ships of the pharaohs: part 1
Francisco Espregueira
The idea for Ships Of The Pharaohs started as a live extension of Last Nubian’s music, put together for a Touching Bass showcase at We Out Here festival in 2023. It quickly became its own thing, with vocalist Achanté, keys player Goldbar and bassist Dougan joining Last Nubian to shape a sound that moves between jazz, soul, bossa nova and UK club music. Last Nubian’s own work has followed a similar path, with releases on CoOp Presents, Eglo Records and Touching Bass. On Part 1, released by First Word Records, that background meets a more open-ended band format. The seven tracks were developed through sessions in a Brixton flat before being finished at Total Refreshment Centre.
There’s plenty going on, but the EP never feels like a genre exercise. “Sun Is Rising” sets the pace with Berlin singer Red Bird, while “Can’t Quit” folds AKEEM’s spoken word into a soulful bruk rhythm. From there, “Seasons”, “Joys” and “For You” lean further into bossa, with Achanté’s vocals giving the arrangements a softer centre. Norwegian saxophonist Bror Havnes appears on the short “Interlude” and returns for “One”, where the group closes with a nod towards jungle and drum & bass. It’s this movement between live interplay and club instincts that gives Part 1 its immense character. First Word Records, with its long-running connection to jazz, soul and hip-hop, feels like a natural home for a project built around those same crossings. Available on vinyl, this is our favorite reentré project.
“Drawing inspiration from jazz, jungle, bossa nova, house, r&b and the music that’s shaped us, we’ve explored our own interpretation of these sounds and how they come together in a way that feels true to us. It gave us the space to experiment without boundaries, trust our instincts, and create something that genuinely reflects where we are creatively right now.”