‘Ode Ireti’ was the song heard around the world as &friends rose to prominence in 2022. The Nitefreak Remix of the quintessential afro-house track went viral – seeing the infectious chorus “O-le-le” becoming an instant staple in the sets of some of the biggest names in dance music.
To celebrate one year of ‘Ode Ireti’, project leader Sean Thomas partnered with Beatport and Label Radar to facilitate a Remix Contest where fans around the world could download the records original STEMS and submit their own remixes of the track that put the &friends movement on the map. Out of 278 producers, Sean hand picked 13 of his favorite submissions and is now releasing them as a full-length remix album called ‘Ode Ireti Pt. II’ The Album – slated for release on December 8th, 2023 via his own Hidden Hands imprint.
The essential mission of the &friends project is to amplify global voices. Touching every corner of the globe, ‘Ode Ireti Pt. II’ showcases hidden gems of producers hailing from New York, Nigeria, Brasil, Benin, South Africa, Morocco, France, Russia, Ecuador, and Italy. With providing a platform for new and emerging artists as a primary prerogative, the release of this Album exacts on the core values of &friends.
Creating community in a competitive industry is no easy feat, but &friends consistently finds itself at the intersection between authenticity and empowerment for an exponentially growing group of global creators. From the start, Sean Thomas has carved out a space in a hard-to-navigate landscape for the next generation of music-makers. This compilation brings together 13 undiscovered talents who all share the same love for the original track, as we see ‘Ode Ireti Pt. II’ already begin to deliver a whole new dimension to the &friends community. Impassioned by connecting the common threads between global cultures through sound is the essence of &friends, cultivating a spirit of commonality through a shared love of moving music.
Release Date: December 8th 2023. Buy Here
&Friends: Facebook // SoundCloud
Vxsion: Facebook // SoundCloud
Hidden Hands: SoundCloud