2 LP Quasi is Ariwo’s second album, after the release of their first self-titled album in 2017.. Despite Ariwo’s diverse mix of musicians (Cuba/Iran/Canada/UK) their music doesn’t belong to any specific genre. In ‘Quasi’, Ariwo use the building blocks of deep bass, afro-Cuban polyrhythms, carnival melody and immersive live electronics as a starting point to engage with key players on London’s jazz scene. The result is a hypnotic journey for the listener from techno to avant-garde jazz via West Africa and the Caribbean. Quasi aims to mirror the evolved direction of Ariwo’s live set, which after extensive touring over the past three years has gradually become more stripped back and club-oriented. Many of the building blocks for this album started life as improvisations in live sets and have been developed into full tracks on Quasi. The album features guest appearances from MOBO winning saxophonist Binker Golding (Binker & Moses) and acclaimed UK keys player Joe Armon-Jones (keys). Cuban trumpet players Thommy Lowry Garcia and Yelfris Valdes also feature on the album, bringing carnival melodies that interweave through the percussion and electronics. Ariwo have used songs from Quasi to create the music for Portals – a tour of Carlos Acosta’s new contemporary dance company Acosta Danza in Havana. – Album features guest performances by MOBO winning saxophonist Binker Golding and acclaimed UK keys player Joe Armon-Jones. – Ariwo have used tracks from this album to create a composition for the signature dance piece ‘Portals’ by Carlos Acosta’s Havana based contemporary dance company ‘Acosta Danza’. The show has premiered in Havana already and will be on World tour this summer. – Ariwo brings together World class musicians from Cuba, Iran, Canada and the UK (see artist bios) to build a new live electronic sound that reflects their shared home in London.
