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Atmospheric soundscapes, folk-inflected tunes and more in our musical wrap-up this week

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah feat. Saul Williams: Ancestral Recall One listen to jazz artist Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s “Ancestral Recall,” which features poet and songwriter Saul Williams, reveals a mission beyond music. The track, and forthcoming album of the same name, were “built as a map to decolonize sound; to challenge previously held misconceptions about some cultures of music; to codify a new folkloric tradition and …

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Duets and covers define our week in music

Perfume Genius + Empress Of: When I’m With Him Reworking her original version of “When I’m With Him,” Empress Of (aka Lorely Rodriguez) has teamed up with Perfume Genius (aka Mike Hadreas) for this dreamy and dramatic version, where Hadreas takes lead vocals. While it’s technically billed as a cover by Perfume Genius, it’s a duet—aided by production from Jim-E Stack, who also worked on the original. Moving away …

Premiere: “Ngwa” by Blick Bassy

Bassa vocals and a stunning, narrative-driven music video dedicated to anti-colonial leader Ruben Um Nyobé

An ode to Ruben Um Nyobé, the anti-colonialist leader of the Popular Union of Cameroon, Blick Bassy’s latest track grapples with the telling of a historic tale. Sung in Bassa, Bassy’s ancestral language, “Ngwa” reclaims an important moment for Cameroon and does so with the utmost beauty and honesty. As the narrative (usually told and taught from the opposing, French perspective) unfolds amidst the spectacular natural landscapes of …