Gordon Koang has shared details of his forthcoming 12th studio album ‘Community’, as well as its lead single.
The album, announced today (September 21), serves as the official follow-up to 2020’s ‘Unity’ – Koang’s first full-length studio album following his emigration from South Sudan to Australia. ‘Community’ was recorded in the same sessions that produced the two singles Koang released in 2021, ‘Coronavirus’ and ‘Disco’. Neither, however, will be included on the album.
A new single, ‘Kwai Obala’ (“hard boiled egg” in Hausa), has been shared today to accompany the album’s announcement. Listen to the song below:
In a press statement, Koang revealed that ‘Kwai Obala’ is so named after a woman from his home country. “She is a doctor working in the Upper Nile area of South Sudan, where I am from,” he said. “I composed the song for her. She is a great doctor. She is doing [her] best, treating our children.”
‘Community’ was recorded by Koang alongside his longterm collaborator and cousin, Paul Biel. They were joined in the studio by Traffik Island‘s Zak Olsen, Olsen’s Orb bandmate Daff Gravolin, Leah Senior collaborator Jesse Williams and producer/multi-instrumentalist Jack Kong. Olsen also served as the album’s producer.
The album is set for release on Friday November 11. Locally, it will be released by Melbourne-based label Music In Exile, which describes itself as “a not-for-profit record label” that is “championing stories of culturally and linguistically diverse musicians”. In North America, the album will be released via Polyvinyl.
‘Community’ can be pre-saved and pre-ordered here, with a full tracklist and album artwork available below.
Gordon Koang’s ‘Community’ track-listing is:
1. ‘Nina Wasalna’
2. ‘Malɛ mi gɔa ji Soba̱t’
3. ‘Kerang’
4. ‘Australia’
5. ‘To You My People’
6. ‘Han Che Kon Muong Ke Nyal’
7. ‘Wa̱lɛ nɛmɛ’
8. ‘Kwai Obala’
