Young Fathers – Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole and G. Hastings – have kicked off 2023 with their new single, “Rice“. The frenetic, joy-filled, spiritual track is the final teaser of the trio’s upcoming fourth album, Heavy Heavy, arriving on February 3rd, 2023 via Ninja Tune. Serving as the opener of the album, “Rice” immaculately sets the tone for the vast range of styles, genres and influences the trio manage to cram into the 10 tracks of the record. Listen to the song now below and pre-order the album HERE.
Following on from last year’s “Geronimo”, “Tell Somebody” and “I Saw” – “Rice” reverberates with victorious defiance. With its gospel-style chants and the delicate percussive sound of wooden sticks and hand-claps, “Rice” proves another example of how Young Fathers so skillfully side-step any kind of musical boundary. To accompany the release, the trio continue their creative collaboration with 23 year old Austrian-Nigerian artist and filmmaker David Uzochukwu – allowing him to compliment the song with a visual that perfectly demonstrates the scale and expansive feel of the music.
The upcoming release is the group’s fourth album and their first since 2018’s album ‘Cocoa Sugar’. The 10-track project signals a renewed back-to-basics approach, just the three of them in their basement studio, some equipment and microphones. Everything always plugged in, everything always in reach.