Ask your local record store for Vinyl or order at RWDFWD.
Vinyl orders and Downloads at LavaLava Records Bandcamp – We ship from the EU, UK and Switzerland.
Stream our music on digital plattforms Tidal, Spotify (please consider getting off this service for multiple reasons, as they invest in military tech, accepting racists and not paying artists properly).
Enjoy our concerts and buy directly from us, thanks!
«Kpalongo»
This song is an hommage to John Codjo MENSAN aka “KPALONGO”, born in 1948, who was a boxer legend – the first togolese boxer fighting in World Championship, vice world champion in his category and 4 times winner of the African Championship. Despite his success he was completely impoverished, being ignored by the official sports clubs and government. He died miserably in 2017.
«Honour the people while they’re alive” says Yao, making it a parallel story of how artists are treated in Togo. Kpalongo is also the name of a rhythm and dance of the region, originally developed in the 1960s by the urban youth of the Ga people.
«WUM» Double LP
LavaLava 2022, Bristol UK
«This is music that stands up to our modern madness while providing a gloriously righteous salve.» The Wire Magazine
«WUM is an album that seems to have just appeared into existence. Packed full of industrial rhythm and intensity, it is an album not to miss. Rhys Delany implores you to listen to one of his albums of the year.» Louder than War
«It’s not a selfish music, but it’s not easy listening either. It’s a music for border-crushing community, for rebellion. Anti-clockwise, anti-fascist. Real people music. Loud, cantankerous and fearless.» Rewind Forward
«The production loaded with constant experimentation, demonstrates a breathtaking inventiveness playing on minimalism and tensions sometimes reminiscent of Techno Animal. One of the albums of the year!» Silence and Sound
«Nyagblodi» 7″
LavaLava 2022, Bristol UK
Dished up on a very limited run 7″ – hundred copies for the RWDFWD distro, and the rest for distribution IRL at Yao & Simon’s live shows – here comes this next blast – quite possibly their most fierce and cantankerous yet.
Get it at rwdfwd.com (UK / World) or on Bandcamp (EU/CH)
WUM (Pre-Release Mix by Ossia)
LavaLava 2022, Bristol UK
Ahead of ‹Wum› – the long-awaited debut album from togolese rapper activist Yao Bobby and no-input-noisemaker Simon Grab – here’s a special little something to wet your appetites and grease those ears while we wait for the vinyl to be pressed up and ready for release on LAVALAVA (in a few months time…).
Nose-diving into a quickfire selection of cuts from the album, LV boss Ossia took a drift through the tracklist and picked out two handfuls of cuts, and mashed them,straight through the mixing desk with a bit of extra fx in the signal chain. Some tapes left at rwdfwd.com
DIAMONDS 12″
LavaLava 2019, Bristol UK
«Absolutely mad, and utterly unique combination styles coming from Simon Grab & Yao Bobby here via LAVALAVA – this one’s been the talk of the town for a while now – we’re proud to unleash first copies right here!» rwdfwd.com
«It’s a sound that feels like it’s constantly ready to break into pieces and explode!» Tape-Echo
«Slaps you in the face like those weirdest Duppy Gun moments while pouring lyrics about corporate greed into your ears in words you’ll probably never understand (but WE are complicit). « Bokeh Versions
Credits
Lyrics and Vocals by Yao Amewonou
Music by Simon Grab
Recorded and produced by Simon Grab at ganzerplatz Zurich
Diamonds Remix by Dhangsha aka Dr. Das at Zone D, London
Diamonds Remix Mastered by Paul Chivers aka Ramjac at HMVS, London, hmvs.co.uk
Trumpet by Robin Brandt. Recorded by Eva Brandt
Mastered by Dan Suter at echochamber Zurich
Vinyl Mastercut by Adi Flueck at Centraldubs Bern
Graphical Design by David Schatz and Sereina Rothenberger, Hammer
Photography by Cédric Kouamé
BLACK REVOLUTION 7″
LavaLava 2021, Bristol UK
‹Black Revolution› showcases a powerful continuation from Yao Bobby’s politically charged, panafrica-promoting, anti-establishment, anti-colonial, black power lyrics. Yao’s vocal energy is fuelled by Simon Grab’s notorious ’no-input› production style.
Backing up Yao & Simon’s sentiment with a rhythmic and melodic twist of the sonics in his very-own style, we are proud to offer a re-work of ‹Black Revolution› by afro-futurist mad man Ibaaku, representing Dakar, Senegal.
It’s a great feeling to connect musicians and listeners from all over the world with this project, and we hope you will spread the word by playing the music LOUD, wherever possible.
Lyrics & Vocals by Yao Amewonou
Music & Mix by Simon Grab
Remix by Ibaaku
Mastering by Dan Suter at Echochamber
Cover Art by David Schatz and Sereina Rothenberger at hammer
Photography by Cedrik Kouamé
Video Credits:
Video cut by Simon Grab
Video recorded by Sandra Akpavi and Yao Amewonou
Location: House of Slaves (Maison Woold), Agbodrafo, Togo.
Media Samples:
Cornel West on Democracy Now. June 1 2020
Kwame Nkrumah Independence Speech 1957
Black Lives Matter demonstrations worldwide 2020
Statues of Colombus, Colston and Leopold 2, finally pulled down in 2020
LIVE AT RADIO RABE Cassette LavaLava 2020, Bristol UK
Boom! Crisp & clean 60 minute recording from a hot & heavy session, live on radio, during Yao & Simon & Dhangsha’s EU tour 2019. For those who heard about the raucous Yao, Simon & Dhangsha caused on their recent tour, and would’ve loved to witness them live & direct – here’s an artefact that should represent this, as of yet rather rare occasion in the best possible way – keeping your speakers in the red zone right until we can next see them live, or get our hands on a new record…
COMPILATIONS
No ComplY – A Gaza Skatepark Fundraise Compilation, Exist Records 2023, Palestine
L’ESPRIT DE NYEGE 2020, Nyege Nyege Tapes 2020, Kampala UG
ALTERNATE AFRICAN REALITY – Electronic, electroacoustic and experimental music from Africa and the diaspora, Syrphe Records 2020, Berlin DE
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE – လူထုမနာခံမှု, Syrphe Records 2020, Berlin DE