Yannis & The Yaw - ‘Walk Through Fire’ Review: A collision of two worlds and a moment in history
Lagos Paris London by Yannis & The Yaw releases 30th August 2024. A collaboration we never knew we needed, might just be the biggest of the year.
★★★★★★★★☆☆
Credit: Kit Monteith 📸
“I’ve been subconsciously writing riffs for Tony my whole career”.
On 16th April, a new project was unveiled between Yannis (FOALS) and the late drummer Tony Allen (Fela Kuti). The collaboration, going by the name Yannis & The Yaw is set to release an EP on 30th August with lead single Walk Through Fire out now.
Tony Allen passed away in 2020, but this unexpected duo dates back to 2017. The pair met in Paris, for a two-day schedule of studio sessions.
While Yannis had admired Tony’s work for many years, he wasn’t sure how much Tony knew about him or his music. In an interview, he details “I nervily started playing the opening notes of the Walk Through Fire riff to figure out my pedal chain as I’d only brought my Travis Bean with me on the Eurostar.”
This was a period of experimentation for Yannis, who has said on other occasions that after What Went Down he was finding his purpose as a musician. His band, FOALS, later released Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part I & II.
Walk Through Fire takes the best of both worlds; fusing Yannis’ animalistic vocals and intricate riffs with Allen’s infectious beats. It’s a collaboration we never knew we needed until now. Equally, a new generation of listeners is now discovering and appreciating the momentous importance of Fela Kuti.
Yannis’ voice is chillingly powerful, and a re-iteration of why he’s remained relevant since FOALS’ inception back in the early 00s. If there were ever a live performance of this track, it may shake the world. Tony, on the other hand, brings a calm and collected beat that adds a beautiful soul to an otherwise pent-up tune.
Without this grounded approach, it could have easily spiralled into an unchained Yannis, creating another Inhaler or What Went Down. But, here, is the perfect balance and their spirits seem to work wonders together.
Lyrically, it’s not too dissimilar from The Runner, a track that arrived from FOALS much later after these sessions. Walk Through Fire likely didn’t only influence this tune, but the experience would have stuck with Yannis into everything that came after.
Speaking to NME, Yannis explains the importance of this record: “It was so close to completion, it felt like it needed doing justice and to show people what a cool thing we’d made. And out of respect for what was a chance encounter.”
To celebrate the release, Transgressive Records hosted a special video installation event outside of Rough Trade East, London. Inviting fans to get involved, early attendees received unique memorabilia.
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Lagos Paris London by Yannis & The Yaw releases 30th August 2024. A collaboration we never knew we needed, might just be the biggest of the year.
Pre-order the EP with signed copies, while stocks last. Or, pre-save here.
