British-Ghanaian producer Juls‘ newest EP “Sounds of My World” is a testament to why he is considered one of the pioneers for African music production worldwide. Juls has always promoted a global point of view in his music, tapping a range of acts from all over African and the diaspora, honing the very best of sounds, and adding his own twist to create music you cannot help but move to.
“Sounds of My World” follows in the steps of his previous albums like Ojekoo. This time, Juls stands as a global citizen of Africa pulling traditional sounds from all over the continent to present the beauty of African music. Throughout 15 songs, Juls carries this narrative of global Black/African excellence. Dive into the tracks below.
“Close to Me” & “Summer in The Ends”
“Close to Me” draws elements from Jamaican culture, with Wizkid & JAEL getting appreciative and celebratory over tropical drums & Caribbean instruments. This is not your typical Juls album, he’s more experimental and intentional than ever. “Summer in The Ends” features George The Poet’s intro which sets the tempo for the song which bursts with a summery house pop that carries British singer Jaz Karis’s luscious vocals through.
“Makossa Riddim”
The amazing part of this album is how Juls covers a wide range of the diaspora, the blend is almost perfect, he allows Haile, who is 1/3 of WSTRN, to shine on “Makossa Riddim” alone. A track that employs a Cameroonian style of urban music where the production heavily relies on strong electric bass rhythms and prominent brass that fits neatly into the traditional style Makossa holds.
“Love Me”
Niniola also gets a solo slot on “Love Me”, a house-inspired song that distinctly pulls from elements of Amapiano but the saxophone inclusions remind us of Juls’ heritage, adding in that experimental twist we love to hear.
“My Size”
“My Size” is a Ghanaian-only-Affair, typical Juls production, it’s one of the standouts; an Accra pop Lore with King Promise setting the tone & Darkovibes leveling things with a bold chorus. Throw in a trademark rap verse from Joey B, who sums up the track into a soothing song.
“Intentionally”
Fireboy tops the solo charts with “Intentionally”, the catchiest song on the project which throws itself to our ears as an anthem to love, dance and love some more to all anchored by DML’s buoyant voice. “Wish You” is more of R&B, a slow build of layered harmonies that slip into MannyWelz’s crystal clear voice, allowing Bas to spit a romantic verse over the tender song.
“Wicked” & “Alarm”
“Wicked” pays homage to the UK house scene, but the focus is on South Kilburn-raised rapper Knucks who lights the song up with his clean verse. Cheeky verses from Kadiata & Sam Wise deliver a feel-good vibe tying off the track. “Alarm” is the best rap performance on the album in my opinion, and also the most real in terms of writing skills. Nigeria’s Prettyboy D-O flows effortlessly, switching lanes with British rapper Suspect OTB as they both share their experiences on the song.
“Mare” & “Love Language”
None of these guest features miss and staying true to his African citizen status Juls selects one of Africa’s most successful band, Sauti Sol on “Mare” who deliver Kapuka; a type of genre originating from Kenya. There’s a touch of Cape Verdean element too with Mayra Andrade who switches between Cape-Verdean Creole, English & Portuguese as she shows off her vocals and style on “Love Language”.
“Say You Love Me” & “Melly Melly”
“Say You Love Me” is surprisingly up there with the best songs on this project, boasting a flawless vocal show-off between A2, Karun & Kenyan crooner Xenia Mannaseh. Their carefully arranged vocals provoke an intimacy that teases our ears, bubbles the brain, and raises the flesh.
One theme that holds this album’s head high is the level of transparency & equality, all guest features were given enough room to inject their narratives into the project. Championing heritage and originality, Juls aids each of his guest stars in getting across the very best sounds of their world. This heavily runs through “Melly Melly” with Oxlade showing why he’s one of Africa’s premier buzzing sensations.
“M.O.O.D” & “Chance”
On “M.O.O.D”, Kojo Funds isn’t done talking here. In fact, he is singing and setting the mood just right with large swaths of drums & jazzy elements that meld together. Projexx& Tay Iwar “Chance” still sounds like the new JULS era that we expected on this album when it was released as a lead single.
This is simply some of Juls’ best work so far, not because of the spot-on guest features, but his bold step to widen his production range as one of the most fluid DJ/producers of our generation.
