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Kodwo Eshun

Kodwo Eshun

Kodwo Eshun is a British-Ghanaian writer and filmmaker. He has written on music, science fiction and other subjects for The Face, The Wire, i-D, Melody Maker, Spin, Arena and The Guardian

24 articles

List of articles in the library

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Brand New Heavies: May The Funk Be With You

Profile and Interview by Kodwo Eshun, i-D, April 1992

The Brand New Heavies have moved into the forefront of a new musical uprising: clubs, bands and vintage denim. The revolution is here – and ...

Masters at Work: Dope: Masters At Work

Interview by Kodwo Eshun, Mixmag, May 1992

MASTERS AT Work are Kenny "Dope" Gonzales, 21, and Lil' Louie Vega, 25. They're two of the hottest producer-remixers of the moment. ...

Public Enemy Number 1

Profile and Interview by Kodwo Eshun, i-D, August 1992

Five years on, the Black Panthers of rap are still in your face. They've lost none of their controversial power, as their recent argument with US presidential ...

Outing the In-Crowd

Overview by Kodwo Eshun, The Wire, December 1992

Kodwo Eshun digs up the history of Clubland UK, from Boodles to Style Wars to all-day nights on the Cybernet.                                                           * ...

Jamiroquai: Eco-Funk Warrior

Interview by Kodwo Eshun, i-D, May 1993

Jamiroquai's "voice of a generation" songs and ecological statements have made him the figurehead of the new funk scene. But behind the hits is a ...

Lightnin' Rod: Great Recordings: Lightnin' Rod — Hustler's Convention

Retrospective by Kodwo Eshun, The Wire, October 1993

In 1973, Jalal Nuriddin of The Last Poets changed his name to Lightnin' Rod and recorded Hustler's Convention, the first Blaxploitation audiodrama. Kodwo Eshun recalls ...

Carleen Anderson: Funky Diva

Profile and Interview by Kodwo Eshun, i-D, November 1993

Carleen Anderson was a member of James Brown's band. Then she sang with the Young Disciples. This month she releases her passionate solo debut — ...

De La Soul: Buhloone Mindstate (Big Life BLRCD 25 CD/MC/LP)

Review by Kodwo Eshun, The Wire, November 1993

ALTERED STATES ...

Fun-Da-Mental: Rebels Without a Pause

Interview by Kodwo Eshun, i-D, January 1994

Asian rappers Fun-Da-Mental burst onto the scene in a blaze of angry political rhetoric and eclectic samples. Now, even though the original band has split ...

Flavor Flav, Tupac Shakur, Snoop (Doggy) Dogg: Hip Hop: Trials and Errors

Report by Kodwo Eshun, The Wire, March 1994

Three of Hip Hop's major stars — Snoop Doggy Dogg, 2 Pac and Flavor Flav — are preparing to face various charges of attempted murder ...

A Guy Called Gerald, Goldie: Jungle!: The Last Dance Underground

Report by Kodwo Eshun, i-D, May 1994

Jungle is a fierce and frenzied soundtrack to inner city Britain in '94. Based around raw, ragga-influenced white labels, raves and pirate radio stations, it's ...

Public Enemy: White Light, Black Noise

Interview by Kodwo Eshun, i-D, September 1994

PUBLIC ENEMY USED TO BE THE BIGGEST, FIERCEST RAP ACT IN THE WORLD. THEN GANGSTA SILENCED THEIR RIGHTEOUS RANTS. NOW THEY'RE BACK WITH A STARTLING NEW ...

Luscious Jackson: Homecoming Queens

Interview by Kodwo Eshun, i-D, October 1994

Luscious Jackson embody New York's old school cool. They're more than just a female version of The Beastie Boys — and they're going to be even bigger. ...

Carl Craig: Listen To The Future

Profile and Interview by Kodwo Eshun, i-D, April 1995

One of Detroit's legendary first generation, Carl Craig has left behind the legacy he's outgrown. Ripping up techno's rule-book, this 25-year-old is making records for ...

H Jungle With T: Jungle Hits Japan

Report and Interview by Kodwo Eshun, i-D, September 1995

Tetsuya Komuro is a Japanese dance producer who's just made the world's first ever million selling jungle hit. Like the rest of his records, we'll ...

4 Hero, A Guy Called Gerald, LTJ Bukem, DJ Hype, Ed Rush & Optical, Goldie, Grooverider, Roni Size and Reprazent: Drum & Bass: Sonic Youth

Guide by Kodwo Eshun, The Face, January 1996

CALL IT drum & bass, breakbeat science or hardstep. As jungle accelerates faster into the future, it is splintering into a million different theme tunes ...

Spiritualized: Stars In His Eyes

Interview by Kodwo Eshun, i-D, August 1998

Spiritualized are aiming higher than the sun. Ladies and gentlemen, they'll soon be floating in space as one of Britain's biggest bands ...

Dylan Group: Ur-klang Search

Review by Kodwo Eshun, The Wire, May 2000

Dynamic syncopators ...

J Dilla, Slum Village: Slum Village: Fantastic Volume II (Wordplay/Source)

Review by Kodwo Eshun, The Wire, June 2000

THE DEBUT album from Slum Village (aka Detroit trio Jay Dee, Baatin and TB) has had a three-year delivery, protracted by label mergers and unexplained ...

Tarwater: Animals, Suns & Atoms

Review by Kodwo Eshun, The Wire, June 2000

ANIMALS, SUNS & Atoms, Tarwater's third and best album, fascinates for several reasons Initially, it's drummer/singer/producer Ronald Lippok and Bernd Jestram's singular Anglophilia. Songs such ...

Jazzanova: Remixes 1997–2000 (Jazzanova Compost)

Review by Kodwo Eshun, The Wire, November 2000

IF YOU LISTEN forward from mid-90s Adam F to late 90s Shy FX to early noughties Hospital Recordings, it immediately becomes apparent that 'jazziness' in ...

The Cinematic Orchestra, Coldcut, Kid Koala, Kid606, Mr. Scruff: Xen Cuts: Ten Years Of Xen (various London venues)

Live Review by Kodwo Eshun, The Wire, November 2000

LONDON's Ninja Tune label celebrated their first decade in the flirty, flighty, faddish, fickle world of UK dance with Xen Cuts — three consecutive nights ...

Boards Of Canada: Geogaddi (Warp)

Review by Kodwo Eshun, The Wire, April 2002

LIKE YOU, NO doubt, I'm a sucker for what Marshall McLuhan called "participation mystique". ...

N.E.R.D.: N*E*R*D: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Kodwo Eshun, The Wire, September 2002

JUST GOES to show how wrong I can be. Figured me plus a few brainiac dumdums were the only ones nebbish enough to catch the ...

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