Strange Brew – April 20th
| PETITE NOIR SHARES NEW SINGLE ‘SIMPLE THINGS’ ANNOUNCES 2023 TOUR DATES OUT NOW ON ROYA“Epic, intense and superb” – The Guardian “Some of the most original music to be heard anywhere on this bewildering planet” – The Times “Feels like pop music’s future – borderless but deeply rooted, challenging but pleasurable” – Pitchfork “Noirwave has its own power, vitality and humanity” – NMEPetite Noir is the Congolese musician and artist Yannick Ilunga. Born in Belgium and raised in South Africa, Ilunga is the architect of Noirwave – a musical and cultural movement that draws creative energy from punk aesthetics and the fragmented identity of today’s African diaspora. After a hiatus, Petite Noir reveals the second chapter of his return with latest single, ‘Simple Things’ released today on Roya with an accompanying visualiser. Speaking on the track, he shares: “’Simple Things’ is about taking back your power. It’s a song for the people, to embrace harmony, reject division, and recognise that freedom comes from within.”Petite Noir’s falsetto soars atop a chorus of jubilant trumpet played by Grammy-nominated, Floridian jazz musician Theo Croker. With its easy, reggae-infused rhythm, together, they capture the sound of city streets on a summer afternoon, the vitality of the people. But as ever with Petite Noir, that’s only part of the story he is trying to tell. Warped synths lurk beneath, suggesting a sense of societal unrest that underpins an otherwise optimistic sound. A discerning narrator of the world around us, he observes: “It’s such a simple thing / They don’t want us to be equal / I see the chaos it brings / I see the way of the people.”Listen to ‘Simple Things’ here: https://petitenoir.ffm.to/simplethings ‘Simple Things’ single art (click single art for hi-res)‘Simple Things’ follows on from ‘Numbers’, the opening statement of a new era for Petite Noir. Produced by Tropics, it’s a distorted reimagining of a floor-filler that reckons with bruised emotion. He elaborates: “’Numbers’ is about cycles, and getting to the point where a relationship starts to feel like a war. We are left to fight for ourselves, but at the same time, we feel guided because the dark times are needed for us to grow.” Listen to ‘Numbers’ here: https://petitenoir.ffm.to/numbers Petite Noir has collaborated with Danny Brown (following his guest spot on Danny Brown’s 2016 album Atrocity Exhibition, Ilunga enlisted the Detroit rapper for his 2018 single ‘Beach’), Saul Williams and Yasiin Bey, and has also been championed by Solange, Young Fathers and Foals. Petite Noir’s 2023 Shows: TICKETS HERE April 12th | Amiens, FR – La Lune des Pirates April 13th | Reims, FR – La Cartonnerie April 14th | Paris, FR – Petit Bain April 15th | Lille, FR – L’aéronef April 20th | Bristol, UK – Strange Brew April 21st | Manchester, UK – Yes (Pink Room) April 27th | Nîmes, FR – Paloma 28th April | Toulouse, FR – Connexion Live 29th April | Orléans, FR – L’astrolabe 2nd May | London, UK – Scala 3rd May | Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg (Small Hall) 4th May | Antwerp, BE – Trix |
@thebristolnomad / @bristolnomad_gigphotography
Role: Photographer / Reviewer / Interviewer
Chief, the one that bugs the team for team for their reviews and images. Creator and founder of The Bristol Gig Guide. Can usually be found swamped in admin or getting cramp kneeling at the front of a gig.
Available for: Gig Shoots, Gig Reviews, Photo Shoots, Album and Single cover shoots, Videography work, Interviews and Touring
First attended gig: Republica, circa 1996.
First gig shot: Hands Off Gretel, at The Louisiana!
Dream gig: Huge metalhead and my ultimate dream gig would be shooting my heroes Slipknot at a huge stadium gig, or as festival headliners. And to experience shooting a headline tour outside the UK
