Space Afrika – Quiet Storm

Space Afrika's Quiet Storm finds Joshua Tarelle Reid and Joshua Inyang pushing their Manchester/Berlin project into its largest collaborative form yet. Released by Dais and self-produced as well as self-funded, the album expands the duo's blend of ambient, dub, techno, trip-hop and modern classical composition into something broader and more narrative-led. Its title and cover are closely tied to artist Glenn Ligon, whose work on Black identity and queerness helped shape the project from the outset.

Rather than treating those influences as backdrop, Quiet Storm uses them to frame a coming-of-age record concerned with identity, spirituality, survival, autonomy and personal growth. The dramatic opener "Vanity" sets the tone with string arrangements and a guest appearance from Grammy-winning soprano Axelle Fanyo, while "2MLN" turns into a slow, cathartic ensemble piece with Tony Njoku, Gabriel Evans, PIKE and GB. Across the album, voices and instruments arrive with real purpose, giving the music a fluid, scene-by-scene movement between introspection, resilience and release.

What makes this one especially compelling is how clearly it marks a new scale for Space Afrika without losing the low-lit, urban dub atmosphere that defined their earlier work. The closing stretch, including Deue9n's appearance on "If This Is Hell" and the lingering outro "Regards," underlines the album's sense of hard-won release. For listeners who know the duo's previous records, this feels like a decisive extension of their sound; for newcomers, it is a strong place to hear just how expansive Space Afrika can be.

Features

• 180g, Black Vinyl