Where rhythm and soul collide: Abracadia Studios
Studios are expensive facilities to equip. Instruments and recording equipment are all expensive - IF you have to buy them all the regular way. But I haven’t had a penny since I began setting up Abraca-D-by-Sea Studio in Sussex.
When your’e on a mission from the Ancestors and following your nature and your bliss the universe just kind of unfolds the way you need. That is because you are living with the grain of life, going with the flow of Creation, not cutting across the grain and causing needless suffering.
Abracadia studios started off in Brighton, England, the buzzingest burb in that grey land. All we had was my semi-trashed 70’s Sonor drum kit and a beat up old Roland electric piano and a pair of bright orange congas. All old gear from the 70s. Good quality, but old. That and a torn up old interface and four mics.
Now Abracadia has three recording studios at different stages of development: Abraca-d-by-sea (Brighton), Abraca-Spice (Jamaica) and Abra-Matoke (Uganda). The journey has been mythic. When you follow your bliss and put yourself in the hands of The Creator everything needed just comes.
Being money-poor never meant much to me as I always preferred the simple things anyway, country, ital.
Born in freefall, I never knew how I’d get through and have lived my whole life that way, by faith, as ultimately we must all do. If we go with the grain of Ubuntu livity the universe gifts us what we need without strife, just like those lilies of that valley.
When, about 2 years ago, I decided to write and record the ‘TreeSongs’ album it was like the floodgates opened. It was like I was finally committing to what I should have been doing all along. I composed the first tune for the album on my dad’s old Roland electric piano, ‘Wake Up And Dream’.
Pieces of studio equipment began to arrive like filings to a magnet and the studio just grew with every tune. Tunes were pouring out like crazy. Brand new music like I’d never heard before. First came a beautiful tambourine, hide head, mother of pearl inlaid frame, great sound. A total stranger just gave it to me at a market, said it felt right. It did too.
Next it was a set of vibes, a vibraphone; a total surprise just like the marimba gifted to me 50 years earlier by Rasta John Allowsing, my first connect to Bob Marley. The vibes came from a brother from Mali. A rare find. Sounds so mellow like a stroke to a cat.
A random visit to a furniture auction turned up a phenomenal pair of carved wood African drums that nobody but me wanted. Great sound. You can hear them on Portal One of the album.
A charity shop tour one day turned up a nice vintage melodica going for pennies. YES!
I know they didn’t, but it was like I opened the door and they all just walked right in. An acoustic guitar here, an electric bass and amp there. Claves, thundersticks, tambour, cabasa, maracas and bells and gongs: all the percussion. Most recently I was even gifted a new Marimba. My old one from 50 years ago wore out about 10 years back. This new one is African, with gourds underneath, not European with metal tubes, and tuned to African tuning, not like a European keyboard. Most beautiful sound. Barely any cost to any of it, but all real value to Abracadia.
That was when an angel named Day Lavale turned up playing a harp and bestowed upon me an electronic drum kit, which will feature on our second album. And a big new acoustic drum kit, which features on some of the first album as it arrived halfway through recording. And a pair of studio monitors worth grands. And various other bits of kit Remi could never afford to buy. A mixing desk. Akai MPC 2000 (what all the 80s hip-hop beats used).
Day just said I should have it as I would use it properly, unlike most he sees who can afford it but will never do anything much. There are such angels in the world, after all, aren’t there. If you listen out you’ll hear some of the equipment upgrades that occurred during the recording the album.
Now with an 18 piece custom hybrid drum kit, plus vibraphone, piano, 4 congas, guitars, amps and the rest, it takes a lot of space. Maybe that’s the real how-come behind our expansion to Africa and the Caribbean: we’re spilling out of Brighton. From here on it’s all about the nexus that connects going forward!
For more on all topics to do with Abracadia and its work, don’t forget to check Abracadia’s weekly spoken word offering at the ‘Bit Of Soul Podcast’. Come and say hi, pass by for a try. Be great to see you there. Just roll up anytime to listen, chill and reason at the lush and refreshing oasis that is Abracadia.
Until such time - In Ubuntu
Remi