There are few feelings that can never be easily replicated. Like how it feels when you take a long warm bubble bath. Or cool Sundays spent lolling away with a lover. However, somehow, Tay Iwar manages to capture the essence of all these feelings and bottles it up in his new album, Gemini.
With earphones plugged in, I transfigure from one innate emotion to another as the tracks roll on; one after the other. However different each emotion is, I still feel the same. It feels like falling in love with the same person over and over again, but on different days. How I imagine that girl from 50 First dates felt each day she woke up …. Including the confusion.
Tay Iwar’s, Gemini contains a form of confident confusion. A trait similar among Geminis.
Aptly named after the third zodiac sign, Gemini is also Tay Iwar’s third Album. Following Passport(2014) and Renasscentia(2016), Gemini displays the twin persona of the zodiac sign.
Like the story of the Dioscuri, the Greek twins Castor and Pollux, who the zodiac sign is named after, Gemini, the album, is part human and part immortal.
Brief Greek history: Pollux and Castor were twin half brothers. Children of Leda and siblings of Helen of Troy. Castor had a mortal father and so was mortal, Pollux on the other hand was the child of Zeus and so was immortal. Castor died in a war and Pollux asked Zeus to allow him share in his immortality so they could be together. That’s where Zeus turned them into the constellation Gemini.
Tay Iwar’s Gemini shares this same characteristics of an immortal man and a mortal man. It is blatantly honest, revealing Tay Iwar’s flaws when it comes to relationships.
Like any Gemini in love, Tay talks about his non-attachment in relationships, and his desire for personal growth and exploration. This is evident in Space, Sidelines and Fools.
At the same time Gemini preaches devotedness and loyalty to the subject of affection. A popular trait among a Gemini. This is heard in Keeps, Diamonds and Don’t Know.
Gemini the album embodies the traits of Gemini, the star sign, in its entirety.
The cover art is no exception. Created by Suleiman Gwadah, a Kaduna based digital artist, Terna Iwar , Soulection curator and photographer MontyLov and photographer Almass Badat, Gemini cover art blends the idea of the album as well as the zodiac sign.
The album art merges Suleiman’s afro-futuristic illustration with Almass’ vibrant photography. Depicting a darker or immortal Tay with a mortal or normal Tay hovering over a photograph of Tay. The conflicting twins dwelling within one being.
Released under USA based collective and label, Soulection, Gemini is a carefully curated sonic expression of thoughts, theories and emotions. Tay expresses himself with crafted lyrics while appealing with his soul-piercing vocals. The production and composition of Gemini is uniquely crafted to tell each story. Leaving a fine sonic fingerprint in your earlobes. Like the icing on the cake, it features the crème of the crop of Nigeria’s new and thriving alternative scene. Artists such as Odunsi (The Engine) – Tay’s label mate, Preye, Santi and Tay’s own brother Sute Iwar, grace the album with their unique styles.
Filtered with western influence, and still fully thriving in a local heartbeat that can now only be identified as Tay Iwar’s; Gemini is a looking glass of the future of African music.
Stream Gemini below: