We are incredibly excited to bring Poland’s Warsaw Afrobeat Orchestra into the Peace & Rhythm family with the release of their 3rd full length album Antibody!
Over the last seven years, WAO has crafted a style of afrobeat all their own. The frontline vocal trio of Anna Piotrowska, Agata Dąbrowska, and Magdalena Kuś creates a timbre that’s unmistakably Warsaw Afrobeat. Aggressive yet beautiful vocals contrast melodic horn lines over afro rhythms to recontextualize the traditions of Fela Kuti and Tony Allen, forging a sound that Dąbrowska describes as “Firmly rooted in afrobeat on the one hand, WAO has been in constant process of development exploring new sounds and techniques. That is why I decided to smuggle my personal more pop vision into afrobeat without disturbing the character of WAO music”.
“The new material is largely a continuation of WAO’s initial path, which follows the combination of diverse European music elements on the ground of afrobeat. Eclecticism, combining various styles and genres make up the music of WAO. The new value is a more liberal approach to arrangements and compositions accompanied by a lot of focus on naturalness of the sound and avoiding overproduction during recordings.”
This fusion of styles and organic approach to recording renders Antibody an album full of surprising turns as well as welcome pleasures for those familiar with their previous releases. WAO’s penchant for eclecticism and experimentation is well represented on the song “Body”, merging Eastern European melodies with rhythmic elements of reggae and afrobeat into a unique dance floor burner. Other stand outs from the album include the heavy afrofunk of “Invitation”, the high energy “Dissolution”, and the rhythmic killer “Tsunami” that rolls over the listener in an unstoppable manner suggested by the title.
Currently available in our webstore, on Peace & Rhythm’s Bandcamp, as well as all digital streaming and download platforms. The beautiful limited edition green vinyl pressing is available courtesy of Poland’s Scriptology label, and will soon be for sale at Peace & Rhythm’s webstore as well.