- Moor Mother creates an Afrofuturistic soundtrack to the perils of Black life in the pandemic.
- Camae Ayewa is not the artist that America wants, but she's the one it needs right now. As Moor Mother, she has pushed the boundaries of what Black art means during some of the country's recent tribulations. Her critically acclaimed LP Fetish Bones began her foray into the world of synthesizers and drum machines, and was released the same year as the Trump presidency began. This event brought a sense of urgency to the world stage, a harsh reminder of the reality of life as a marginalized person. Ayewa has consistently offered a powerful window into the world of Black women and the trauma society heaps upon them.
To state the obvious, the pandemic was a major blow to artists who depend on traveling for collaboration and touring income. Ayewa was at full throttle before the shutdown, touring the world as Moor Mother while maintaining several different musical projects across genres and borders. Global lockdown put her back in Philadelphia, where she originally came into her artistry. It's in North Philly that she runs Community Futures Lab with Rasheedah Phillips as Black Quantum Futurism, a collective and theory that explores the intersection of Black feminism, quantum physics and Afrofuturism. Although this time at home was meant to be focused on a jazz project, Ayewa found herself drawn to creating something more widescreen. Using instrumentals from Swedish producer Olof Melander, Aweya pulled liberally from the various styles she's explored over her solo records and collaborations with everyone from Justin Broadrick to the rapper Billy Woods. This charged and syncretic approach resulted in Black Encyclopedia Of The Air.
The 13-track record is anti-corporate music at its finest—this was not created for mere enjoyment, but as an outlet for the global psychic mood. Each track feels like 2020. Haunting panic and a sense of melancholy are fused into the essence of every moment. Traces of hip-hop, punk, jazz and noise are blended together to make something unique and compelling. Slam poetry glides above harsh tones and bursts of soothing melodies keeping listeners engaged without lulling them into complacency. Even though this project was made under quarantine, the spirit of collaboration between African Diasporic peoples was still a focus, with only four of the 13 tracks not having features.
The entire album is captivating, but the middle section is exceptional. "Vera Hall" is a beautifully haunting piece of hip-hop that intertwines historical snapshots of life in the Black Belt, the fertile region of the American south where plantations worked by Black workers (and slaves) provided the backbone of the New World economy. Next up is the single, "Obsidian," which has an interesting take on the classic rap-plus-R&B combo featuring the prolific, genre-defying Pink Siifu. The percussion-free "Iso Fonk" is my personal favorite, with some of the freshest lines I have heard from any MC in a minute. Finally, "Rogue Waves" gives off Dilla-esque lo-fi vibes with a chorus declaring "Water don't get wet like this." Mainstream rappers have nothing on Moor Mother, their lyrics have little to no weight, while she packs such raw emotion into every verse.
Afrofuturism has long lost any meaning, as Black culture has been continually co-opted, corporatized and exploited. But in Ayewa's hands the heady concept gets new life. There's no sense of trying to adhere to vague notions of a better tomorrow brought about by accessible technology. This is a futurism that is just as interested in the past, because it is impossible to know the route forwards if you're not aware of where you came from. For Black people, life is still extremely precarious, many living without the comforts of middle-class existence. If society does not solve present-day problems around subjects such as race and gender, how can we blindly dream of life in space? Black Quantum Futurism is pushing the boundaries by giving Black femmes the spotlight and rejecting Eurocentric concepts of what the future may hold.
Nowhere is this more apparent than on "Made A Circle," featuring Nappy Nina, Maassai, Antonia Gabriela and Orion Sun. At one point in the cypher someone spits, "They built the floor, the ceiling is irrelevant," referring to the role Black women hold in keeping families and society at large intact—a statement that rings powerful and true. When more people acknowledge this fact, we can start to have real conversations about healing and moving forward. Moor Mother is trying to show us the way.
Tracklist01. Temporal Control Of Light Echoes
02. Mangrove feat. Elucid & Antonia Gabriela
03. Race Function feat. Brother May
04. Shekere feat. Lojii
05. Vera Hall feat. Bfly
06. Obsidian feat. Pink Siifu
07. Iso Fonk
08. Rogue Waves
09. Made a Circle feat. Nappy Nina, Maassai, Antonia Gabriela & Orion Sun
10. Tarot feat. Yatta
11. Nighthawk Of Time feat. Black Quantum Futurism
12. Zami
13. Clock Fight feat. Elaine Mitchner & Dudu Kouate