Thursday 13th October | 7pm | Pay what you can: £6, £10, £15 ADV
We are delighted to be teaming up with QM Records to put on this show! Otis Mensah is a musician and performing artist exploring the intersection of poetry and experimental music(s). Taking influence from the rhythmic and expressive freedom of Jazz, Otis’ work uses aesthetic language as an instrument to solo through themes of identity, existence & coming-of-age. Since debuts at Glastonbury, We Out Here and Shambala Festival, Otis has played with the likes of Moor Mother, Benjamin Zephaniah and Little Simz. In 2018, Magid Magid, the Lord Mayor of Sheffield (UK) appointed Otis as the first Poet Laureate, who then went on to publish their first collection of poetry Safe Metamorphosis with Prototype Publishing.
Otis’ latest EP "things I should have said a year ago" is a self-produced 7-song exploration of loss and the feeling of being weathered by time, drenched in sonic and conceptual juxtaposition, the EP is coloured with bubble-gum melodies, dreamlike depictions of melancholy and surrealist imagery.
The first single Black Box spearheads with tender expression & radical honesty exhibiting the projects underlying mantra—that our human experience of shame & fear can be adorned in rituals of song. This concept is reignited again in Aurora Borealis that sees Otis accompany themselves on the piano for a ballad of ominous poetry and thrilleresque trepidation. As a musician and artist from the North of England outside the London echo-chamber, Otis' EP presents as an important outlier amidst the landscape of experimental rap from British voices.
“Armed with smooth melodic flow and storytelling lyrical prowess, Otis brings listeners closer to the action and also gives us a summary of his life as time progresses.” - EARMILK
“Poetic, somber, and joyous, the EP cycles through a mixed bag of emotions and is clearly Otis’ best work yet.” - Music Crowns
“On jazz-infused tracks like ‘Grievances’ and ‘Old Boy’, the wordsmith offers candid, sun-drenched imagery and poignant vignettes of his personal growth. The set spills with honesty, as pure poetic lyricism flows from Mensah’s stylish vocals.” - Now Then Magazine
“Above a lush and intricate soundscape, Mensah’s bars reveal an artist entirely comfortable with his own vulnerability, slickly piecing together questioning with surprising self-realisations.” - Notion Magazin
PLUS SUPPORT FROM JOSEPHINE HALL + AFLO. the Poet
AFLO. the poet is a Brighton-based spoken word artist, activist and academic. AFLO. uses poetry as a vehicle to discuss hard-hitting topics and encourage social change, with her work tending to focus on Black liberation, racism, decolonisation, mental health and trauma recovery. Taking influence from hip-hop and grime, she has a rhythmic flow that keeps her audiences engaged and challenged.
Josephine Hall is a writer and artist, who enjoys experimenting and adventuring. Born in west Cornwall to Jamaican and English parents, she feels a connection to coastal landscapes and has been based in Brighton for several years. Josephine’s creative work tends to explore themes such as identity, journeying, healing, connecting with nature and the black/mixed-race experience. She endeavours to make work that is honest, accessible and amplifies marginalised voices. Josephine works primarily with words, whilst also exploring sound, rhythm, film and movement.