The spaced-out dub basslines and vocal harmonies soaked in heavy reverb co-exist with rhythmic, looped percussive instrumentation. All of this makes an emotional experience that captivates and transports us to the humidity of the Caribbean’

We are delighted to celebrate I am Fya’s launch party for ‘consciousness’, the first single from her upcoming AV album Homelands (on Rose Hill Records).

I Am Fya is an experimental artist from Manchester, based in Brighton, UK. Her music brings together low-end textures with collaged field recordings, referencing sound system culture and notions of belonging, through lyrical narratives delivered in her febrile vocal style. Most recently she has played smasher shows at The Sistxrhood at Glastonbury Festival and Brownton Abbey at Summer: In The Black Fantastic at The South Bank Centre.

Her recent work features field recordings of nature and environmental sounds, human interactions and eavesdropped conversations that were all documented over years of family visits to the island of Barbados. The most recent recordings were made during the recent waves of the coronavirus pandemic. The artist travelled to Barbados intending to care for her elderly parents for a few weeks as they were in and out of hospital due to illness. The weeks turned into months due to ever-changing travel restrictions and lockdowns. The constant recording and documenting of everyday sounds became a coping mechanism. 

From this collection of recordings, the album Homeland was created.  It focuses on identity, culture and spiritual connections to land and ancestors. The beeps and bustle of a hospital waiting room, birdsong, crickets, and the rattle of farm machinery is intertwined with the voice of a grandmother giving advice, a mother singing her favourite country song and conversations with a spirited child. 

Watch this space for upcoming releases!!