of Mwesigwa ‘Mr Rhythm’ Kisaakye on drums, and Ralph Louis Smit on chromatic kalimba, trumpet and synths, for a vaguely jazzy, largely off-kilter portrait of a city.
The EP was born out of an advantageous encounter with studio-owner Chris Born, and a whole lot of creatively-spurred improvisation. Taking a step back from Mr Freddy’s typical formula of live loops and crafty production, Otupam Sessions is fluid and unconventional.
Pulsing, industrial synth and rhythm-rooted textures ease in opener “First Impressions Count”, while the earthy jazz inflections which drive “Qual e o segredo” and closer “Kanimambo / Saudades” channels the off-kilter percussive-melody lines which quickly become quintessential of the EP.
“Por Favor Mi Amigo” is a 28-second palate cleanser, after which “Instavel Shuffle” takes a breathy, breezy stance on lo-fi ambience, clocking in at just under seven minutes. And while the EP may slip into monotony a few too many times, it remains a striking tribute to a city of sound.
