9.2
British-Ghanaian producer and DJ, Juls concocts potent jars of melodies from West African highlife music for what we now know as palm wine music. His robust gourds of bubbly rhythms come from a corner of the continent where soothing and intoxicating gyrations are the bedrock of community and relaxation. However, Juls’ venture into palm wine music comes from the sobriety of innovation. Leaning into his traditional roots, he has enacted paths for his rumbling kpanlogo drums and strumming kologo strings of Ghanaian highlife to meet jazz, RnB and hip-hop in their strides.
Juls first tested these waters with ‘Leap of Faith’ in 2017, bringing on artistes like Mr Eazi, Maleekberry, Nonso Amadi and Not3s in his entourage. When we heard Kojey Radical’s baritone calling against the heavy shuffling on ‘Temperature Rising’, we knew Juls was introducing a groundbreaking novelty that will amicably marry alternative talents to his authentic style.
A few years down the line, and he would strike gold yet again on ‘Colour’ and ‘Sounds of My World’. However, Juls’ palette on the latter began to gleamer luxuriously with features of world-class aritstes like Wizkid and Bas. He also began to foray into the Caribbean Islands retrieving sultry sensations from Projexx for weaving timeless harmonies with Tay Iwar on ‘Chance’.
If ‘Sounds of My World’ was Juls being more confident and diverse, ‘Peace and Love’ builds on that while reflecting a recognition of purpose with joy and intent. The ranging productions swing from euphonious dirges to wild ecstasy, but they are also minimalist. Already, it is in Juls’ nature to embrace light layers of instrumentals that leave spatial room for the artistes vocals to flourish.
The first track, ‘Leap of Faith’ warps back into the past in titular reference to his debut album with drums wafting softly against Wretch 32’s raspy rap bars: “Where do you go, where is your peace? / Who’s got your heart, who makes it beat?.”
To answer this question, ‘Peace and Love’ positions African music as the cardinal point where tranquil joy, celebration and home is found for black people. It signals peace as an escape from the collective struggle that people of African descent encounter in their daily and social lives.
Palm Wine music, like the substance, has its rich refined taste but its satisfying wonder and fantasy lies in the mixology and through the breezy summer atmosphere that this album conjures, we find a wide hallway where every corner of the black race is represented. However, these features are not merely representative, but also immaculate and transcendental. Each track opens a portal into its own world, formed by a dignified conversation between the roots, sprouts and branches.
A new wave of soulful crooners like taves, Odeal and tendai shine through their individual tracks with soft-textured vocals that tune us into their ardent verses. They are the emerging frontline of RnB from across the continent, with a homegrown warmth that they now channel and spread across the world.
Artistes from outside the continent also honour invitations, and Mereba’s contagious hook is artfully interlaced with Joey Badass’s reclined flows on ‘Love or Lust’. On the other hand Ghetts almost bounces off the rails on ‘Summer Never Ends’, barking “the gyal dem wicked, dem whine am pretty!” as the song peaks after Jaz Karis’ sweet walk in.
Juls sketches the lines on ‘Peace and Love’ with his production, creating picturesque frames for artistes to fit in and pouring different colours into it for definition: tweeting birds, a racing beach, children cooing, ceremonial chants, e.t.c. There is also a feathery clash of tongues as artistes mould their expressions with a mix of English, pidgin, patios and other African dialects.
On ‘Kpatunkpa’, Falz’ splashy storytelling traces the bouncy highlife that Worlasi melodiously outlines in Twi. We also find other seasoned acts like Tay Iwar, Masego and Victony on highly flavoured records where Juls is either inviting bells, or bass strings or a murmur of vocals to heighten the groove.
Dark log drums of house music are not too far behind, and we find them as we draw closer to the end of the album. ‘Special’ turns up the vibe in three-step with Miraa May and SamRecks hostling soul and hip hop flows on the track, while Juls owns the entire scene on ‘Mshingo’ that crushes hard with drums and shakers doused with soulful strings and vibrant vocal samples.
