Space Afrika are a pair of Mancunian producers, composers and performers who have set out to specifically celebrate Black artistry with music that “alludes to spirituality and the human condition, the tension between boldness and softness, ambition and inner demons.” Hence, far from taking any of the more obvious routes through hip hop, contemporary R&B, neo-soul or Afro-beats, the chosen medium to express themselves on Quiet Storm is through abstract modern classical and orchestral sounds.
However, this album is no cohesive symphonic work that mirrors the likes of Mozart, Philip Glass or even George Gershwin but rather consists of short, ambient and atmospheric pieces that fall more easily into the field of art installation soundscapes rather than of purely self-contained musical experiences. Indeed, Quiet Storm was initially inspired by conceptual artist Glenn Ligon’s Figure #30, which forms the cover art of this disc. It’s also a collection that was created through a host of collaborations, with such artists as French soprano Axelle Fanyo and violinist Vanessa Bedoret, the abstract electronics of Tony Njoku and the R&B concrete of Deuén, along with found sounds from nature and spoken word samples.
However, what Quiet Storm emphatically doesn’t have is a groove. The sounds contained within this album are interesting and intellectually engaging but don’t shake the soul. Throughout, there seems to be something missing from this piece of work. Maybe, that might be a visual accompaniment or something else of that nature – perhaps delivered by film or even sculpture. That said, even if Quiet Storm feels somewhat incomplete as a piece of art, it is far from dull as it nudges the imagination in its exploration of themes such as identity, class and diaspora. It’s just highly unlikely to encourage anyone to cut a rug, unless perhaps through the medium of contemporary dance or ballet.
