“EA Open” is the result of many nights spent between Nairobi, Kenya and Kampala, Uganda; two cities whose cultural worlds have been linked since their colonial past. Today, this bridge has been bolstered by the region’s new-wave creative community, with artists, designers, filmmakers, and producers alike increasingly collaborating across the border and making frequent trips between the two cities, bouncing back and forth like a tennis ball. This is the imagery that inspired the EP’s title; a fictional East African grand slam tournament. Lush with sultry 808s, romantic prose, moody samples, and dance-infused hip-hop production, the tape is a magical glimpse into the borderless EA (East Africa) of the future; weaving together stories of love, lust, nostalgia and night-time adventure.
The cover art, by renowned digital artist Precious Narotso depicts our protagonists Tai Dai and mwami in a heated tennis match.
