Neneh Cherry is back with a new song which sees her collaborating with 3D from Massive Attack and Four Tet.
Today Cherry revealed the video for single Kong which is produced by Four Tet and Massive Attack’s 3D.
Described as a powerful and vital return to the musical conversation for Cherry, Kong is a dubbed-out synthesis of the musical worlds of Four Tet and 3D where she fuses the personal and political.
In the lyrics of the song Cherry references the history of colonialism as well as Europe’s on-going refugee crisis in a brave and timely protest song.
“Every nation seeks it’s / friends in France & Italy / and all across the 7 seas / and goddam guns and guts and bitter love still put a hole in me”. Cherry sings on the track.
Check out the new tune and video.
Video director Jenn Nkiru is from Peckham, London and is a fast rising star of the art and film worlds. She was 2nd unit director for Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s internet-breaking APESHIT, following up on her visual work with Kamasi Washington on his latest album Heaven And Earth.
Thee single’s artwork is by Wolfgang Tillmans; the first photographer ever to be awarded the Turner Prize. He is one of the most important documentarian of his generation of London and Berlin’s club and gay scenes. His recent musical collaborations include the photo artwork for Frank Ocean’s 2016 album Blonde and the physical magazine that accompanied it Boys Don’t Cry.
The new single is Cherry’s first release since Blank Project album from 2014. The singer delivered a memorable performance at the Perth Festival featuring work from that collection.
While Cherry’s been making music since the early 80’s she’s selective about when she releases music and often spends time joining other musical projects despite being a highly successful solo artist.
She was a member of indie punk bands in London in the wealy ’80s including Rip Rig + Panic. Her long forgotten first single was a protest song about the Falkland’s War in 1982.
In 1986 she recorded a rap on the b-side of Looking Good Diving, a tune by duo Morgan-McVey. The original track was produced by trio Stock Aitken and Waterman. CHerry later recorded the stack as Buffalo Stance – which became her breakout hit in 1988.
Massive Attack members Robert Del Naja (3D) and Andrew Vowles contributed to her debut album Raw Like Sushi which featured several hit songs. Cherry continued releasing albums including Homebrew (1992) and Man (1996). Fans would have to wait until 2014 for Cherry’s fourth album Blank Project to be released.
Aside fromn her solo work she has regualry collaborating with other bands and artists including Akasha, Tricky, Groove Armada, One Giant Leap, Gorrilaz and many others. In 2011 she teamed up with jazz band The Thing to fan album titled The Cherry Thing.
OIP Staff, top image Wolfgang Tillmans
