Off the Grid is a journey that joins the origin story of dance rhythms from Africa to electronic dance music of today’s clubs and festivals, connecting African folklore and storytelling to rap, jazz and hip hop.
From Kinshasa to Kebdrick, Accra Market cassette tapes to London pirate radio stations, Malian blues to UK jazz. This is not a new fusion but a celebration of the family tree of music that has roots in the diaspora. Although it’s not a sound many people will have heard, it’s a sound that connects us all with our history, joining the dots of popular music and the importance of preserving the lessons of our ancestors.
From Accra Market cassette tapes to London pirate radio stations, Malian blues to UK jazz — the twin creative forces behind Onipa — Tom Excell (Nubiyan Twist) and Kweku Sackey (K.O.G. & the Zongo Brigade) — together with Finn Booth on drums and Dwayne Kilvington (a.k.a. Wonky Logic) on synths, have built a life-affirming and highly original world of sound.
Off The Grid is the band’s second full-length album, and first release on Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records, featuring an impressive cast of collaborators including Moonchild Sanelly, David Walters, Dele Sosimi and Theon Cross.
