The L.A. Dance legend is celebrating 40 years of his career with a special, intimate show at Hackney's Night Tales Loft.
2024 marks 40 years since the release of his landmark debut On The Nile, containing the enduring hits 'Egypt, Egypt' and 'I Cry (Night After Night)' which have found favour with this generations dance fans.
Evoking pan-Africanism, thematically connected to Langston Hughes' I've Known Rivers and akin to Fela Kuti's Egypt 80 band and Sun Ra, Egyptian Lover connected the experience of Black American's in the 80s to the histories of Black people, whilst lacking the overt political messaging in favour of highly movable grooves.
In the tradition of Parliament-Funkadelic, Egyptian Lover championed a highly futuristic and space age sound in Black music, dubbed Afro-futurism. 80s vocoders and grand space operatic themes run rampant on his debut.
To celebrate the momentous occasion, Egyptian Lover is taking over a gorgeous little terrace in Hackney known as Night Tales Loft. Enjoy looking over the East London skyline at a relatively small and intimate venue, with a suprisingly packed-out soundsystem. Even if this is the first time you've heard of this guy, with tickets this cheap (currently £11.50) and a spot this good, it's definitely worth a punt.