World of Echo
The Before You Begin album was too much electropop/synthpop for my tastes, but this EP is a daring art pop release of someone starting to explore their unique potential.
Sequoyah Murray is a 21 year old vocalist, musician and producer from Atlanta, Georgia. Writing deeply confessional lyrics and creating abstract textured song structures, Sequoyah is a product of his time, place and borderless generation, making music that is both wildly experimental and unforgettably accessible, his lyrics proudly recasting his vulnerabilities as strengths. His debut release, Penalties of Love, showcases one of the year’s most striking and original talents, and presents a vision of soul music made for our fractious times.
Murray was born into a musical family in one of the music capitals of the world: his mother is a singer, and his father a percussionist, both having spent their lives playing in local bands. If his first loves were the east African music introduced to him by his father and his mother’s sumptuous falsetto, the booming baritone of Arthur Russell became one of his oldest friends and most important touchstones. Just like Russell, his music is at once a self-created world and the result of deeply organic collaboration. He produces all his own music, and plays most instruments on the Penalties of Love, but enlisted his family across the four tracks, with his father’s drumming throughout and his mother and little brother singing (on “Penalties of Love”, and “Second Born”, respectively).
In 2012, when he was just 15, he began writing and recording music, self-releasing tapes. Since then, he’s supported Xiu Xiu and participated in Redbull Music Academy in Berlin in 2018, where he was mentored by techno pioneer Mike Banks of Underground Resistance, and graduated from the same programme as Flying Lotus, Nina Kraviz and Hudson Mohawke.
credits
released May 3, 2019
Produced by Sequoyah Murray.
Additional production by David Corney and Kenito Murray.
Mixed by David Corney, James Ginzburg, and Sequoyah Murray.
Mastered by Greg Reierson at Rare Form Mastering.
Sequoyah Murray - Vocals on tracks 1-4, keyboards on tracks 1-4, bottle flute on track 1, upright bass on track 3, toy piano on track 4.
Kenito Murray - Percussion on tracks 1-4.
K. Auset - Backing vocals on track 1.
August Murray - Vocals on track 3, 4.
Sequoyah is an incredible multi-dimensional producer, vocalist and performer, between genres and timeless in a way that is
incredibly striking. He's based in Atlanta, GA and is in a beautiful arthur russell x massive attack territory with an ethos that embodies the songwriting of Caeteno Veloso. Like Russell, Murray has a boundless, playful approach to composition....more
supported by 10 fans who also own “Penalties of Love”
Dearest Arooj, firstly thank you. My brother died this year n what can be said about such loss n sadness. I saw n heard you at The end of the Road in England. I spent many years in India n love all the music, poetry of your heritage. Thankyou Arooj❤️ ben1769