Fold - Aphelion: a tribute to Lorraine Hansberry

Album · October 17th, 2021 · Limited edition clear marbled vinyl, digital download, all streaming platforms

Buy vinyl & download from Bandcamp

Our third album is a tribute to the visionary author & activist Lorraine Hansberry whose words still resonate powerfully today

Our world is ruled by a system that values the accumulation of wealth over life itself and works hard to conceal it. Lorraine Hansberry understood this profoundly, in contrast to many of her contemporaries. In a brief excerpt from her play Les Blancs she managed to convey the full gravity of said truth:

“In one century men choose to hide their conquests under religion, in another under race. So you and I may recognize the fraudulence of the device in both cases, but the fact remains that a man who has a sword run through him because he will not become a Muslim or a Christian—or who is lynched in Mississippi or Zatembe because he is black—is suffering the utter reality of that device of conquest. And it is pointless to pretend that it doesn’t exist—merely because it is a lie.”

— Lorraine Hansberry

Lorraine Hansberry was a Black, homosexual woman at a time when all three characteristics guaranteed even more disadvantage and prejudice than today. Understandably, she considered herself a radical in the true sense of the word. She lived her life with immense courage and tenacity, always remaining true to herself and never yielding in the face of adversity. The authorities treated her as subversive—the FBI even maintained a file on her.

Although her two close friends James Baldwin and Nina Simone have in recent years had their legacies restored to an extent, Lorraine’s story has been all but written out of history by a capitalist, patriarchal and homophobic system. It is in defiance of this system that we release our tribute to her. We hope that it may help her extraordinary contributions and vision to be better recognised. On behalf of all musicians struggling with mental & physical health issues we also want to say that this album was born out of an extremely challenging period for us. It is a celebration of overcoming those challenges and also a call to overturn a system that values profit above life.

Lastly, thanks to all the collaborators on this project who helped out despite pandemic adversity. Emma Johnson for the magnificent horns, Kieran O’Malley for the exquisite strings, and of course the ever eloquent Mr Gee.

All listening options

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Press

“Leeds band Fold’s third album finds the quartet led by Seth Mowshowitz exploring the work of trailblazing African-American playwright Lorraine Hansberry, noted for her campaigning on civil rights and gay equality. Setting snippets of Hansberry’s speeches and interviews to grooves inspired by acid jazz, soul and hip-hop, they’ve created more thought-provoking listening—none more so than in Total Identification, where Hansberry, who died in 1965, calls for dialogue with white America on racial equality, “If we think that it isn’t going to be painful we’re mistaken,” she says prophetically. “Four hundred years underwater I’m still struggling to breathe”, adds poet Mr Gee in the powerful title track. Rating: 4/5.”

Duncan Seaman, Yorkshire Post

“Backing Lorraine Hansberry’s words with an accompaniment of deep and decadent soul, hip-hop and jazz, Fold make good on their promise; in this worst of times, this is the best Fold have ever sounded. From the nimble, sun-dappled Concrete Things, through the echo-drenching of Make New Sounds to the flutey tones of closer Illuminations, this is material that incontestably places them alongside the likes of Bonobo & Nightmares on Wax.”

Arctic Reviews

“The music is incredible; different styles and feels span the album. Sometimes atmospheric, sometimes driving and uplifting. And sonic surprises are there in plenty. And yes, you could listen to the album as music (but that would be missing the point). The words and music perfectly compliment each other.”

Local Sound Focus

“As for the music it’s a jazzy funky sixties influenced affair. Brass parps out. There are sounds from around the world. Jazz, Latin America and elsewhere. The politics are heavy and necessary but the tunes are light and fleet of foot.”

Acid Ted