Venna

MALIK — Venna's Debut Album

After two EPs and an illuminating start to his career, Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Venna releases his debut album, MALIK.

For Venna, it's been a whirlwind of a journey to arrive at this point. He's spent the better part of three years on the road touring, while coming back to London intermittently. In the spaces he finds himself in as a musician, he's often the youngest in the room. This period gave him the confidence to embark on this next stage of his career.

Every experience, every memory, every conversation, anything new, any encounter has influenced how this album sounds. I might like a particular guitar tone from it, and then I bring it into my world. Everything has come and conjured into one place, and it's beautiful to also hear and see, Venna says.

Speaking on how he found the words to sing: Does anyone really have the words to say? I don't know. I don't know if I had the words to say. I just conjured words and thoughts and tried to make art out of it.

Featuring vocals from Jorja Smith, Cari, Leon Thomas, Smino, MIKE, and himself, MALIK is where listeners can get lost and find themselves again. The album also features a long list of musicians including Rocco Palladino, Elijah Fox, AoD, J Warner, Marco Bernardis and longtime collaborator, Yussef Dayes.

MALIK embodies the melting pot of sounds that reflects Venna's environment. Venna doesn't want to be rooted in jazz alone; his previous work for the likes of Burna Boy, Beyoncé, Kali Uchis, Wizkid, Knucks, J Hus and many more indicates that his saxophone was made for an expansive range of sounds.

Speaking on the mood his debut album wants to evoke, Venna says: It's wherever you feel safe, where you feel vulnerable, where you feel like you can be lost, wherever you feel like you can be yourself. It could be in your car, in your bathtub, or at your favourite restaurant. It could be within the arms of your loved one. That's the beauty of it.

Venna doesn't see any of the album's features as mere guests but as collaborators and teammates while he steers the ship. In many ways, the process of making MALIK placed Venna into the role of band leader. However, Venna saw the process as a collective experience.

Bringing a group of musicians together isn't easy when the music feels bigger than any individual, trying not to get too lost in the ephemeral that comes with recording sessions. It was a learning experience for Venna, and finding the right balance was key during the incubation of MALIK.

Twisting featuring R's brightest star Leon Thomas is a slight departure from Venna's more tranquil styles and, as he describes it, it's a song for the steppers. Venna's vocal whispers and harmonies add warmth and depth on tracks such as Prophet. At points, Venna's vocals feel fleeting but the poise of the saxophone grounds them. My Way mesmerises with its soft-rock and folk inflections while So Paulo Memoir, at only a minute long, offers a brief taste of bossa nova blended with jazzy tones.

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