KAM-BU
The FADER’s “Songs You Need” are the tracks we can’t stop playing. Check back every day for new music and follow along on our Spotify playlist.
If the three EPs that the Flock Together collective released in April passed you by then you'd be forgiven; after all, one of the group's main aims is make people pay attention to that which flies over their heads. Having started out in 2020 as a bird watching group providing a safe space for people of color to enjoy nature, Flock Together has branched out into music as a means of bringing nature to the people. It's a bit of a galaxy brain idea but listening to Taste The Sky - London, one of a trio of city-specific releases (New York and Tokyo being the other two) that dropped in April, soon I felt the urge to feel fresh air in my lungs and embrace the nearest muddy path.
KAM-BU's "Fall" is the perfect entry point to Flock Together's mix of laidback rap beats and more ambient sounds. Built around a nagging hook, the London rapper talks about feeling isolated and the way substance abuse works its way through a group of friends. It's heavy stuff but dealt with a lightness of touch, as if KAM-BU is passing through the murk and into a brighter place. It is immediately followed by the low-slung "Chance" instrumental on which a thick bass line is embroidered with birdsong. These two songs together feel like something of a mission statement from Flock Together: come for the music and leave with something new to consider about your surroundings. The benefits of interacting with the natural world are undeniable, though sometimes, you just need a reminder.
