After 10 years we have decided that from the end of our scheduled 2022 shows we will be closing this chapter of the band’s life for the foreseeable future. We’re excited to play our remaining gigs for you and to make this summer a fitting send off pic.twitter.com/3OceZqj1jz

— Sons Of Kemet (@SonsOfKemet) June 1, 2022

While this may come as a disappointment to fans, the wording of the statement may not actually imply the abrupt ending that we’re all worried about. If we take the group for what it is they are – a jazz quartet – then we can find some solace in a certain amount of transformation. Because (and I don’t mean to get all existential on this) isn’t this what jazz is actually about? Yes, it’s about a shared ambition and direction, but what’s jazz without change? Or surprises? While Shabaka Hutchings could probably be taken as the leader of the band – if we even need to throw around labels like this – the dub and hip-hop influences cover such a broad range of influences that a lot of willing musicians are probably on the horizon. Again, just speculation, but when was the last time you saw a jazz band without a special guest for the evening?

But that being said these are confirmed to be the final shows for a while. There are a handful of European festival dates, a brief trip to the states, and a night in Peckham on June 2^nd at GALA 2022. You can try and bag any remaining tickets to any of the dates here.

If all you’re actually after is a bit of Tom Skinner’s drumming chops, then you’re in luck! As you’re probably aware he joined forces with Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead and created The Smile. The group are currently on tour and has just completed their sold-out stint of UK shows (except for one tonight, but it’s a bit late to make any plans really), debuting tons of new music on the way, so check here for any remaining tickets to any other European festival dates and you can get your fix of one of the best Radiohead side-projects to date (yeah).

The music video for ‘Hustle’ is striking, centred around two dancers, one dressed in black and the other in white, embroiled in a struggle against one other. Describing the highly symbolic nature of the video in a press release, Shabaka Hutchings, the leader of the London-based jazz collective, said, “The dancers represent the duality present within any struggle to transcend internal limitations. As the video progresses, we see that it’s only once the differing elements of the self are reconciled and act in unison that rebirth (symbolised by the immersion in water) can occur.” This act of “rebirth” is similarly confirmed by both dancers being dressed in white by the end of the video.

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The song itself is driven by a bold tuba-led bassline, over which scattering saxophone and clarinet riffs accompany afrobeat-inspired drum patterns. Notably, the track’s instrumentation is more pared back than the free-flowing jazz arrangements of their 2018 album ‘Your Queen Is a Reptile’, probably to ensure that Kojey Radical’s powerful lyrics are heard.

In a moment that captures the spirit of the song, Kojey poetically raps, “These peace signs are just a piece of the puzzle/ Spit to the muzzle, silence the lambs/ Kiss and they cuddle, forget that they cut you/ It’s just part of the hustle.” The track also features soothing background vocals from Lianne La Havas, whose husky vocal tone perfectly complements Kojey’s forceful delivery.

Whilst discussing the group’s forthcoming LP in a press statement, Hutchings explained, “‘Black To The Future’ is a sonic poem for the invocation of power, remembrance and healing. It depicts a movement to redefine and reaffirm what it means to strive for black power. The meaning is not universal and the cultural context of the listener will shape their understanding. Yet in the end, the overarching message remains the same: For humanity to progress we must consider what it means to be ‘Black To The Future’.”

Hutchings is clearly very mindful of the Afrofuturist aesthetic that the group is cultivating through their music, especially with a name like ‘Black To The Future’ for their newest record. Aptly, the features on the album all come from black artists, including appearances from Moor Mother, Angel Bat Dawid, D Double E, Joshua Idehen, and, of course, Kojey Radical.

Interestingly, the album will be the first time that the group have really given their fans a collection of collaborative tracks. Since ‘Black To The Future’ strives to “depict a movement to redefine and reaffirm what it means to strive for black power”, perhaps it was imperative that an array of black voices were heard on the project.

Check out the music video for ‘Hustle’ below: