London duo Wayward bring their deftness in producing bold and emotive cuts to a revealing debut album Waiting For The World. A leap in artistry, it showcases what Louis Greenwood and Lawrence Hayes are capable of when calling upon intimate memories and feelings, with a diverse body of work that mixes mellowed electronica with breaks, DnB, jungle and techno.
An ode to records like Burial’s seminal opus Untrue, a constant source of inspiration which opened doors in the duo’s minds that elec...
London duo Wayward bring their deftness in producing bold and emotive cuts to a revealing debut album Waiting For The World. A leap in artistry, it showcases what Louis Greenwood and Lawrence Hayes are capable of when calling upon intimate memories and feelings, with a diverse body of work that mixes mellowed electronica with breaks, DnB, jungle and techno.
An ode to records like Burial’s seminal opus Untrue, a constant source of inspiration which opened doors in the duo’s minds that electronic music can conjure up feelings and visuals. This realisation sent them off on the same tangent in their music, as Waiting For The World demonstrates.
Wayward explains – “This album is our first full length and it feels like we’re making the music we should be. You don’t get a shot at a debut album twice, and we wanted to put out a sonically diverse record that is as energising as it is emotionally-evocative with atmospheric tracks to chill to, and ones with the energy of club impact. We focussed on conjuring specific times, moods and places to bring through reinterpretations of memories and moments not just for us, but for anyone listening”
In the studio they have a history of delivering high quality productions for artists across a spectrum of genres, including Grammy-winning creative giant Skrillex, Ninja Tune’s Park Hye Jin, and Camden singer/songwriter Chelou.
This album, however, comes on the other side of a creative block which had Louis feeling lost. A solo clubbing experience in Tokyo was the big breakthrough he needed and he returned feeling hugely inspired, laying down a thumping brew of techno, hip hop and soul in the studio. A global lockdown gave the pair a chance to journey back through music they had made across the past two years in London, Berlin, and Los Angeles, where they spent time at a writing camp with iconic Detroit producer Amp Fiddler while working on Chelou’s album.
A turnaround in creative steam and Waiting For The World started to take shape.
‘Oath’, named after the club in Tokyo, chases down the sounds Louis heard within its walls. Flickers of introspective melancholy and euphoria can be heard through scintillating synths and wistful keys in tracks like ‘Canvey Island’ and ‘Bright’. Emotive qualities also come through on tracks dedicated to loved ones, such as ‘Jill’ and ‘Casper part 1’.
Thoughtful samples are laced throughout, the most striking within the explosive ‘All A Bit Mad’ where you’ll hear Femi Koleoso (drummer of London Nu Jazz band Ezra Collective), hyping up the crowd at a gig in London. Uplifting from the get go Femi’s MC Style chants overlay the synths and drums Wayward have primed for the reopening of dance floors. The nostalgic first single ‘Back To The Old Days’ encapsulates their years DJing and putting on events in Leeds, curating impressive line-ups with Benji B, DJ EZ and Giles Peterson to name a few.
Friends since the age of 11 and bonded by a lifelong love for music the pair share a studio and live together in North London where they grew up influenced by the city. In the ten years Louis and Lawrence have been immersed in the scene they’ve DJ’d across the UK, wider Europe, the US and Australia; curated a series of revered club nights in the UK; released a stack of notable releases through Cin Cin Records, Beats Of No Nation and finally found a home in Silver Bear Recordings, a label they’ve been A&Rs for since 2017, steadily crafting its sound, signing regular music from the likes of O’Flynn, and now the home for their debut album