Probably Never (feat. Joe Armon-Jones)

Multi-national collaboration Extra Soul Perception announced debut EP, with first single from Maxwell Owin, Xenia and Joe Armon-Jones.

Extra Soul Perception is a British Council supported project bringing together artists from the Kenya, Uganda and the UK.

The five track EP features collaborations from Faizal Mostrixx, Hibotep, K15, Karun, Labdi, Lex Amor, Lynda Dawn and Maxwell Owen.

The same tracks will form the basis of a UK tour in February starting at The Jazz Cafe.

In November 2019, eight artists from Kenya, Uganda and the UK spent a week in Nairobi together exploring new tangents in soul music.

The group, collectively known as Extra Soul Perception, is made up of Faizal Mostrixx (Ug), Hibotep (Ug), K15 (UK), Karun (Ke), Labdi (Ke), Lex Amor (UK), Lynda Dawn (UK) and Maxwell Owen (UK).

Every day of the writing camp they worked with a new combination of artists, putting their powers of improvisation and collaboration to the test. The result was a body of work that reflected their range of backgrounds, interests and disciplines: acapella harmonies, soft spoken word, transcendental gqom, razor sharp swahili rap, bumping broken beat and beguiling RnB. The tracks capture a spirit, unique to a place and time that won't be replicated again; an energy and atmosphere forged by open minds and prodigious talent.

The first EP of music made in Nairobi will be released in Spring 2020, titled New Tangents in Kampala, London & Nairobi Vol.1. It features five tracks by all eight artists in different combinations, and three cameos.

Leading the EP out is first single 'Probably Never', by London DJ and producer Maxwell Owin with Nairobi singer Xenia Menasseh, featuring pianist Joe Armon-Jones. The track was born out of a series of improvised moments that epitomises the spirit of ESP. A low-slung gospel-sampling beat Max was playing around with late at night with no real purpose, whispered lyrics laid down in minutes on the final day in the studio during an unplanned-but-welcome cameo, and keys added by a supportive housemate as it was being finished in London.

It followers EP teaser 'In My Soul', released earlier this month featuring Kampala dancer and producer Faizal Mostrixx with Nairobi singer Karun rapping in Swahili for the first time; as if Obongjayar had been processed through a Hyperdub filter.

All five tracks from the EP will be performed live for the first time on the ESP. tour, featuring all eight artists performing solo and collaborative sets:


22 Feb: The Jazz Cafe, London

23 Feb: Band on the Wall, Manchester

24 Feb: 24 Kitchen Street, Liverpool

Tickets and info about the project: www.extrasoulperception.com

ESP is supported by British Council, Arts Council England and Analogue Foundation.