The Unnamed Trilogy, Vol. 1

It is a distinct honour and privilege to welcome Wally Badarou to Diskotopia with The Unnamed Trilogy Vol.1; a collection of recent solo work presented for the first time as a limited edition vinyl and select digital release. Wally Badarou is a visionary musician who over the years has forged a history that is immensely storied, diverse and creatively rich. He has not only released timeless solo material such as the incredible Echoes LP in 1984 (part of which reached a new generation of music fans when the track Mambo was sampled for Massive Attack's Daydreaming), but has also recorded on classic albums with luminaries such as Grace Jones, Sly & Robbie, Mick Jagger, Fela Kuti, Robert Palmer, Jimmy Cliff, Black Uhuru and Talking Heads to name just a few. Both co-founders of Diskotopia have been huge fans of Mr. Badarou's work since before the label's inception and are elated to present The Unnamed Trilogy Vol.1 to the world at large.

Opening track Fisherman (I - Theme) rolls out with an assured strut that pulls you straight into a surging overflow of digi-funk bubble and laser-precise glide tactics. Infectious as it is fluid in its arrangements, Fisherman (I - Theme) is an excellent example of Wally Badarou's ubiquitous sound; highlighted here through the multi-timbral interlocking grooves that balance both the natural and synthetic elements seamlessly like the flow of ocean tides.

Daiquiri Diaries (Vintage Extended) enters with a striking metallic riff before a poetic electric piano takes the lead over insistent drums, soaring strings and warm pad swells. Only a "synthesizer specialist" such as Badarou would be able to create comparable transcendental magic from such simplicity, transfixing the listener whilst giving a masterclass in restraint. Make no mistake however, this is late night celestial soul music for Balearic excursions into the outer mind's eye.

The nautical beginnings of Awa develop effortlessly into convivial carnival vibes which could easily soundtrack any number of global gatherings. Combining field recordings of lapping waves, a fluid digital kalimba lead, expertly layered polyrhythmic percussion and sun-soaked flourishes throughout, Awa becomes near meditative in its effortless ebbs and flows.

As The Unnamed Trilogy Vol. 1 comes to its close Higher Still … takes an introspective step to the side giving us a cinematically beautiful allegory for the modern age. Equal moments of reflection coincide with transformative key changes as we can equate our own journeys in life to the arrangement here: At once entered into existence in such a distinct manner to have then gone through irrevocable changes and thusly transformed into a new state of consciousness altogether, we remain Higher Still …