Music
Meet Brownswood Recordings' latest star, Skinny Pelembe
Watch Johannesburg-born, UK-raised musician Skinny Pelembe weave experimental electronica, playful guitar, new soul, jazz and more into a groovesome sonic patchwork.
The first record Skinny Pelembe remembers listening to as a student – after borrowing it from the library and taking it back to his digs – was by a foundational drum ’n’ bass producer. Little did the young songwriter know he would later be collaborating with his old hero, and another favourite producer, for the title track of his debut album.
Skinny was invited by the pair, who are now working secretively under alias The Bleeding Edge, to hang out and record some vocals. As he explains in this See. Hear. Now. session, Dreaming Is Dead Now is “full of mistakes that they didn’t let me overdub!”
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and raised in Doncaster, England, Skinny is a classic songwriter with a taste for breaks and samples. His tracks are downtempo but deep, drawing on the darker realms of UK dance, the attitudinal riffs of garage rock and the relaxed vibe of dub production. A Skinny Pelembe session always starts with a sample and ends up on guitar.
See. Hear. Now. with Skinny Pelembe
© Very Tall LTD
Signed to Gilles Peterson’s label Brownswood Recordings, Skinny released his debut single I’ll Be On Your Mind in 2017 (shooting the video on his phone for £10), played a sell-out UK tour in 2018, and has opened for UNKLE at London's Royal Festival Hall. Despite his trajectory, his subject matter is resolutely down to earth.
Released on May 24, and co-produced by Malcolm Catto, his album features tracks inspired by his father’s death and niece’s birth, while Without A Doubtful Shadow – the second track he performs in this session – was written during his time working as a live-in carer. It’s an acoustic track, he explains, because he had to keep the noise down. With the likes of The Bleeding Edge as collaborators and Madlib hanging around the studio, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to keep it down for much longer.
Watch Skinny Pelembe exclusively perform Dreaming Is Dead Now and Without A Doubtful Shadow in the player at the top of the page.
See. Hear. Now. with Skinny Pelembe
© Very Tall LTD
