Tony Njoku

A gift for combining an array of musical perspectives into a unified whole” - The Guardian

“More than just being deeply emotive, his original compositions stand for the insertion of lesser-heard voices into the avant-garde space, opening the door to a decolonisation of the genre more widely.” - DAZED

“It’s hard to think of anyone who is fusing the same elements in the same way as Njoku” - The Quietus

“Continuing to turn high art into sonic form." - Mixmag

Today (16 April) Tony Njoku returns with the news All Our Knives Are Always Sharp, a sonically expansive and emotionally charged second album that brings together a remarkable cast of black British voices. Featuring powerful collaborations with Tricky, GAIKA, Ghostpoet, Coby Sey, James Massiah and Space Afrika, the record serves as a landmark moment for Njoku, a culmination of both the singular musical style and nuanced, socially-engaged storytelling he’s been crafting throughout his career.

Rooted in themes of spiritual preparedness, cultural resistance and emotional clarity, the album unfolds through Njoku’s signature blend of electronic abstraction, falsetto-led songwriting and cinematic composition. It’s a work that cuts deep. Philosophical, political and personal, each guest brings a vital new layer to the conversation.

Alongside the announcement of the album, Njoku has shared the title track “All Our Knives Are Always Sharp (feat Coby Sey)”. The song starts under a cascade of glistening strings, spacious drums and tumbling pianos, before giving way to Njoku’s emotive falsetto. Coby Sey’s commanding flow echoes over the track like a sermon from a pulpit, reinforcing the title as the soundworld breaks down in synthesizer noise.

Speaking on the track, Njoku offers:

"ALL OUR KNIVES..." is the title track of my upcoming album. For this song I wanted to explore the relationship between emotional pain and healing, essentially trying to convey a message about the necessity of confronting our wounds. As the title track, I wanted it to make a statement about affirming mental fortitude. I believe vulnerability is a powerful trait—a symbol of true strength.

The track also features multidisciplinary artist and boundary-pushing musician Coby Sey. My desire to collaborate with Coby was deeply influenced by my experience with his album Conduit, which resonated with me in a profound way. I find his songwriting and lyrical abilities deeply poetic and transformative, and I’m incredibly grateful for the words he shared on this song.”

The first cut lifted from All Our Knives Are Always Sharp was “Eternity,” the first new music from Njoku since he closed the chapter on what he would call his Bloom era. A body of work made up of four EPs, The Bloom releases saw Tony harness maturity, mindfulness and newly finessed musical ability to express core emotions of love, grief and joy, as well as themes of family, heritage and conflict. With the Bloom corpus including instrumental piano compositions, deft electronic ambience, minimalist orchestral moments and string quartet arrangements, Njoku is taking the skills honed over this period and pushing into bold new musical territories.

As Njoku looks to take his new creative practice into the future, there’s a fire stoked within him for more collaboration, chiefly with artists of colour. By reappropriating traditional western instruments and arrangements, warping sounds through his own singular production style, using music to tell stories of heritage and culture