Multidisciplinary artist Azekel announces a brand new mixtape Analyze Love set for release in early 2023, featuring some heavyweight collaborators. The news is accompanied by a COLORS performance of his unreleased track Chocolati.
Analyze Love is a 15-track mixtape recorded across London and Ghana during the Covid-19 lockdown, showcasing Azekel’s deft production, songwriting and vocal abilities. Exploring notions of love ranging from romance to parenthood to kinship and community, it’s all expressed from Azekel’s vantage point as a British Nigerian. The first of a three-part trilogy of projects, the artist called upon Grammy winner Om’mas Keith to executively produce all three records to be released on Mr Eazi’s ever-lauded imprint, EmPawa Africa. Experiencing a wide range of emotions during the recording of the album, he tapped into the complex yet natural concepts of masculinity – at once strong and tender, proud and humble, expressive and restrained. “It was good to tap into these emotions, I think it’s something that isn’t done often and needs to be done more, it’s a specific nuanced emotion that isn’t regularly explored”, the artist states.
Calling upon peers from across the spectrum of his musical sphere – NAO, Ebo Taylor, Made Kuti, Kwesi Arthur, Kojey Radical, Ivy Sole and anaiis, Moses Boyd and Charlie Stacey to name a few – helped to construct this breathtaking body of work by adding their own magic. A natural extension of his heritage and identity, Azekel uses music as a form of introspection and exploration – allowing his practice to move him forward in an embrace of life, all the while evocatively navigating a host of complex themes through sound and lyrics. He explores such complexities of love throughout each track, with the opener a conversation with the great Professor George, imparting wisdom through the eyes of an elder. Continuing the narrative throughout the project, this is Azekel’s most honest and self-reflective body of work to date that forces him to face himself and dig deep into his own psyche.
With a stripped-back version of Chocolati premiering over on COLORS, the dream-like song explores the infatuation side of love and shows the artist’s incredible vocal range to full effect. The album version will drop with the inimitable NAO lending her vocals, with production assistance from Troy, Azekel and Obed from Super Jazz Club. The track follows on from the 2022 releases, Palm Wine Dreamz and Dupé, two tracks that saw anaiis, Kojey Radical and Kwesi Arthur add their magic touch with nods once again to the kinship, love and community that Azekel threads so effortlessly throughout the project.
Originally from Nigeria, Azekel Adesuyi moved with his family at the age of five to East London where he developed an early interest in numerous forms of music; teaching himself to play guitar and keyboards, leading to songwriting and eventually production. After taking a semi-hiatus following the launch of his 2018 release ‘Our Father’ and subsequent collaborative track ‘Learn to Love’ with anaiis, Azekel returns with his brand new highly anticipated project inspired by a plethora of themes; from music to art, culture, life, love, sex and pain. Having performed at major global festivals and venues worldwide, collaborated with the likes of Gorillaz and Massive Attack, and heavily supported by Prince, Nile Rodgers, and key publications, Azekel is setting the tone as one of the most exciting voices in the UK right now.
