Yannis & The Yaw - Lagos Paris London

Back in 2016, a mutual friend pitched the opportunity for Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis to work with legendary drummer Tony Allen.

Long a fan of his work with Fela Kuti – demonstrable in his band’s fusion of rock and elaborate percussion – and with Foals taking a sabbatical after the monster success of What Went Down, Philippakis headed to a studio in Paris.

Joined by Allen’s regular collaborators Vincent Taeger on percussion, Vincent Taurelle on keys and Ludovic Bruni on bass and guitar, the musicians locked into a jam which would evolve into a track called ‘Walk Through Fire’, thereby setting a tone for the two-day session.

Though the sessions were fruitful, with Allen and Philippakis remaining friends, scheduling conflicts and the pandemic meant the project was put on the back burner, compounded by Allen’s death in 2020.

Now, over four years later, Yannis has put the finishing touch to what will be an ongoing project in the form of this Yannis & The Yaw EP, its Lagos Paris London title referencing the locations where the music was produced.

https://www.live4ever.uk.com/yannis-and-the-yaw-lagos-ep-review/