South London based collective Slovo release their new single, State of Mind which features Barbarella, on 10th April. It is taken from Slovo’s forthcoming album Bread & Butterflies and Slovo hope to inject some positivity with the electronic pop track, which starts off with a dreamy warm vibe, before it increases tempo. It is a positive message in these unsettled locked down days.
The lyrics could gave been written for this crisis we jointly face and I was particularly taken by the lines ‘We must never let go of hope for better times, we must never fall into a lonely state of mind’. This seems like the perfect line for our collective well being in a confined existence, facing an invisible threat.
Slovo’s founder is former Faithless guitarist and producer Dave Randall. He has contributed to multi-million selling albums by Dido, and worked with Sinead O’Connor, Emiliana Torrini and many others. He has also been involved in a number of political campaigns and is the author of the book Sound System: The Political Power of Music(Pluto Press 2017).I
In the summer of 2019 he met a kindred spirit, the Italian singer Barbarella (Barbara Pugliese, of Barbarella’s Bang Bang) at a pub in Brixton. They decided it was time to make new music for a troubled and polarised world. The resulting album Bread & Butterflies will be released in summer 2020.
Dave says of the debut single “State Of Mind is a message of hope, love and solidarity during these deeply troubling times. It also features Barbarella and experimental hip hop artist Mike Ladd. All proceeds from sales or streaming of this song will go to the homeless charity The Brixton Soup Kitchen.”
Dave told us ‘I”m proud that Slovo is an international collective. I’ve always believed there should be more international solidarity and cooperation. In dark days like these that feels even more urgent. Our members are from around the world but the band is rooted in Brixton, South London which has been my home for 20 years now. We wanted to do something to help the most vulnerable people in our neighbourhood. Solomon at The Brixton Soup Kitchen has been doing just that for as long as I can remember. He and his team get food, clothes advice and practical support to those who need it the most”
The Brixton Soup Kitchen is a welcoming community hub. It is a secure, warm place to visit where not only will a hot lunch be served, there is also a food bank, a clothes bank and legal advice. Several of the service users have been helped to find employment or housing and others have gained the confidence to enrol in training and further education. The Brixton Soup Kitchen also does remarkable outreach work on a regular basis, taking hot food and clothing to rough sleepers and families in need across London.
