werkha: unsung irregular
Francisco Espregueira
From the moment Werkha unfurls Unsung Irregular, you feel the weight of purpose behind each beat. Werkha’s work, which has consistently impressed with its fusion of analogue jazz-funk and UK electronica, is on full display here, delivering a blend of jazzy, broken-beat electronics and rich, warm aesthetics. This can be felt in tracks like “Toast Rack”— a reference to the Fallowfield building in Manchester, turning architectural shapes into sonic forms. Then there are duets like ‘Everyday (feat. Ríoghnach Connolly)’ and ‘Narrow In’ (feat. Daudi Matsiko), where folk‑rooted voices drift through the electronic textures, bridging the natural and the synthetic.
Beneath the surface, Unsung Irregular pulses with personal truth. The record grapples with hidden disability, pain, and the beauty in imperfection — a musical map of recovery. Werkha (Tom Leah) even embeds field recordings, processed vocal fragments, and geographic motifs, like echoes of Cumbria’s Helm Wind opening ‘By Helm’ and mirrored synth textures linking it to ‘Weak Point’. First Word Records itself has always embraced that kind of risk: rooted in jazz, soul and hip‑hop, it was born from a desire to lift music that otherwise might go unheard. Here, that spirit is manifest — Unsung Irregular invites listeners into the quiet, unpredictable space where healing and creativity meet. Beautiful piece, available on vinyl.
“This album is about giving a voice to those fighting quiet battles daily... I hope that through my music I’ve created a space for people to feel like they can talk about their own irregularities…”