Petite Noir is the architect of Noirwave – a musical and cultural movement that draws creative energy from punk aesthetics and the fragmented identity of today’s African diaspora. The Congolese artist was born in Belgium, raised in South Africa, and is now based between London and Paris.
MotherFather is his long-awaited second album, and it has a subtitle: ‘The darkness is comforting sometimes’. As Petite Noir explains: “It’s about going through the darkness. But it’s also about rebirth. Because the dark times are needed for us to grow.”
Production by Dave Sitek of TV On The Radio, CID RIM, Moshik Kop, Tropics, Futura, guest features from rising star Sampa The Great, and Grammy-nominated Florida jazz musician Theo Croker.
Petite Noir: MotherFather
On each of Petite Noir’s releases, Yannick Ilunga’s conception of Noirwave – his fusion of post-punk, electronics, and African traditions – grows more encompassing, and MotherFather is no exception. Instead of the anthemic declarations of identity he delivered so mightily on his debut album, La Vie Est Belle, this time he reaches out to others, whether it’s a higher power or a community of like-minded creators. At just under a half-hour long, MotherFather is more concise than La Vie Est Belle, but as demonstrated on the La Maison Noir/The Black House EP, Ilunga is more than capable of creating artistically rich statements in a small amount of space. All Music
Seven years on from its audacious predecessor, Petite Noir’s long-awaited sophomore LP finds the pride of the Congo (Yannick Ilunga to his mum) doubling down on his considerable strengths with surefooted slices of genre-evading gloriousness. Restlessly eclectic yet strikingly cohesive, MotherFather is steeped in a lofty yet intuitively grounded duality and sees Ilunga’s noirwave movement deftly reinvigorated, evincing an artistic evolution with both its consummate production and multifarious bevy of influences… Narc. Magazine
2015’s La Vie Est Belle was a delicate explosion that sent out ripples we’re still hearing. On the latest single from his forthcoming MotherFather, Petite Noir definitely makes it clear it was worth the wait. His music has always been heavy on atmosphere, and on “Blurry,” he stacks vibe upon vibe, building from a moody guitar line until it finally erupts into the chorus. New pieces layer in until the verse from Sampa the Great culminates in a solo “blurry!” that’s absolute joy. Petit Noir describes the song as “a song about growth in love,” adding “Being ready to take that next step whether it means being together or apart. Afropunk
Audio CD:
Vinyl:
- 777
- Blurry (feat. Sampa the Great)
- Numbers
- Concrete Jungle
- Skit
- Finding Paradise
- Simple Things (feat. Theo Croker)
- Best One
- Love Is War
- Play
Manufacturer : Roya
Original Release Date : 2023
Label : Roya
ASIN : B0BSTWWBR5
Country of Origin : USA
Number of discs : 1