Yannis Philippakis announces EP with Tony Allen as Yannis and The Yaw
Foals’ frontman, Yannis Philippakis, has announced a new musical project. For Yannis and The Yaw, Phillippakis teamed up with the late drumming legend Tony Allen for an EP titled Lagos Paris London.
As the title suggests, the EP found its origins in three distinct places coming together. Allen, the drummer best known for his work with Fela Kuti, hails from Lagos. Though Philippaki was born in Greece, his long career in Foals has always found its roots in London. And then, Paris is where the two musicians came together.
As a long-term fan of Allen’s, Philippakis had the opportunity to work with him in Paris in 2016. Across a two-day session, as they combined their different influences and experiences, they created an EP’s worth of music. After Allen passed away in 2020, the Foals musician was motivated to finish it to honour him.
“There was an imperative to finish it in a way that I had never felt with another record. There was a deep duty to do it, to finish it as well as possible, and to pay respect to him by getting it out there,” he said of the project.
“He wanted people to hear this, and it’s good to be able to do it for him – but of course, it’s slightly bittersweet,” the Foals singer added
Under the artist name Yannis and The Yaw, the opening track to this new era brings all those different sounds together. ‘Walk Through Fire’ has the undeniably indie energy that runs through Foals’ records, but Allen’s percussion raises the ante, coursing through the song like an endlessly more interesting lifeblood. Philippakis said Allen’s role is less that of a drummer and more a “percussive conductor at the heart of the tornado.” While the distinctive vocals might take centre stage, the beats certainly lead the way.
Lyrically, the track seems to hark back to Felu Kuti’s protest songs that Allen played on. As Philippaki mixes in his festival-ready rock sound that has been defining the genre since Foals’ conception, ‘Walk Through Fire’ merges the two influences to electrifying effect. With the suggestion that he might put the project on stage for some select live shows in the future, this opening track would be ready-made for that environment.
As for the rest of the EP, Lagos Paris London arrives on August 30th, with more teasers expected before then. Born out of an interesting coming together of two figures we would never have expected to collaborate, we’re intrigued by what other sounds it might hold.
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