A Song For You is the groundbreaking Berlin-based vocal ensemble that unites over 50 artists from around the world. Founded by Dhanesh Jayaselan & Noah Slee in early 2022, the collective sits somewhere between Neo Soul, R&B and Gospel. At their core is a defiance of genre and a celebration of the voices that go underrepresented.
“We had been juggling around ideas on how we could create a project that would platform the incredible variety of talent that exists in Berlin’s live soulful music atmosphere – one that goes highly unrecognised, until more recently, but that stands on par with that of cities such as London, NYC and LA,” explains Dhanesh.
“Both Noah and I witnessed and experienced a lack of authentic representation in notable established artistic spaces. So then came A Song For You – a project which we founded to combat these frustrations, and to tell our story the way we wanted to, by us and for us.”
“What we have control over is the art,” Noah adds, “and if you make something that can exist in all these realms – and not purely because it’s BIPOC – it opens the door for more representation and hopefully creative expansion.”
Over the last two years, the ensemble has caught the imagination of the Berlin artistic community; most notably with their 2022 debut show at the iconic 800 capacity Volksbühne theatre which was an instant sell-out despite the band having only been known through word-of-mouth. Now, they’re capturing our ears – and hearts – once again with their debut album ‘Home’, which they’ll be performing at Theater des Westens on August 19th.
Across seventeen tracks, the release explores the idea of space – physically, culturally and spiritually. Voices merge seamlessly, forming a musical space where differences blend into beautiful unity. It’s an album that encapsulates their togetherness, vulnerability and collective joy.
SLEEK speaks to A Song For You founders Dhanesh Jayaselan & Noah Slee about the release, what home means to them and what they felt was missing from the musical landscape.
S: As musicians of colour, what was it you felt missing from Berlin’s musical landscape before you founded A Song For You?
DJ: Flavour. Spice. Something that went a little deeper than surface level. A creative entity that existed with such a narrative that was given the chance to flourish to such capabilities. I think a lot of things work against it, so it was up to us to create our own pathway in this landscape.
S: You work with multiple voices to create a singular harmony. How do you navigate your many different sounds to make one song? What’s the process like?
DJ: When starting out with the ensemble, we really imagined a sound that fused so much of what we loved; soulful music with the gentle touch of classical influence while also having this driving Hip Hop element. We also wanted to incorporate the groove into it, because you know, as a group we like to celebrate and dance, but then also bring it back to super minimal-esque sound environments to let the raw narrative take hold and tell its own story. Once we built out this vision there was a process of working with members of the group, who are artists and songwriters themselves (Johnny Kulo, Aka Kelzz, D.$ahin, zoudè, MERON, Nando the Native, FAYIM, Lyriya, HOLAN, and more) to bring in their ideas, or existing songs, but reshape them in the form that suited A Song For You.
A big part of the sound was also crafted by our producer, S. Fidelity, whom we spent many, many hours in the studio with outside of our recording sessions, to bring what we had in our minds to the project. The process was incredible – it was so collaborative, but at times, it felt so isolating sitting in the studio for many hours putting all of these sound atmospheres together. I think, however, it really does represent what A Song For You is, in its foundation and early stages, and the coming together of all of the members and creatives who make this ensemble what it has become.
NS: It was important that we created a ‘choir sound’ that was true to our backgrounds and knowledge. African American gospel has inspired so much of popular music today and also this project. Singing qualities, tone, projection, and infliction is unmatched if you grow up in the church, gospel is life. I grew up going to a church in Aotearoa and we were inspired by the gospel greats but it was different in many ways and it had our own South Pacific touch. We knew we wanted to make a sound that was “us” because we are also so diverse in our backgrounds. We threw around the idea of fragility of the voice and how it can be used in the most gentle ways like a slight breeze. How soulful those moments can also be. It’s been a wonderful process to explore voices and the different approaches you can have and how that impacts the song’s direction.
S: Were there any other collectives or ensembles, past or present, that you felt particularly inspired by?
DJ: Touching Bass. The Roots. PG LANG. My Family.
NS: Oroko Radio, the Company (dance), Royal family (dance) choirs from home and Kapa Haka groups and other Pacific indigenous cultural groups.
S: What does home mean to you, and why was it something you wanted to explore for your first release?
DJ: We’ve answered this question numerous times now, and for me the answer is different every time. Home isn’t a place, it’s a feeling. I’ve never really felt a sense of belonging anywhere – being a mixed race person who was born into a country as a 3rd generation migrant, then growing up somewhere else that also wasn’t my homeland. So, if I think of a geographic location – it’s anywhere between the apartment I was born in, or my grandparents home in Penang, Malaysia, where so many of my family lived, or even the family house that my parents and sister still live in in Australia. But what transcends the geographical location is the spirit that exists in each of these places – one that I carry with me wherever I go. It’s a feeling of being in a place where I’m calm. Content. Where I can be me.
NS: This project and our gatherings have become ‘Home’ for many people and I wanted to acknowledge that. There aren’t many places where creative expression and community meet in the middle for BIPOC folks in Berlin. It’s been eye opening in how important these spaces are. ‘Home’ is creating space and holding space for self, others and future generations.
S: With the album, there’s a very clear exploration of space – physically, culturally and spiritually. With space, comes community and vulnerability. What did you learn in sharing space with over 50 other people?
DJ: It’s a very raw and vulnerable space and connection that we hold with and for one another – but that in itself is also something that does hold quite a lot of weight and responsibilityI think we’ve fostered such a beautiful space to share, connect, create, and exist in – but there comes with it many complexities.
NS: One thing that has been a highlight is when the spirit kicks in, in moments of collective singing and joy. It’s hard to put into words but it’s the highest point of expression when the world around you doesn’t exist. This doesn’t always happen in shows but often in rehearsals it’s powerful when music takes over you like that.
S: And how can community and togetherness create change in the context of a darkening political landscape?
DJ: I think there is a whole lot to learn outside of the eurocentric mindset and perspective. More than what is taught in our books, the rote-learnt history, and the mandated societal norms that we’re living under that, as you say, is darkening day by day. There is a lack of empathy, connection, general spirit and love for one another. I don’t say that in the context of “peace and love for everyone” (which I also do intend), but I say it in a way in which we’re growing so far away from one another for all the wrong reasons. We’re so distracted. I think sometimes we really just forget we’re humans, living, existing, breathing. I think if we can come back to that, and come back to what it means to connect with one another outside of a transactional experience, we’ll be on a better path moving forward. We try to live and experience this through our creative work – and its healing. Not only for us, but for the people who come to our shows – they share it with us.
Stream “Home” by A Song For You here. Watch a BTS of the making of the album below.