The Windish Agency

The Very Best is Malawi’s Esau Mwamwaya and London based producer Johan Hugo (We Don’t Belong in Pacha).

By all accounts, the far-flung variables that comprise The Very Best shouldn’t coincide – but then again, how many bands can say they met in an East London (Hackney) junk shop? The chance introduction over the purchase of a bicycle in 2008 led production duo Radioclit to invite Esau Mwamwaya into their studio to collaborate on the mixtape that would launch their career. Containing an infectious cross-pollination of samples and rhythms anchored by Esau’s soaring vocals, the mixtape quickly went viral (with approx. 850,000 downloads to date). Pitchfork offered them a slot at their festival for their U.S. debut, and worldwide tour dates for their infamous live shows followed.

2010 saw the release of the trio’s full length Warm Heart of Africa – featuring Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig and MIA – which led them to share the stage with Florence & the Machine, The xx, Mumford and Sons, and of course Vampire Weekend across Australia, Europe, and Africa. That summer Etienne returned to France (disbanding Radioclit), leaving Johan and Esau in a Swedish cottage laying down tracks that would become the Super Mom mixtape. When it came time for the next album,most of the earlier sessions in NYC were scrapped in favour of what transpired – in true TVB fashion – just last October.

Johan flew to Esau’s hometown of Lilongwe, Malawi where they rented a bare bones studio and recorded 9 songs in five weeks. The resulting tracks are their biggest and bravest– and definitely indicative that this project was meant to be, no matter how it came together.