The Audiophile Album: Tiwayo “Desert Dream”

The Audiophile Album: Tiwayo “Desert Dream”

The Audiophile Album: Tiwayo “Desert Dream”

With his latest work, Rémi Tyo, alias Tiwayo, successfully bridges the gap between singer-songwriter and soul-folk. In addition, Tiwayo’s “Desert Dream” sounds excellent: a classic audiophile recommendation from the music editors.

The young Frenchman received a lot of praise for his debut album “The Gypsy Soul Of Tiwayo” from 2019. Like the French “Rolling Stone” (“a little soul genius”) – or simply because of the fact that he’s toured before with celebrities like Norah Jones, Seal, Marcus Miller, or MC Solar.

On the occasion of the Hamburg Reeperbahn Festival, star producer Tony Visconti (David Bowie, Thin Lizzy, Manic Street Preachers) raved about the musician: “I especially liked Tiwayo. I found him authentic, full of soul. When he sings with his backing singers, it’s like being in a church.”

Well. What do we know about the 30-year-old Parisian? Rémi Tyo aka Tiwayo grew up in the banlieu of the mega-metropolis, in the suburbs. Early on he inhaled various music trends such as 60s and 70s soul, rock, plus blues, gospel, and reggae as well as the southern sound of the USA. But the music played at home too. “A lot of it came from my parents. My father had been a jazz fan since the mid-1950s.”

He found his nickname and stage name during a road trip in the southern United States. “TYO” stands for “The Young Old” – the young old man who, as a fan of black music, was on his way to the roots of the blues. “I’ve returned to New Orleans a few times just to feel the vibe. Music is part of the culture there and it’s just different locally. It’s also good to be a stranger sometimes because then you have a different perspective.”

From all this, Rémi created a velvety, sensitive mix that could also sail under the singer-songwriter flag. But although he hasn’t been in the music business for very long, he kept his distance, his pieces should be more reduced, more fragile, more personal – and that’s what his “Desert Dream” should achieve.

The music of Tiwayo’s “Desert Dream”

First, a few bars of recording. Tiwayo not only composed, but also recorded, and produced the tracks. No, the 30-year-old also mixed the album himself and only entrusted the mastering to Manu Schlindwein in Cologne.

After all, Tiwayo made its debut in 2019 on the Blue Note label, which is valued for quality and euphony. This current, so to speak self-made recording also shines at a high level with great tonal colorfulness, physicality, beautiful spatial ambiance, and fine dynamics. Chapeau!

Listen/Download: https://tiwayo.bfan.link/desert-dream
Buy CD and LP:
https://tiwayo.bandcamp.com

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