Starting out as a key drummer in the LA beat scene, playing with Kamasi Washington and Kendrick Lemar, Te’amir is now diving deep into his own production and Ethiopian heritage. “This project was a way for me to connect with Ethiopia”, he says. “I’ve never been there so I use the music to take me there”.
On Abyssinia Rise EP for Tru Thoughts, he uses sounds to visualise the Abyssinian empire of his ancestors, turning them into tripped out arrangements. In ‘Salam’, Te’amir samples the traditional Ethiopian flute, known as the washint, combining it with dubbed-out sonic beats and oddball synths, reminiscent of experimental rock band Michachu & The Shapes. Speaking about the track, he says “it usually brings me peace. I used to listen to it in the morning so I called it Salam, which means peace and is usually used as a greeting.”
Abyssinia Rise EP is out on 19th October on Tru Thoughts.
