15 Years Gretchen: Romare x Wayne Snow

Romare* live + Wayne Snow *live

Romare X Wayne Snow: An evening full of groove, depth, and musical discoveries. With his new album “Oblivion,” Romare turns his attention to the present—in rhythmic collages of samples, instruments, and surprising musical connections. Wayne Snow explores the emotional possibilities of electronic music with his latest “Future Soul.” Two distinct approaches, united by groove, curiosity, and the desire to push musical boundaries.

Under the pseudonym Romare, British artist Archie Fairhurst creates playful collages drawing from sources such as blues, gospel, jazz, soul, hip-hop, house, disco, and bass music. One could simply describe his method as sampling, but Romare goes far beyond that. He borrows his stage name from the American collage artist Romare Bearden—a nod to his creative process: surprising connections continually emerge from samples, instruments, and a wide variety of musical fragments. As rich in detail as his productions may be, he never loses sight of his goal: to create music that engages the mind and sets the body in motion.

From the global sound collages of his early releases to the cinematic soundscapes of “Fantasy,” Romare has continually expanded his musical language. With the album “Oblivion,” announced for September, he is now focusing more than ever on the present. Between downtempo, broken beat, and pulsating grooves, a field of tension emerges in which personal and social issues resonate—ranging from technological and ecological tipping points to questions of power and social justice.

Wayne Snow blends neo-soul, Afrobeat, hip-hop, jazz, electronica, and various synth-based styles, combining them with soulful falsetto vocals. Shaped by artists such as Fela Kuti, Marvin Gaye, King Sunny Ade, Sade, and Sun Ra, the Nigerian-born, Berlin-based singer, producer, and songwriter consistently builds upon these influences. Snow describes his melodies as colors and is constantly working to expand his palette and create new shades and sound combinations. Over time—from his album “Freedom TV” (2017) through “Figurine” (2021) to his latest album “Snowdome”—his vision of Afrofuturism and soul has evolved. Less gentle or dreamy, but rather raw, defiant, chaotic, and yet deeply personal. This is future soul with a whole new emotional immediacy, tailored for a strange, electrifying present.