Kamaal Williams

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Kamaal Williams
Birth nameHenry Wu
Born (1989-12-14) 14 December 1989 (age 34)
OriginPeckham, London, England
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician, producer
Instrument(s)
Years active2008–present
Labels
Formerly of
  • Yussef Kamaal
Websitekamaalwilliams.bandcamp.com

Kamaal Williams (born Henry Wu,14 December 1989) is a British musician and record producer.

He began his career producing house and broken beat music as Henry Wu, but rose to prominence with drummer Yussef Dayes as Yussef Kamaal, releasing their only album Black Focus (2016). Williams has since released three solo albums under his record label Black Focus, including The Return (2018), Wu Hen (2020), and Stings (2023).

Williams' musical style relies on improvisation, including live performances, and he creates music under his own genre of jazz, hip-hop, R&B and EDM which he dubs "Wu Funk".

Life and career[edit]

Early life and career beginnings[edit]

My life is the biggest inspiration.

—Williams, 2023[1]

Williams was born as Henry Wu on 14 December 1989,[2][3][4] in Peckham, South London to a Taiwanese mother and British father who both worked as architects.[5][6] Growing up, Williams took an interest in learning Mandarin and Chinese calligraphy.[5] From an early age, Williams was involved with a number of creative pursuits. His interest in calligraphy, as well as his parents' involvement with graphic design, contributed to an interest in street art and graffiti culture.[5] Because of his mixed race, Williams struggled to connect with British culture, but was able to resonate with West African and Jamaican communities in Peckham.[7]

Williams took an early interest in music. In primary school, he learnt drums and percussion[8] which he played in the school band.[5] It was during this time that Williams cultivated a formative grounding in jazz, funk and house music. His father introduced him to jazz with songs by Miles Davis and John Coltrane.[5] Alongside an interest in jazz, Williams also developed a taste for garage and grime music.[5] After attending high school, Williams attended the Bermondsey Centre of Southwark College, where he studied music production and learned to play the keyboard.[5][8]

Around this time, Williams began gigging regularly around London and, aged 17, started a band with Katy B alongside drummer Joshua McKenzie.[9][10] He played with the group for two years before leaving to produce his own music.[11]

Yussef Kamaal[edit]

Williams met drummer Yussef Dayes in 2007. The two kept in touch and played together on occasion, but upon rehearsing William's solo work for a Boiler Room gig, they started playing as a band.[12] In 2016, the band performed a 20-minute live set at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards, after which Peterson landed them a deal at his Brownswood Recordings record label.[5][13] Under the label, the band released their only studio album Black Focus on 4 November and reached number 26 in the Official Charts Company's Jazz & Blues chart.[14] Thom Jurek of AllMusic described the album as having "spiritual jazz funk, broken beat, and global sounds".[13] Kalia Ammar of Clash wrote that the album has "a consistent soundscape of gently streaking strings morphing into the buzz of Williams' synths, all whilst Dayes' frenetic afro-jazz and junglist drum beats rumble beneath",[15] and has also said that the duo "captured the unpredictable and at times fragmented intensity of [jazz being played live]".[15]

In March 2017, shortly before the band's scheduled performance at the SXSW music festival, Yussef Kamaal were refused entry to the United States after Dayes' visa was revoked in accordance with an executive immigration order implemented by the Trump administration.[16] On 4 May 2017, they issued a statement that "for private and unforeseen reasons the original line up of Yussef Kamaal will no longer perform together".[17] On his split with Dayes, Williams commented: "Nothing has really ended; it travelled into something new and fresh now."[18] Ammar said that the album contributed to Williams' rise to prominence.[19] It also earned the duo the 'Breakthrough Act' award at the 2017 Jazz FM awards.[20]

Solo career[edit]

In 2018, Williams released his debut solo album The Return under his newly established Black Focus Records label, charting in the UK at number 63.[21][5] For the album, Williams enlisted the services of his former bandmate McKenzie on drums and bassist Pete Martin. According to Michael J West of Bandcamp Daily, Williams continued the style that Black Focus left off, where "it focuses on pure groove, augmented with loop-like repeated motifs but achieves them with live drums, funk-driven bass, and smooth, twinkling Fender Rhodes lines".[22] Following the album's release, The Return was remixed by Snips with vocal samples from the Wu-Tang Clan.[23][24] The staff of Mixmag ranked Black Focus Records as number one in its list of the Best Record Labels of 2018.[25]

Williams released a 12" single titled "New Heights (Visions of Aisha Malik)" in 2019, with "Snitches Brew" as its b-side.[11] The single's video was directed by Greg Barnes and Its visuals take inspiration from Martial Arts.[26]

In 2020, Williams released his second album Wu Hen under his Black Focus label. Critics noted the maturity of Williams in the album, and considered it his proper debut, which drifted from the sound in his previous albums The Return and Black Focus.[27][28] Jack Bray of The Line of Best Fit classified the album as a jazz record, but stated that it experiments with genres, "Wu Hen could be an R&B album, it could be funk the next minute and then a house or breakbeat track the next minute".[29]

