Jinku – A1 [Banana Hill]

Vagabond Vinyl CoverDJs, parties and emerging record label, Banana Hill, is an imprint that started its journey in Sheffield before travelling to the deepest darkest corners of Manchester’s Hidden warehouses and Soup Kitchen dance floors. The label has continued to evolve musically and geographically over the past few years, releasing music from all over the globe, providing party-goers with a truly diverse array of hip hop, neo-soul, Afrobeat, jazz, disco and so much more.

You can trust the label’s undying thirst for exotic unique sounds, to bring new world music to our ears, Banana Hill have drawn out many underground artists and have received much deserved recognition for their work from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Resident Advisor and The Guardian (and now us)! The next instalment is aptly named ‘Vagabond’ and it comes from Nairobi’s Jinku, an energetic, exciting experimental producer who makes up 1/5 of the East Africa Wave.


[soundcloud url=”https://soundcloud.com/boltingbits/premiere-jinku-a1″ /]

We have the pleasure of premiering the ‘A1’ on the EP, it’s a delightful track ushered in with ambient progressive waves and low-fi feels with a thumping bassy drop and lots of lovely percussive Afro beats. The track begins smoothly, gliding over a wide space, with cinematic chords, effects and vocals full of flavour. The track builds so sophisticatedly that it’s easy to feel you’ve been listening for a lot longer than 6 minutes; Jinku is able to create this scope through organically formed avenues and tropical cave-like crevasses.

jinku - banaha hill
It’s a joy to feel the artist’s unfiltered passion over varying genres and tempos throughout the track, at times the sounds are out of control, which contrasts with the underlying sense that the track is in complete spiritual alignment with its creator. ‘Vagabond’ is purely personal. We are being allowed into the mind of Jinku (thank you!), who fuses together trap 808s, afro-house and down tempo beats as we experience his plethora of excitements and sensations; this type of rawness is rare and undeniably powerful. The uplifting end remind us that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, you just have to keep on moving forward to find it. Pre-order now!

 


Olivia