Romare - Meditations on Afrocentricity

Black Acre keep us all guessing with a skillful suite of spiritual, jazz sampling Juke and Hip Hop Electronics. The result of a year spent researching, sampling and conceptualising, 'Meditations On Afrocentrism' draws connections between "the history of African and African-American culture in the form of collage to create musical conversations between the past, present and future". The project manifests as four compositions weaving samples of songs, speeches, interviews, field recordings and film, syncing rhythms from Africa with voices from Harlem and up-to-the-second memes imported from influential US dance styles. On Side A 'Freedom (Aspirations of a Prisoner)' refracts the voice of prisoners into a sparse Footwork template enriched with swooning strings reminiscent of work by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, while 'The Blues (It Began In Africa)' runs a stompin' 4/4 bass under neatly rearranged flute and fragmented vox. Flipside 'Down The Line (It Takes A Number)' wades in dubbed-out and slackened slow-disco rhythms, reminding of Richard Russell and Rodaidh McDonald's Fresh Touch sound. 'I Wanna Go (Turn Back)' jams on a more urgent, Jukin' style.