Category: News

We’re wrapping up three new, very different, international recording EP projects: afrobeat trip-hop trio Lucked In with co-producer/sax player Alejandro Van Zandt-Escobar (Columbia/US/France) & poet/rapper Kwame Write (Ghana); and a sublimely melodic and grungy improv project with drummer Francisco Pastacaldi (Italy) and guitarist Richard Comte (France); and a new solo LEILA ADU EP as well!! My collaboration with Silent Poets, “Asylums for the Feeling” for Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding game has hit 10million views, so we’ve stopped counting…

You can read about my recent collaborations, inspirations, and New York University teaching in this Headliner interview by Yerosha on pages 62 & 63 of Headliner Magazine

I recently played at Le Grand Salon Volant Festival at Petit Bain, Paris. You can see a couple of my own songs, along with my cover of Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box” filmed by Renaud de Foville Watch 3 live LEILA ADU videos @ Le Cargo webzine here

Finally, I’m very happy to remain in a space of social change with a couple of projects. First, Brandon Ridenour’s – Come Together Beatles project, where I sing the song ‘A Day in the Life’ with Brandon at the keys and Dylan Greene on drums. The album features amazing classical instrumentalists and arrangements as an anti-divisive and beautiful statement for our times, and you can listen to or buy ‘Come Together’ here. Second, I’m deeply grateful to be teaching a workshop for incarcerated girls as part, as I return to work with Musicambia—music for social change in conjunction with Carnegie Hall’s Weill institute. If you’d like to help out, you can donate or find other ways to support

Yours in struggle, love and music,
Leila

Over the past year, I’ve been finishing off my PhD but lots of collaborative music has been bubbling along and bursting out into the atmosphere!

GAIKA: ‘Neophyte’ Spaghetto, Warp Records

I met Gaika a few years back and was immediately struck by his flow and lyrics. Now he’s signed to Warp and doing great things, both musically and culturally. Two of my homies, Alex Morris and Yoshee Windrich of Briggs Studios, London also produced this track. Check out a teaser for “Neophyte” on Warp Records here.

Listen/Buy Here: Gaika, Spaghetto, ‘Neophyte’ feat. Leila Adu on WARP Records

THE MIZ’RIES Complete Control of Your Vehicle

Part-improv, part powerpop, part digital hardcore, the Miz’Ries is the funnest band of all time to play in and always gets a wild response from the audience when we play live. We have recorded more ambient tracks on this recording with techno crazytronica and drones from Jeff Snyder on analog synth and gritty noise, vintage voice and opera samples and effects from Quinn Collins and kraut rhythms from me on drumpad, with poetry and punk political lyrics from me. All in all a great time.

Listen/Buy Here: The Miz’Ries Complete Control of Your Vehicle on Belts and Whistles

LIFE STATION, LIFE STATION
Leila Adu (vox/piano), Daniel Carter (horns), Jeff Henderson (sax), Jeff Snyder (analog synth), Federico Ughi (drums).

I love the spirit, creative and political nature of the act improvisation and I deeply value the global community around it — this album has some of my favorite people and musicians in the world. Jeff Henderson has been my buddy, mentor and collaborator for too many years to count. He’s an amazing musician and I was excited to organize a recording session for him when he hit New York from NZ. I enlisted Federico Ughi, who I met 9 years ago when I lived in Rome. We both happened to live in Brooklyn after Italy we’ve collaborated ever since. Luckily, through Federico, I met the lovely, living legend, Daniel Carter, and he agreed to come down and play. The final person in this group is my genius analog synth master friend, Jeff Snyder… Thus, LIFE STATION was born.

Listen/Buy Here: LIFE STATION on 577 Records

CAVE CRICLES, Apricity, “HOUSEKEEPING feat. Black Rainbow”(/aka Leila Adu)

Cave Circles is one of the brainchilds of drummer-producer-composer, Riki Gooch. Riki played drums on my second album years ago, and I’ve always been struck by his rhythmic strength and sensitivity. He has always prolifically produced and composed electronic music and now the world is lucky that he has suddenly started releasing it, under different monikers. This vinyl was put out by the lovely people at Wonderful Noise, Japan and you can check out more of Cave Circles on bandcamp.

Listen/Buy Here: https://rikgooch.bandcamp.com/album/apricity

Coming Up: Silent Poets on Wonderful Noise, Out 7 Feb 2018 on Wonderful Noise, Japan

The Mystic Hour with Pulitzer Prize winning composers Caroline Shaw and Du Yun. Shaw’s “This might also be a form of dreaming” World Premiere performed by ICE and Roomful of Teeth, Yun’s “An Empty Garlic” played by Claire Chase and Leila Adu’s Alyssum performed by the Calder Quartet with ICE harpist, Bridget Kibbey.

Ojai 2016 Festival Artistic Director Peter Sellars with composers Caroline Shaw, Leila Adu and Du Yun.

Morning Ojai Extra with the Calder Quartet. Leila Adu’s “if the stars align…” with features works by Christine Southworth and Caroline Shaw.

Prominent guest panelists moderated by Peter Sellars and distinguished musicologist Susan McClary with Leila Adu and Carla Kihlstedt.

Leila Adu Songs & Improvisations, solo grand piano and voice.