Yussef Dayes Introduces First Solo Project: 'Duality'

In the past year we have seen the many faces of the Jazz scene with genre-bending acts creating music dipped in spontaneity and flow. Amongst the names that are spearheading this community is drummer Yussef Dayes who’s creativity flows beyond the drumkit and into his writing and producing. He is also known to be a part of the Jazz-funk duo ‘Yussef Kamaal’ who have joined forces on a number of projects built on lush grooves and rhythm-based improvisations. This year has seen Yussef supporting Kamasi Washington on his 2019 UK tour and soundtracking the LV Paris Fashion Week 2019 after party. After delving into more collaborative projects Dayes has decided to grace our ears with his first solo venture ‘Duality' which consists of two single tracks ‘For My Ladies’ and ‘Othello’. 

‘For My Ladies’ incorporates tender melodies that are easy to digest with an improvised layer of the electric piano. There is a level of smoothness and sophistication that is maintained throughout this track before we are taken to the next single in the project. Yussef locks into a new, more ferocious groove in ‘Othello’ dipping in and out of melodies and rhythmic patterns also held together by the electric piano and bass guitar. He demonstrates his ability to manipulate sounds and control the mood of the listeners, taking us from a mellow, downtempo vibe into a synth-heavy track with rhythmic elements from the drum and bass genre. This project has a sort of oxymoronic effect as Yussef displays the “two sides of [his] musical personality”. 

Alongside this double release, there is also a concept video which you can watch and enjoy below: