Heavyweight Black Vinyl
Brand new London based record label Night Dreamer have recaptured the organic essence of direct to disc through a series of recordings at Artone Studio in Haarlem, Netherlands. The label launches with the release of a vinyl EP by Afrobeat legend Seun Kuti who dropped into the studio with Fela’s original backing band, Egypt 80 back in May, taking a break from a world tour.
Seun and Egypt 80 took a day to acclimatise to the recording process, to sound check levels, and perform a few test cuts, with Seun a central figure throughout, orchestrating the band with the assurance of his father, Fela Kuti. Playing without the safety of multiple takes, Seun and Egypt 80 cut all four tracks (two per side) in a single take without rehearsal on the second day and starting the recordings just minutes after Seun walked into the studio yet with all the focus and relaxation of a band in the middle of a world tour.
The recordings were cut to the studio’s Neumann VMS70 lathe, capturing not just the urgency of the performance but the atmosphere of the session itself, with all its imperfections. The final result is a snapshot of a legendary outfit at the top of their game.