A Symbol of the Withdrawn God by Lamin Fofana

16.09.21

Revisiting and extending a previous composition with unvoiced fragments, shards, and utterances, Lamin Fofana’s work, A Symbol of the Withdrawn God (2016/2021, 20:21 min.), casts light on the devastating impacts of climate change and its violent implications for Black life. In Fofana’s sonic cosmos, organ tones permeate sounds of abstract electric guitars, while distant piano melodies are fused with accents of cello and violin. His piece is marked by a recurring muffled sound - the stroke of a clock, perhaps? Who’s time is up? During the creation process of his work, Fofana read the science fiction novel 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson, set in a time when much of humanity has fled an uninhabitable and overheated Earth. Fofana’s piece is a meditation on our current climate emergency, from hurricanes in the Caribbean to mudslides in West Africa, and the ever-present deaths caused by a lack of meaningful action. In a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted, Fofana’s piece instigates a hymn to the possibility of refusal through art – here, through a sense of singing while running for one's life.

More Videos

NTS RUSH: Clementaum & Idlibra

28.08.24

Pedal-to-the-gas energy from two stars of Brazilian club culture.

NTS RUSH: Mechatok (ft. Isabella Lovestory)

14.08.24

Glittering futurist pop and dance from a dream duo.

NTS RUSH: Objekt

31.07.24

Techno partyrockers from a prince of the contemporary club underground.

NTS RUSH: umru & Cedric Madden

17.07.24

Pop thru the hyperblender with NYC's new gen club kids umru & Cedric Madden.

NTS RUSH: MINNA-NO-KIMOCHI

03.07.24

Tops-off euphoria and cyberpunk trance rollers from Tokyo's wildest ravers Minna-No-Kimochi, for the inaugural edition of NTS RUSH.

Denzel Curry Live In Studio

26.06.24

Florida rap royalty Denzel Curry joins Flo in the London NTS studio, with PlayThatBoiZay and debbiethuglife for the Breakfast Show, performing three tracks, including two from his upcoming album “King Of The Mischievous South, Vol. 2”, out July 19th.

SONGS OF PRAISE: MADHUVANTI PAL

24.06.24

In a special recording for Songs of Praise, Kolkata-based musician Madhuvanti Pal plays the rudra veena, performing an hour of improvisation on the Raag Bhairav, one of the most famous Hindustani classical ragas.