His third studio album, Stings, had been announced, where with it, he intends to "integrate more oriental imagery and add more melodic elements."[7] It was released on 27 September 2023 under Black Focus Records.[30]

Career as Henry Wu[edit]

From 2011 onward, Williams released house and broken beat music under the name Henry Wu.[11][5] He assisted Saxophonist Tenderlonious in establishing 22a, a London-based, artist-run record label.[10] In 2015, Williams collaborated with fellow London based producer, K15, to produce an EP entitled WU15.[18]

From 2017 to 2020, Williams hosted a monthly radio show on NTS Radio as Henry Wu, playing a selection of music from his influences and associated acts in the London scene.[31]

Williams released an anthology of his Henry Wu material titled Shades of Wu on 27 November 2020.[32] He also released an EP titled Phone Call on July 14, 2022.[33]

Musical style[edit]

"Mr. Wu"
A 21-second sample of "Mr. Wu", taken from Wu Hen (2020). Williams considers its "four-to-floor beat" as his signature sound.[2]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

According to a Bandcamp Daily article, Williams finds his ideas though "a rough, basic idea: a motif, a beat, a timbre, or a combination of the above".[22] Williams prioritises rhythm in his music. Having previously been a drummer, Williams aims to bring a percussive approach to the keyboard.[18] He creates music under his own genre of jazz, hip-hop, R&B and EDM which he dubs "Wu Funk". Critics have considered his second album Wu Hen as an example "Wu Funk".[27][28]

Despite influences such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock, Williams has rejected the term 'jazz' being applied to his music, citing the "elitist" and traditionalist connotations it evokes.[5][22][9] Piotor Orlov of NPR said that "[Williams'] 'jazz' is grounded in post-Mwandishi Herbie Hancock, Bob James' "Nautilus" and J Dilla productions."[10] Williams has also listed Jamiroquai, Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd, the 2001 album Execute by Oxide & Neutrino,[5] and his home city of London as influences on his music. Williams said that The Return represents all of London.[3] He was also initially influenced in producing hip hop in the style of 90s boom bap.[34]

When playing live, Williams said that he with his own band "completely improvise with the base of the song. On the night we don’t know how it’s going to sound. Spontaneous and loose in the structure, it allows us to express ourselves. We just let it roll out."[3] He also likens playing live to having a conversation with his musicians.[1]

When Williams performed with Dayes in Yussef Kamaal, Jochan Embley wrote in a 2017 gig review that they had a "preternatural ability to predict and effortlessly follow whichever direction the other is about to fly off into."[35] However, Orlov opined that the duo's album Black Focus undermined William's musical abilities.[10] In contrast, Ammar commented that after his split from Dayes, Williams: "struggled to establish his solo sound without the powerhouse drumming of his former partner Dayes".[36]

Instruments[edit]

On his album The Return, Williams has used a Nord Electro keyboard, a Roland Juno 106 and a Wurlitzer piano.[37]

Personal life[edit]

Williams adopted the name Kamaal (meaning "perfect") upon converting to Islam in 2011, and stringed it with his father's surname.[7][10] According to a 2018 interview, Williams said that religion has played a key role in his career, reminding him to remain humble and grateful in the face of success.[38] The doctrinal principles of Islam are the "foundations" of Williams' beliefs, and, according to the artist, "translate into his music".[8] In a 2018 interview, Williams said on the topic of changing his name: "...as a creative it just allows you to express yourself in a different way. Henry Wu is my ethnic background, and Kamaal is my spiritual background."[3] In another interview with The Indian Express, Williams stated: "Kamaal Williams is more like a conceptual band, and Henry Wu is the DJ, the producer, the mastermind".[6]

Discography[edit]

As Henry Wu[edit]

  • Stir Fry Beats (2012)[39]
  • Natural Complexion (2014)[40]
  • Negotiate EP (2015)[41]
  • Good Morning Peckham (2015)[42]
  • Motions Of Wu Vol. 1 (2015)[43]
  • 27 Karat Years (with Tito Wun) (2016)[44]
  • Henry Wu & Banton (2016)[45]
  • Deep in the Mud (with Banton (2017)[46]
  • Projections EP (with Earl Jeffers) (2018)[47]
  • Shades Of Wu: The Anthology (2020)[32]
  • Phone Call (2022)[33]

With Yussef Kamaal[edit]

As Kamaal Williams[edit]

Collaborations[edit]

WU15[edit]

  • WU15 (2015)

DJ mix albums[edit]

