Olana Janfa - Chicken on Bike 

I've been waiting for the right morning to spin this. The sun is out and it's a slow Sunday morning here. 

Olana Janfa is a Naarm / Melbourne based self-taught artist from Ethiopia. He immigrated to Norway as a teenager before arriving in Australia in 2015. He describes he's work being based on he's life experiences and inspired by "culture, identity, race, privilege, access and belonging". He's work is diverse from paintings on wood, clothing, to large scale community artworks, and workshops with kids and refugee communities. 

This year he dropped this EP and what a stunning piece of art it is! The tracks pack bass and blend humour and migrant experiences. Second side includes instrumental dub versions. I picked this up via Plug Seven. 

I think this EP is best described in his own words via his Bandcamp describing the track Twenty Five An Hour..."This song comes straight from the working-class grind. When your survival depends on it, losing your bike is a big deal. But immigrants are usually pretty good at finding humour in hardship...It’s about holding onto your spirit when the world keeps breaking your lock.”  

#dub #dancehall #nowplaying #nowspinning #vinyl #records #OlanaJanfa #chickenonbike