Part 1 [12"]

Last Nubian Presents Ships Of The Pharaohs - Part 1 [12'']

First Word Records is delighted to bring you the debut EP from Ships of the Pharaohs. Ships of the Pharaohs are a London-based collective led by producer Last Nubian, who’s had releases in his own right on labels like CoOp Presents, Eglo Records, and Touching Bass. Blending jazz, soul, bossa nova, D&B, and house-influenced grooves, the band also consists of vocalist Achanté, keys player Goldbar, & bassist Dougan. The 7-track EP kicks off with the high-energy, vitamin D-saturated lead single ‘Sun is Rising’, featuring the guest vocals of brilliant Berlin-based singer Red Bird, who appears on three tracks on this project (‘For You’ and ‘Seasons’). ‘Can’t Quit’ follows on a smooth soulful house/bruk tempo, and invites in the thought-provoking spoken word prose of AKEEM. ‘Seasons’, ‘For You’, and recent single ‘Joys’ add another element to the band’s eclectic take on fusion, leaning heavily into the bossa side of the quartet’s influences. The latter track sees Achanté’s soulful harmonies gracefully float across a warm bed of keys, percussion, guitar picks, and synth strings. We take a short jazzy breather on the ‘Interlude’ cut, featuring the resplendent sax of multi-talented Norwegian artist Bror Havnes, who also features on the outro cut ‘One’ - this one seeing the crew ride out with a sonic salute to jungle/drum & bass, closing this first opus from the group with the energy levels remaining high. Tre Wright (aka Last Nubian) explains “Our debut EP is a reflection of who we are, both individually and as a collective. Drawing inspiration from jazz, jungle, bossa nova, house, R&B, and the music that's shaped us, we've explored our own interpretation of these sounds and how they come together in a way that feels true to us. It gave us the space to experiment without boundaries, trust our instincts, and create something that genuinely reflects where we are creatively right now.” Originally conceived to perform Last Nubian material live for a Touching Bass showcase at We Out Here festival in 2023, the project soon took on a life of its own, as the group effort unleashed a unique chemistry & sound of its own merit. Thereafter followed numerous sessions in a studio-converted bedroom of a Brixton flat, developing this new sound. The finishing touches were taken care of at the infamous Total Refreshment Centre in North London, resulting in the formation of captivating new original material, which appears across this first extended release. A1. Far Cry A2. Dream Theme (ft. Marta Sofia Honer) A3. Lilacs A4. Tea (ft. William Corduroy) A5. Time (ft. William Corduroy) A6. Leaves (ft. Irvin Pierce & Andrew Toombs) A7. Life Lessons B1. Froggy Meadow B2. Alone With Guitar B3. Dormir Tres Bien B4. Deep Sleep (ft. Jeremiah Chiu, Marta Sofia Honer, Matt Gold, & Macie Stewart) B5. Life Goes On B6. Memories of Dreams