Soundtrack contributions[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Shlensky, Carolyn (30 May 2023). "A Few Minutes with Kamaal Williams". Roland Corporation. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Wu Hen by Kamaal Williams on Apple Music". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d "KAMAAL WILLIAMS — Ala Champ". Ala Champ. Archived from the original on 29 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Today is my 34th year on this earth". Retrieved 14 December 2023 – via Instagram.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Kamaal Williams And 'The Return' Of Acid Jazz". Vinyl Me Please. 25 May 2018. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  6. ^ a b Majumdar, Anushree (9 December 2018). "Meet the British-Chinese Muslim man from south London reinventing jazz". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  7. ^ a b c Lee, Nicole (31 January 2023). "台英混血音樂家Kamaal Williams吳罕帶你進入爵士樂的新世代". Vogue Taiwan (in Chinese). Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  8. ^ a b c "Henry Wu: A Day In The Life". Boiler Room. 9 May 2015. Archived from the original on 1 November 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  9. ^ a b Ghassemitari, Shawn (25 March 2022). "Kamaal Williams Embodies the Sound of the London Underground". Hypebeast. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  10. ^ a b c d e "Kamaal Williams' 'The Return' Is An Elastic And Funky Debut". Npr.org. Archived from the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  11. ^ a b c Collar, Matt. "Kamaal Williams Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  12. ^ Jurek, Thom. "Yussef Kamaal | Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  13. ^ a b Jurek, Thom. "Black Focus Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  14. ^ "Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart on 25/11/2016". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  15. ^ a b "Yussef Kamaal - Black Focus". Clash Magazine. Archived from the original on 2 August 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  16. ^ "Yussef Kamaal and United Vibrations barred from entering America". Jazz FM. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  17. ^ Murray, Robin (4 May 2017). "Yussef Kamaal To Perform Separately". Clash. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  18. ^ a b c "Behind the scenes with the Kamaal Williams Ensemble – Madrid, Fundación Teléfonica, May 2017". World is Music. 12 June 2017. Archived from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  19. ^ Kalia, Ammar (24 July 2020). "Kamaal Williams: Wu Hen review – jazz-soul revivalist's fitful return". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  20. ^ "Yussef Kamaal confirm split". Jazz FM. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  21. ^ "Kamaal Williams | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  22. ^ a b c West, Michael J. (18 May 2018). "Kamaal Williams on Life After "Black Focus" and How He Defies the Jazz Fusion Label". Bandcamp Daily. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  23. ^ Yeung, Vivian (11 September 2018). "Kamaal Williams drops Wu-Tang Clan edit of debut album 'The Return'". Crack Magazine. Archived from the original on 28 September 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  24. ^ Cantor, Dave (7 March 2019). "Kamaal Williams finds the essence of groove in jazz". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on 4 January 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  25. ^ "The Best Record Labels Of 2018". Mixmag. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  26. ^ Kent-Smith, Jasmine (9 March 2019). "Kamaal Williams mixes music with martial arts in new video". Mixmag. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  27. ^ a b Jurek, Thom. "AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  28. ^ a b Gatward, Tristan. "Kamaal Williams – Wu Hen – Review". Loud and Quiet. Archived from the original on 18 September 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  29. ^ Bray, Jack (20 July 2020). "Kamaal Williams will shake your expectations before delivering on Wu Hen". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 17 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  30. ^ Murray, Robin (11 July 2023). "Kamaal Williams Announces New Album 'Stings'". Clash. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  31. ^ Radio, NTS. "Black Focus w/ Henry Wu". NTS Radio. Archived from the original on 1 November 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  32. ^ a b "Shades Of Wu: The Anthology by Henry Wu". Retrieved 23 April 2022 – via Bandcamp.
  33. ^ a b "Phone Call by Henry Wu". Retrieved 20 July 2022 – via Bandcamp.
  34. ^ ""Jazz Is About A Representation Of The Time": An Interview With Yussef Kamaal". Passion of the Weiss. 3 November 2016. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  35. ^ Embley, Jochan (24 March 2017). "Yussef Kamaal bring the rhythm to north London". The Independent. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  36. ^ Kalia, Ammar (24 July 2020). "Kamaal Williams: Wu Hen review – jazz-soul revivalist's fitful return". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  37. ^ Spice, Anton (20 June 2018). "Watch our new film in the studio Kamaal Williams: The Keys of Wu". The Vinyl Factory. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  38. ^ "Meet one of the UK jazz scene's brightest stars, Henry Wu". Redbull.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2018.[dead link]
  39. ^ Stir Fry Beats (Digital release). Henry Wu. GorillaTech Records. 2012.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  40. ^ Natural Complexion (Digital release). Henry Wu. XVI Records. 2014.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  41. ^ Negotiate (LP). Henry Wu. Ho Tep. 2015. HOTEP008.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  42. ^ Good Morning Peckham (LP). Henry Wu. Rhythm Section International. 2015. RS007.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  43. ^ Motions Of Wu Vol. 1 (LP). Henry Wu. Odd Socks. 2015. ODD008.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  44. ^ 27 Karat Years (LP). Henry Wu & Tito Wun. Tartelet Records. 2016. TART037.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  45. ^ Henry Wu & Banton (LP). Henry Wu & Banton. Soundofspeed. 2016. SOSR022.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  46. ^ Deep in the Mud (LP). Henry Wu & Banton. Eglo Records. 2017. EGLO51.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  47. ^ Projections (LP). Henry Wu & Earl Jeffers. MCDE. 2018. MCDE 1216.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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