Puerto Rico-based band ÌFÉ are always in tune with the current times, and they have particularly shown so this year. After recording an acoustic rumba-infected version of Bad Bunny’s “Estamos Bien” and performing a live rendition of J Dilla’s “Fuck The Police” during this year’s AfriBembé Festival, the Otura Mun-fronted combo have just announced a new three-song EP coming in November, set to bring solace in the midst of the tragedy experienced worldwide this year.
The Living Dead | Ashé Bogbo Egun is formed by three tracks, or “movements,” where ÌFÉ translate Yoruban prayer songs and traditional Santería drums to the electronic realm to honor the deceased. The first preview, “Music for Egun Movement 2,” sends us into a deep meditation with its autotuned chants and circular rhythm, and booms with electronic percussion.
“One of the things that has helped me confront the difficulty in dealing with the sadness and pain around us is a belief that death in the physical world is not the end,” says Mun on a press release. “As part of my daily spiritual practice, I commune with my ancestors. We are all on the same wheel of life at different points. As we approach the end of 2020, I felt that it was important to acknowledge and celebrate those who have passed before us. Ashé Bogbo Egun, ‘power to all deceased.’”
The Living Dead | Ashé Bogbo Egun is coming out on November 17 on digital platform and a limited 12” vinyl run, which is on sale now on Bandcamp.