[ he/him ]
city: London“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 (25 March) shared new single ‘Looking For Light’. The second track taken from his upcoming EP Last Bloom, releasing on 3 May via PRAH Recordings.
‘Looking For Light’ is the most vocal heavy track on upcoming EP Last Bloom, a collection of primarily instrumental, experimental-classical compositions. ‘Looking For Light’ is not only a showcase of Tony’s excellent voice, but also his skill for weaving together tones, textures and atmospheres. As his vocals effortlessly glide along with pianos and pulsing electronics, it fills a role halfway between voice and instrument. Across Last Bloom Tony Njoku is using mostly instrumental music to explore themes of heritage, conflict and identity, on the introspective ‘Looking For Light’, Tony offers:
"I think the best art is made as an emotional response to an experience, something in the artist's heart that is trying to find light in the world. For myself, amongst many things, art is a way for me to express my inner world in an attempt to make sense of the outer-world and my relationship with it. And in that process I feel the art at its best doesn’t give answers but instead unearths questions that can help establish a dialogue or push an ongoing conversation..”
Tony Njoku is an artist in constant evolution, able to always evade his musical direction being second guessed. Across an already rich and varied catalogue, critical acclaim comes from the likes of The Guardian, FACT, Mixmag, The Quietus, CLASH and many more, championing Njoku for pushing boundaries and pulling down barriers through his music.
Upcoming EP Last Bloom promises to be the next milestone on the artist's journey. Blurring lines between classical, ambient and electronic, Last Bloom is a release which will challenge 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, 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.
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. Upcoming 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 harnessing themes of heritage and identity, diaspora and conflict, and love and new life
Tony is set to play an intimate one off live show at Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, as part of their Soulscapes Late programme on 31 May. Soulscapes re-imagines the power of landscape art through the eyes of contemporary artists from the African Diaspora, with exhibitions spanning painting, photography, film, tapestry and collage.
Already in possession of a rich and varied catalogue, previous releases from British-Nigerian Tony Njoku have seen critical acclaim from the likes of The Guardian, FACT, Mixmag, The Quietus and many more, championing Njoku for pushing boundaries and pulling down barriers through his music. As a composer and artist, Tony Njoku is ceaselessly creative, effortlessly marrying experimentalism with traditional composition in exhilarating new ways across each release.
Upcoming EP Last Bloom promises to be the next milestone on the artist's journey. Blurring lines between classical, ambient and electronic, Last Bloom is a release which will challenge 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, 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.
out on February 22, 2024
via PRAH Recordings
out on July 14, 2023
via PRAH Recordings
out on May 03, 2023
via PRAH Recordings
out on March 09, 2023
via PRAH Recordings
out on October 07, 2022
via PRAH Recordings
out on August 23, 2022
via PRAH Recordings