Intercontinental duo tourdefrance present new soulful sound

With an eye on dance rhythm and strong vocals, Fantom and Tworow get back to work

Tourdefrance is the shared project of Luke Fantom and Carson Tworow, a duo who originally made a connection back in 2018, when both producers were in Vancouver. The pair have been developing their artistic relationship ever since, keeping the energy behind their collaborative work flowing. Their success comes despite a significant physical distance between the two, with Fantom and Tworow now communicating between Canada and the UK.

The music styles in which they share an interest tend to lean towards dance based rhythms, inspiration which directs their process to the creation of electronica fed music with dancefloor soul. Within the discography of tourdefrance can be heard the influence of jazz, disco, afro-beat and indie, dealt with through the filter of old-school house.

The duo has recently dropped a new four track EP, titled ‘tourdefrance 2’. It’s a tightly produced collection which embraces manipulated percussive beats, deep bass rhythm carrying the natural beauty of synth and vocal sampling.

The new EP is opened by an edit of Fatoumata Diawara's single ‘Nterini’. A recent collaborator with the Gorillaz, Diawara’s gorgeous vocals find their way into a new electronic environment through the work of tourdefrance, and the result feels good in the soul and moves the body.

Support the EP on Bandcamp or stream it on Spotify

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Downtempo and vocal blends with 'Fana'

@jonnyfaith @jarabi @enniostyles @heardandfelt Jonny Faith - Fana (feat. Mohamed Camara) [Heard and Felt HF017] 1. Fana (feat. Mohamed Camara) 2. Fana (Instrumental) Jonny Faith's journey in music has taken him from Edinburgh, through London and Sydney, to his adopted hometown of Melbourne. Along the way he has toured Japan with Bonobo, been remixed by Clap! Clap!, performed alongside Flying Lotus and Dam-Funk and dropped LPs on labels shared by Quantic and Debruit (Kokoko). Jonny's particular knack for sneaking cosmic melodies into cutting edge beats drawing on hip hop, jungle, footwork and dub has won him support from Clash, Gilles Peterson, Radio Nova, KCRW, DJ Mag, Triple J, Don Letts, Lauren Laverne and even Martin Garrix. While he is mostly known for instrumental music, Jonny's sound is actually perfectly suited to vocal collaborations, as those familiar with his production for Harleighblu and remixes for The Bamboos and Hot 8 Brass Band are well aware. The first single from his forthcoming 'Night Lights' EP, 'Fana' stands on its own in instrumental form, with chiming melodics and arpeggiated synths building over crisp uptempo drums and deep bass tones. But it is with the vocals of Melbourne-based Guinean artist Mohamed Camara that the track really takes off. Jonny Faith – Night Lights EP (out 22 November 2019) 1. Fana (feat. Mohamed Camara) 2. Ascending 3. So Broke 4. Stay in Your Lane (feat. Lady K) 5. Craterz 6. Fana (Instrumental) 7. Stay in Your Lane (Instrumental)

‘Fana’ is an elegant example of how electronic influence can elevate a song, creating new types of sound and audio sensations which just can’t be achieved through analogue methods. Jonny Faith balances some gorgeous samples with minimal beats to produce a laidback, feel good hybrid of a song.

The introduction uses beats so softly that it’s only until about the 20 second mark we can start to confidently define ‘Fana’ as an electronic track. Since the xylophone style percussion and organic vocals of Mohamed Camara are given the chance to set the tone they ensure a real warmth and personality that is sustained throughout.

Afrobeat vibes and the addition of an underlying vocal echo add to that sense of character, and when the elements of electronic music are interlaced the amount added is no more needed to prove the value of well-placed waves and melodies doing things that acoustic can’t; spreading waves which wrap around you and tiny buzzes at the edge of the beat, melodies that crescendo without pushing too hard on the mellow feel of the track. So much of the skill in the track is hidden, disappearing as it dissolves the boundary between organic and electronic.

Check out more from Jonny Faith:
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