Held back from release for two years due to technical snags in both the production and the manufacturing, Guy Buttery has finally released his first EP. The recording is centred on a one-off collaboration with The Bandura Express Marimba Ensemble and features exclusive remixes as well as a rare live recording.
Bandura, the 11 piece horn section and marimba band, and Buttery were put together for a weekend of festival dates in the North West Province of South Africa and 10 minutes into the first rehearsal, were booking time in a studio to document the project.
When asked about the collaboration, Buttery said: "We hit it off immediately. I brought in my acoustic guitar with every intention of playing it but spotted a cheap Fender rip-off in the corner and ended up playing electric on the whole session. I know. I don't play electric guitar. Weird. But it worked. I think. The sessions were super festive with the 11 of us just going flat out all day with horns a-blazing and a full side of marimba fury. Think Paul Simon's Graceland but with less rounded edges."
Buttery then extended the invitation to a select few to do some remixes based on the sessions including the likes of UK based James Yorkston (Fourtet, Jon Hopkins), fellow Durbanite MISSU as well as Cape Town's very own Afro-electro artist, John Wizards. A rare and forgotten live recording from their very first concert together concludes the release. This music is now on sale at a COVID-19 "pay what you want" price alongside limited hand-numbered linocuts of the album artwork crafted by well-known South African artist Dylan McGarry.
Visit https://guybuttery.bandcamp.com/album/guy-buttery-the-bandura-express-marimba-ensemble
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