The Garner Poems

Creating songs of both eulogy and revolution, the expansion of 21st century black consciousness is felt in waves through Ohio’s Mourning [A] BLKstar. A force that has deep conviction, purpose, and weight, songs are voiced through the a lens of chopped up drum grooves, stark melodies, washed-out synth tones, and historic sample pulls. On “The Garner Poems” the group traffics their signature gritty strain of DIY Afrofuturist soul music, balancing hip-hop production techniques with lo-fi experimentation to create a sonic suite that eulogizes victims of police brutality, including Tamir Rice and Eric Garner, as well as bringing forth a conversation that aligns with the political and emotional state of this world. “The Garner Poems” are modern day spirituals of reverence and despair that serve as both a force of light and a schematic for hope, survival, and independence.

credits

WRITTEN BY
RA Washington + LaToya Kent
PRODUCED BY
RA Washington
ARRANGED BY
M[A]B
RECORDED AT
Bad Racket Cleveland

M[A]B IS
James Longs
Kyle Kidd
LaToya Kent
Theresa May
William Washington
Dante Foley
Pete Saudek
Andersiin Pyramids
Kafari
RA Washington

“Given that the very first show that Mourning [A] BLKstar, a local self-described DIY Afrofuturist soul group that’s received some national attention and widespread critical acclaim, played was a memorial service for a friend of the band who was murdered, it’s only fitting that band ringleader R.A. Washington would describe the group’s new album, The Garner Poems, as a collection of dirges. ”

— -Jeff Niesel, Cleveland Scene Magazine