Aho Ssan has shared details of his second solo album, Rhizomes, which will be released through Nicolás Jaar’s Other People label.
Spanning 10 tracks, the new album includes contributions from Jaar, Moor Mother, Angel Bat Dawid, clipping., Blackhaine, Valentina Magaletti and Emptyset’s James Ginzburg, among others. The project came about as a result of a joint commission involving Other People, Austria’s Donaufestival and Paris-based electroacoustic music studio INA-GRM. To mark the album’s announcement, the Paris-based artist, real name Niamké Désiré, has shared lead track ‘Till The Sun Down’, which features clipping. and Resina. You can listen to it above.
In addition to the album, the Rhizomes project will take in a book release featuring illustrations by artist Kim Grano. Each drawing is a response to the music featured on the record, with the book forming part of an extended version of the album that also takes in three additional songs and longer versions of two other tracks. It also includes a sample pack by Désiré and a collection of solo cuts by artists such as KMRU, Lamin Fofana, 9T Antiope and Valentina Magaletti. The extended version is only accessible through QR codes inside the book.
Speaking to tQ recently about Rhizomes, Désiré said: "It draws inspiration from the philosophical term ‘rhizome’, borrowed by Édouard Glissant from Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari. Rhizome represents an underground stem system that fosters connections between various organisms and allows them to flourish collectively. It’s an album that celebrates collaboration and brings together a diverse group of talented artists. Even though the album talks a lot about my roots and my heritage, the project aims to create a diverse and inclusive collaboration that reflects the richness of different cultures and artistic styles."
Désiré will debut the record live at this September’s Berlin Atonal festival, with an audiovisual show that will see him joined by visual artist Sevi Iko Dømochevsky.
Other People will release Rhizomes on October 6, 2023.
