Out now on all streaming platforms. Listen below or wherever you get your music, and read on for the full story!
This release came about organically. In May, we partnered with Levitation Orchestra for one of our regular Holiday Projects during half-terms at Woolwich Works, open to members of our Under 18s programme and local young people whom we don’t already work with.
Following their formation in 2018 by musical director Axel Kaner-Lidstrom, Levitation Orchestra has earned a reputation as a visionary artistic collective. We invited them to run a Holiday Project because we thought their uniquely egalitarian approach to creativity would help empower the group of young people to take seriously their own sound and ideas. Over three days, the four members of Levitation Orchestra and two supporting NYJO Emerging Professionals led the group in a process of creative experimentation and exploration.
By the end of the three days, the exploration had coalesced into four distinct compositions, created collaboratively and from scratch.
The music was brilliant: exciting, dynamic, surprising, funky; combining space for individuals to shine with the power of a whole ensemble completely on the same wavelength. We knew this couldn’t be the end of the project. In August, the group came back together over two days at the studios in Woolwich Works to record the four tracks.
Engineered by Owen Kennedy and Matteo Musetti, produced by members of Levitation Orchestra, and performed by Under 18s on the May Holiday Project, the session captured the creativity of the 4 compositions in 12 minutes of genuinely fantastic, moving music.
Once mixed and mastered, we threw a mini-listening party for members of the band, and got a unanimous seal of approval.
Now, in December, we’re delighted for this music to be out in the world. We’re extremely proud of this collaborative project and the EP it has produced, and hope you enjoy listening to the fruits of these young musicians’ creativity.
“When I first entered NYJO I was surrounded by people that each shared a similar dream to make it in music, and then we started to make songs with Levitation Orchestra. We did so many songs in the space of 3 days and when we got to record an album, I felt so excited. It was a pleasure to be a part of this experience, and I can’t wait till the next one.” – Caleb, NYJO Under 18
Credits:
Noah Black / Bass
Taylor Hylton / Trombone
Posi Fatile / Guitar
Natai Campbell / Baritone saxophone
Caleb Akinade / Drums and percussion
Joy Siehi-Adegbite / Alto saxophone
Jamal Adi / Piano and keyboard
Ajibola (AJ) Babatunde / Drums and percussion
Imani Mullings / Vocals
Jared Meade / Composer on Holiday Project
Stanley Christopher / Composer on Holiday Project
Anna Balbaaki / Composer on Holiday Project
Spencer Sardokie / Composer on Holiday Project
Laura Moisey-Gray / Composer on Holiday Project
Axel Kaner-Lidstrom / Musical Director with Levitation Orchestra
James Akers / Musical Director with Levitation Orchestra
Lluís Domènech Plana (Yuis) / Musical Director with Levitation Orchestra
Plumm / Musical Director with Levitation Orchestra
Owen Kennedy / Engineer
Matteo Musetti / Engineer
Kenyah Johnson / NYJO Programmes Coordinator