Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes Hit UK Top Five With ‘What Kinda Music’

The collaboration on Beyond The Groove/Blue Note by Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes, What Kinda Music, has landed in the top five of the mainstream UK album chart.

The much-praised set by the south-east Londoners was in contention for the No. 1 position earlier in the chart week. It finishes on the newly-published Official Charts Company survey for the full week at No. 4. It’s the first chart appearance for jazz drummer Dayes; Misch reached No. 18 in the UK with his solo debut Geography in 2018.

What Kinda Music has won widespread plaudits for its cool combination of hip-hop influences with modern jazz and electronica. Pitchfork’s review described the record as “cosmic in scope; the reverb layered throughout the album makes it expansive, and you can hear both musicians stretching themselves to the outer limits. As a pair, Dayes and Misch bring out the best in each other.”

Collaborators on the album include saxophonist Kaidi Akinnibi and bassist Rocco Palladino, who has worked with Dayes before. Misch told Complex UK: “I love drums—who doesn’t?—and Yussef’s the guy to work with when it comes to drums.

“It just happened!”

“We grew up in the same area — I’ve known about Yussef for a while — but we didn’t really intend on making this album,” continued Misch. “We just got in the studio and it just happened! We kept on creating stuff, and it felt so organic.”

Added Dayes: “Over the last couple of years working with Tom, I’ve been in a completely different headspace and I feel like I’ve come into my own as an artist, whereas before it’s always been like I’ve been in a band with my brothers, the Yussef Kamaal thing. I suppose now, being in my own entity, I can maybe tap into influences that I couldn’t tap into before.”

What Kinda Music can be bought here.

Format: UK English