For 255 (pronounced twofiftyfive), music has always been the mucilage holding the three brothers together. Based in Cologne, Germany, but sonically located in Nigeria, the two younger siblings, Charlie (21) and Guy (25), handle music production. At the same time, Louis (29), an internationally awarded film director, adds a visual dimension through his lens, allowing the trio to tell their stories in the two most important elements of art; sonics and visuals.
Coming off an album that was released in the first quarter of the year, the band seems to take pleasure in toppling Afro-fusion’s shibboleths, giving it a texture of originality. With instrumentals that frequently echo from West African sounds, the juxtaposition never feels trite or tired, pushing drum patterns from the continent up against more familiar sound kits, a signature sound for the band. The album arrived on November 7 and is a sprawling 13-track palette, with appearances from some of the genre’s purest students, including Victony, Oxlade, Qing Madi, Minz, NSG, and more.
For the iMullar, we discussed everything that went into the making of the band’s new album, ‘TRINITY‘, the feature list, and the genesis of 255.
Congratulations on the release of your third album “Trinity”. Now the name is kind of self-explanatory, but what was the reason behind this body of work? Especially since it has been 9 months apart from your last project in February earlier this year. Was Trinity a necessity to fulfill the “Trinity” Cycle or did it come with an extra edge or new ideas? Can you tell me what Trinity is about?
‘TRINITY’ is the album we’ve been working on for the past two years. Bringing together such a diverse group of artists and putting as much love as possible into every detail, from the songs to the visuals, it naturally took time, and we wanted to make sure it had the space it needed to become what it is today. Along the way, we kept making new music, and we didn’t want it to just be sitting on a hard drive. That’s how ODABO came together earlier this year. It was our first solo album, with a very different approach from Trinity, which is a compilation album. So those two creative processes were able to coexist – and even strengthen each other. And yes, the name was absolutely meant to be for TRINITY. We’re happy to finally share this album with y’all!
I am actually late to the party regarding 255. The first thought when a random friend sent your stuff to our twitter music group, I asked myself, “What is a polar bear doing in Arlington, Texas?” But then again that is the beauty of this craft, Music is Universal, spoken by so many tongues, understood by everyone. So I want to know, what drew you guys to Afrobeats? What is the Genesis of a group of brothers in Germany making pure Afrobeats? And was there any sound before pivoting to Afro? If yes, what triggered it? Or has it been a one-way path for you guys from the get-go?
Trust me, we ask ourselves the same question sometimes, haha! We’re still uncovering little pieces of the puzzle even today. When we built our first studio (with room number 255), we were just three brothers coming together to make music. Around that time, our youngest brother Charlie was obsessed with a 2017 Afrobeats mixtape, ‘Regeneration Mixtape by DJ Magic Flowz’, which he had as an mp3 on his phone. He played it nonstop, day and night. That sound naturally became what we loved and started creating. Charlie uploaded those beats to Instagram, and suddenly we were getting messages from Nigerian artists. Following our music to Nigeria was the logical next step for us. And yes, it’s unbelievably beautiful. Music has a way of guiding you, showing you things you’d never expect, and we’re forever grateful for that.
I was on your Instagram cover stories while working on this project, and I realized you guys have linked up with almost every top Afrobeats producer in the genre. It seems you guys received a warm welcome from everyone, which also says a lot about 255 as a working force. What is the one musical compliment you have heard from everyone and which one of them played a role in the making of Trinity?
You’re definitely right. Nigeria welcomed us with so much love and openness from the very start, and that means more to us than we can ever express. As you said, at the end of the day it’s the music that connects all of us. There’s one compliment we hear in almost every session: ‘Are you sure you’re not at least half Nigerian?’ It’s not something we’d ever say about ourselves, but people often joke about it whenever we play our beats.
One thing I love about Trinity, is the feature list, it felt like everyone understood the assignment, which is a testament to your chemistry with artistes. Minz is a recurring artist in your songs. On “Bipolar” he said “Rolling with 255 them guys move like Slim Shady”. And I said to myself, “Minz actually gets it”. Is this why he has been one of your early collaborators? What kick-started your chemistry? All the way from “Phase One”.
Our connection with Minz is honestly something special. We’ve artistically grown side by side over the years, had countless sessions, explored new sounds together, and supported each other along the way. We are lucky to also have him as a very good friend outside of the studio. Minz is one of the artists we worked with even before our first trip to Lagos. So this goes way back; he’s and will always be a day one for us. And if you knew how many unreleased bangers are still sitting on our hard drive waiting for their moment, haha!
Boybreed is another duo I discovered through the 255 catalogue. “Tough Questions” is one of my favorites. Through my search, I realized they are identical twins, creatives bound by blood like Guy, Charlie, and Louis. How is the creative process like working with another duo? And what is the difference as compared to working with a single artist?
I have to be honest, they’re insanely talented. You play a beat, and it’s like they’ve been on the same wavelength from the very first note. Frank lays down a few lines, and Namdy picks it up seamlessly, right where he left off. As an outside listener, you wouldn’t even notice where one ends and the other begins. They’re an incredible duo, perfectly in sync, and they elevate each other’s vision. We’ve got nothing but love and respect for those two! And of course, we feel a connection with them, they understand both the beauty and the challenges of making music as brothers.
Qing Madi, Moonchild Sanelly, and Midas The Jagaban are the only female acts featured on the album and they delivered, What was the criteria for making it on this album?
Qing Madi, Moonchild Sanelly, and Midas The Jagaban really delivered; we love those songs! Honestly, there wasn’t a strict criterion for anyone on the album. At the end of the day, this project is something we’re all building together. Everyone on the album brought something unique to the vision and final product, and that’s what makes Trinity so special. We’re super glad to have those three as part of it.
In my opinion, as soaring as Afrobeats is, one of the downsides is the visual side, most of the videos these days don’t strike me as authentic Afro-story-telling. It is the same thing everywhere in my eyes. But Louis, who happens to be an internationally awarded film director and brother to you guys, has been able to tell your stories, visually aligned with your sonic. Like the Shana music video. How important is Louis to 255, in terms of creativity, and not just a big brother? And out of curiosity, how do you guys navigate a misunderstanding or a creative block?
We see each other like a modern band, where visuals & the camera are part of the instruments, not an outsourced aspect of the music. So Louis is naturally as important to creativity as Charlie or me. Louis comes from a documentary background so we adopt this documentary-style approach even in our music videos to give depth and context to the songs. It’s our quiet rebellion against overly staged, glossy visuals. Check out ‘Sha Na’ or ‘Can’t Fake This’, they’re intentionally real, raw, and simple. That’s where beauty lies for us. And misunderstandings? We fight as good brothers do!
How fluent is your pidgin?
We dey try.
There is a bit of Hip-Hop on the album, with the NSG, MIK feature, is African Hip-Hop a sound 255 will venture into soon?
On our last trip, we made a lot of new friends and had sessions with Pa Salieu, Anti World Gangstars, and Ladipoe who all have a sound where you can hear the Hip-Hop influence. We’ll see where this will go, but so far it’s been a lot of fun, and at the end of the day, that’s what really matters.
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