Beau Diako today cements his reputation as a bold, brilliant and imaginative new talent as he unveils his debut album ‘Nylon’. The sumptuous and soothing set has been previewed by a handful of tracks which have seen him collaborate with Ego Ella May, Rad Museum, emawk, Tobi Tunis, Bas and Etta Bond. His rise has been supported with mounting critical acclaim, Radio 1 airplay from Sian Elera (Chillest Record) and Gemma Bradley, plus strong playlist support on all streaming platforms, especially within the UK, Germany, US and Australia. Beau Diako says, “This album has definitely been hard work but it’s the most rewarding project I’ve been involved in.” While all of its singles standout in their own right, they all unite to give ‘Nylon’ a bright and exuberant cohesion. Collectively, it’s an album that excels on two levels: the songs all reveal new depths and layers the more time you spend with them. But it’s also a modern pop album to lose yourself within, as it gently glides from mellow alt-R&B to loose-limbed indie-pop, his mellifluous guitar work and lithe production at the centre of everything. Among the new tracks set to be discovered is the album’s new focus track ‘Normal’, which features Emilia Ali. A hushed collage of gently bewitching vocals, fragile guitar textures and tranquil beats, it’s perhaps the track that best encapsulates Beau’s aura of magnetic, mellow magic. WATCH THE OFFICIAL VIDEO HERE He adds, “I think ‘Normal’ best sums up the feel of the album as a whole. The original idea of the track was formed a few years ago with the talented Aidan Peterson (Instupendo) and after listening back a while later and falling in love with it, I decided to finish up the rest of the song with the help of some beautiful vocals and harmonies from Emilia Ali. There’s a fairly sad but uplifting air to the music that always gets me, which makes it one of my favourite tracks from the album.” Almost all of the tracks on the album are collaborated, who also include Galimatias and Tennyson. Unusually, Beau prefers to collaborate remotely, as the space gives him the time to leisurely contemplate his compositions. It also allows him to relish those moments when an artist submits a vocal which takes the song into a completely different realm. Born Beau Diakowicz (he’s a quarter Ukrainian), he was brought up in Fareham, a small town just north-west of Portsmouth. He was 15 when he started playing guitar – before that, his attention was focussed on playing football. But, not long after breaking his leg, one day he picked up one of his dad’s acoustic guitars that were lying around the house and decided he’d have a go at learning as many Radiohead songs as he could. ‘Street Spirit (Fade Out)’ was the first one he mastered and, from there, Beau’s virtuoso talent blossomed. Jeff Buckley, The Smiths, Sufjan Stevens – he got them all down. He experimented in various bands during and after college and it was when one group slid sideways that he was inspired to begin his own solo project as Beau Diako – a natural next step that forced him out of his comfort zone. The release of his 2019debut EP ‘Flutter’, which featured nocturnal groove of the Jordan Rakei-featuring ‘Flamingo’ as its lead track, felt like affirmation. His plans for a four-track follow-up EP then spiralled into ‘Nylon’, his creative gamble having paid off in abundance. ‘Nylon’ is now available HERE. In addition to the streaming and download formats, Beau Diako’s official store offers the album on double-vinyl. It also stocks a new t-shirt design and a limited edition A3 Risograph print. All items feature the distinct artwork of Somnath Bhatt, whose pixelated drawings present his own fascinating interpretations of Beau Diako’s soft sonic universe. |
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