It’s been a long and beautiful road for Extra Soul Perception. The project that began with a week-long writing camp and culminative concert in Nairobi back in November 2019 has now fully blossomed by bringing its first full length album into the world, ‘New Tangents in Kampala, London & Nairobi’. Along the way there’s been an EP and handful of singles, a UK tour and an ongoing and meaningful collaboration between a growing number of forward-thinking artists.

The original crew was made up of Faizal Mostrixx and Hibotep from Uganda, Karun, Labdi and Xenia Menasseh from Kenya and Lex Amor, Lynda Dawn, Maxwell Owin and K15 from the UK, all brought together by project founders Andy Lemay and Aaron Levitt whose igniting vision was to create a cross-cultural platform where independent creatives could make unexpected magic together. Then the pandemic hit but that didn’t deter ESP. from continuing to grow, this time with digital collaborations taking shape across the globe. The new album sees the addition of Itsmdnyt from Uganda, XL Middleton from the US, Sola from the UK and Azu Tiwaline from Tunisia.

Each artist brings their own special flavour, ensuring this much-anticipated release is full of love, overflowing with goodness and gives you goosebumps on every play. From the warped, broken beats of Faizal Mostrixx & K15’s ‘Zone Massai’ to the trance-inducing sonics of Azu Tiwaline & Labdi’s ‘Hewa’ via the old school soul of Lynda Dawn & XL Middleton’s ‘Roses’, this is an addictive album that will lure you into some seriously on-repeat, meditative listening.

When asked what her best memory of the project is, Hibotep says, “It’s impossible answer because every single day being with all the artists was a special day. Whether we were in the studio or outside sharing a smoke or performing on stage, we always had great times. The memories are plenty.” This Somali-Ethiopian, multi-hyphenate artist and DJ is leading the charge in Kampala’s underground scene. Here she contributes to two songs, ‘Ancestry’ with Lex Amor and Faizal Mostrixx, and ‘Lunar Ritual’ with Itsmdnyt.

“‘Ancestry’ is about communicating with our ancestors and how we find them in our creativity to guide us and lead us. Lex Amor was on drums and Faizal was doing the beat - the vibe was burning sage and having a good time,” she recalls. “And with ‘Lunar Ritual’, I was heard this drumming and was like, I just want to exercise the spirits I’m feeling right now and turn it into music and that’s how the song was made. With ESP., I have created some life-long friends who’ve taught me so much and given me belief in myself to test my powers as much as I can.”

Nairobi-based singer-songwriter Xenia Menasseh was also in attendance at the first in-person sessions. And even though her visit was fleeting, ‘Probably Never’ with Maxwell Owin and featuring Joe Armon Jones, is testament to what can be achieved after only one evening of jamming. “The session was so short and the song came off so fast that I didn’t realise until afterward that we had a complete song,” Menasseh says. “I guess I was in a place where I wanted to fight for love and that’s what came out in the lyrics. And since then, it’s become my most listening to song with almost 1million streams on Spotify. I think a lot of people put it on super chill Sunday playlists.”

As with all the tracks on the album, there’s an alchemy that lures you in with its effortlessly laidback sonics and sense of authenticity. “I think everybody loves the work they did for the album,” she adds. “The songs are all different genres but they’re all one spirit. It’s people coming together and creating together. What ESP. has reinforced for me is that I can make music with anybody, even if we’ve just met. My favourite thing about writing is that you can you can exchange energy, meet half way and create art in the present.” So, if ESP. came calling again, would you jump on? “Hell yeah!”

‘New Tangents in Kampala, London & Nairobi’ is out now. Discover it here.

Read our original feature on ESP here.
Read our interview with Lynda Dawn here.
Read about ESP’s London salon with Nataal here.

Words Helen Jennings
Photography Dan Medhurst

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Published on 29/03/2022