Anushka - Yemaya (2021)

Yemaya is the long-awaited new album and Tru Thoughts debut from future soul and electronica duo Anushka. The release features proceeding singles “You My Love”, “Speak To Me” and “Brave” which have seen support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Lauren Laverne, Jamz Supernova, Nemone (BBC 6 Music), Jack Saunders (BBC Radio 1), EARMILK, Music Is My Sanctuary, Clash Magazine and Toshio Matsuura.

The LP takes its name from the Orisha Yemaya – the Goddess of the Sea, protector of women and the Eternal Mother in the Santeria/Yoruba religion. It is believed in Santeria that Yemaya guides and supports her children, helping them to grow; as explored with the reference to the life-giving essence of water in focus track “Bad Weather”. Celebrating their progression and those who have helped them on the way, the title expresses the oneness that the duo felt making the record.

This growth is explored on album opener “So Far Journey”. Written by Victoria Port (singer/songwriter) as a “call to the ancestors”, the track explores coming back to yourself and who you truly are after a period of feeling displaced and lost. With astrally charged synths from Max Wheeler (producer), it sits alongside the cosmic love story of “You My Love” and the luminous “Serenity”. Speaking of the latter, Port adds: “It’s that feeling when a person makes it feel like home wherever you are. When something is stressful and you know they can help you find your peace”.