Tokunbo - Golden Days (2022) [Hi-Res]

"I wanted to write the album that the world needs right now; an album full of optimsm and assurance," says TOKUNBO, the winner of both the International Acoustic Music Award and Global Music Award. The singer-songwriter and voice of the extremely successful acoustic soul jazz combo Tok Tok Tok (decorated with five German Jazz Awards) from 1998 to 2013, continues the story of folk noir with "Golden Days", her third solo recording.

With her latest work, the TOKUNBO delivers a warm-hearted blend of folk and jazzy pop, with a cheeky hint of country. An album like a golden autumn day. She wrote the eleven tracks for “Golden Days” during Lockdown 2020, when the musician had to cope with both the unpredictable situation as an artist as well as a young mother – challenging, yet also inspiring weeks and months. Thrown back on herself, she conjured up the new songs from memories, thoughts and wishes. Music for the soul, earthy, luminous and gentle, which wraps itself around the listener like a soft blanket and lets him see the beauty in this sometimes dark-looking world. The album is also a stylistic salute to the classic songwriters of the 70s such as The Carpenters and Carol King. TOKUNBO sounds grounded, and at peace with herself and the world.

That touch of melancholy that TOKUNBO's folk noir established on the previous albums “Queendom Come” and “The Swan” is still there, but here it seems like a small, nostalgic sigh in a world that is otherwise optimistic. “Golden Days” marks a new chapter for the artist, revealing a new facet of her work. The positive look ahead and the gentle glance back are underlined by filigree guitars, shimmering soundscapes and unconventional rhythm arrangements. TOKUNBO's warm, clear voice transmits a smile from the heart - and that certainly also applies to her fans, with whom the songwriter maintains a close relationship and who also contributed significantly to the creation of "Golden Days" via crowdfunding.

TOKUNBO recorded this album with several longtime companions. The eleven songs on 'Golden Days' were written together with producers and musicians Ulrich Rode (guitar) and Matthias 'Maze' Meusel (drums). As on previous recordings, Christian Flohr contributes earthy warmth on bass, whilst multi-instrumentalist Anne de Wolff provides a diverse soundscape with floating strings. The entire production is airy and clear, with a bold sense of reduction. The album was mixed and tonally refined by industry expert Marc Ebermann (Scorpions, Roger Cicero), so that hi-fi fans will yet again be thrilled.