Jamie Reid Ancestors

April 26th sees the first release on Creation Youth. The brand new record label set up by Alan McGee, the ex Creation Records (Oasis, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine and many others) mastermind, & Youth, the Killing Joke bass player and much acclaimed producer of Pink Floyd & The Fireman with Paul McCartney.

'Ancestors' by artist and political activist Jamie Reid, Afro Celt Soundsystem's Simon Emmerson (both now sadly missed), and Youth features trippy, tribal, bass heavy grooves that are reminiscent of prime time KLF and will be released both digitally and as a limited edition 5 track 12" with poster featuring original artwork by Jamie & Youth, with mixes from Youth & Richard Norris ( The Grid, Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve) through Cadiz Music / Fuga.

'May the blessing of the seasons, the earth & stars be with you Jamie Reid & Simon Emmerson as you sail to the summer isles'. - Youth 2024.

When Jamie Reid had the idea of re-releasing Calling Back the Ancestors as a tribute to his friend and colleague Simon Emmerson, director Rob Curry was in the middle of conversations with him about a documentary about his life and work. We agreed to collaborate on a music video for the song as a first step, but on the journey up to Liverpool from London for the first day of filming, the news came through that Jamie had died. The video evolved from there into a tribute not just to Emmerson, but to a host of other people. In the run up to filming, Reid had been deeply affected by the passing of Sinead O'Connor, and the video serves as a tribute to her, Emmerson, Reid himself, and Liverpool legend Kif Higgins, the founder of Earthbeat. Visually, the film draws inspiration from an old VHS recording of Reid articulating the meaning of his OVA symbol - a combination of an A for Anarchy and a V for Victory, encircled by an O for Compassion. Opening with this footage, the video is then composed of a montage of ritual dances by three of Reid's close associates, whose performances draw on the indigenous traditions of North American, Africa, and Europe. These performances express the continuity in roots traditions across cultures. The video concludes with Reid's daughter (and granddaughter) recreating the opening archive footage, to reflect the circularity of time and the interconnectedness of future and past.

Vinyl available from the Cadiz Merch Store - download from all digital platforms