Tony Njoku

“A gift for combining an array of musical perspectives into a unified whole” - The Guardian
“An artist in constant exploration, he detonates the dividing line between genre,
masculinity, and race” - CLASH
“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

Tony Njoku has today (3 May) shared new EP Last Bloom via PRAH Recordings. 

If there’s one thread that can tie together the boundary pushing career of Tony Njoku so far, it’s one of constant artistic evolution. The British-Nigerian producer, pianist and composer has never once stopped to rest on past success or forgo experimentation in fear of how his work might be received. New EP Last Bloom is the next bold step on Tony Njoku’s path. Blurring lines between classical, ambient and electronic, Last Bloom is a release which challenges the perception of what classical music can be, who it’s for and the spaces in which it can be created. Proud to represent black composers in the classical world, where the accepted canon is overwhelmingly white, on Last Bloom Tony uses primarily instrumental music to explore themes of heritage, conflict and identity.

After several critically acclaimed releases from Njoku incorporating vocals, synths and drums, it was 2022 release Sketches & Noodles of Bloom, his debut for PRAH, where he first embraced the idea of stripping works back to a solo piano. Apprehensive at first of how it would land, the overwhelmingly positive response to the EP cemented things in Njoku’s mind. He is a composer. He is a pianist. Though deftly mixed with ambient and electronica, this is classical music. New EP Last Bloom is Njoku stoking this creative fire, sailing under the same winds as Jóhann Jóhannsson and Phillip Glass, Njoku is pushing on further by delving into themes seldom explored within the compositional and experimental worlds.

Speaking on the EP, Tony offers:

“For me last bloom feels like a closing chapter. I wanted to expand a little bit more on what i started with the SNB EP last year, and what’s come out of that process are these seven tracks that seemed to really tie together my origins as an electronic producer/sound design artist with my new focus on composition and of course songwriting.  Thematically this EP is in response to both very personal subjects as well as various world topics, some prevalent in the zeitgeist right now. And so, in a sense, these songs are a knee-jerk reactions to the emotions felt at the time of making them, like sonic meditations on the topics. I wanted to utilize the piano (and electronics) to explore these things without filtering/editing ideas too much.”

Previously shared singles from Last Bloom were ‘La Ruée’ and ‘Looking for Light’, the former a meditation on happier times and translating feelings of joy into a composition, with the latter being an introspective piece on art and identity. Both showcasing his ability to weave together tones, textures and atmospheres. Elsewhere on the EP, track ‘Biafra’ is a meditation on Tony’s heritage, taking inspiration from his fathers upbringing and time spent there during the civil war, but also as a homage saying “Biafra is a symbol for sovereignty, in my opinion a rejection of colonialism, perhaps a representation of a pre colonial mindset.”. Track ‘The Congo’ is a composition distilling Tony’s thoughts on the region, from its current conflicts and strife through to its positive impact on the world in terms of culture and technology. EP focus track ‘Pepper’ celebrates new life, whilst ‘The Loops’ is a representation of grief for Tony.

As a composer and artist, Tony Njoku is ceaselessly creative, effortlessly marrying experimentalism with traditional composition in exhilarating new ways across each release.  Njoku is self taught and not a product of a conservatoire, rather cutting his musical teeth making club-adjacent beats and dance orientated music. Alongside the slick production and subtle electronic processing, Last Bloom captures the gentle sounds of felted piano hammers and roomy reflections, bringing the compositions to life in new dimensions.

On 23 April, Tony was live in session for BBC Radio 6 on The New Music Fix. Playing incredible and intimate live versions of tracks ‘In Bloom’, ‘Rhododendrons’, ‘Hope There's Someone’ and EP focus track ‘Pepper’. Listen here for Tony starting at 1hr:03m.