Vessel has launched a new label called Paplu with violinist Rakhi Singi, and shared an updated version of their 2014 single ‘Red Sex’.
The new version of ‘Red Sex’ is a precursor to new material from Vessel which will be released later this year via Paplu, while proceeds from sales of the track are to be donated to Black Lives Matter causes in the UK and US. You can hear it above.
‘Red Sex (Re-Strung)’ has been released as part of a new fundraising compilation from booking agency Qu Junktions called Meantime. Released last Friday (June 5) as part of Bandcamp’s latest fee-waive day, the compilation also includes music from Sarah Davachi, Matana Roberts and Eartheater.
"Ever since I began working with Rakhi we had talked about how fun it would be to do a version of ‘Red Sex’ with strings," Seb Gainsborough, AKA Vessel, says. "The woozy melody seemed to be asking for it. Trapped as we are in a flat in the heat of a London lockdown, preparing to release a load of new original collaborations in the near future and working hard on our new solo records, it seemed like the time to do it."
Singi and Gainsborough met whilst working on a piece for the Liverpool-based Immix Ensemble. They started writing their first collaborative piece, Written In Fire, shortly afterwards, which they toured across the UK.
"The intention of the label is to have a place we can always call home," Gainsborough says of Paplu, "somewhere to present work that draws from our respective backgrounds in experimental and classical music, and which is liminal by nature."
‘Red Sex (Re-Strung)’ is out now.
