4 days ago
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Between Us will be released in late April via Fontana with an exact date yet to be confirmed, following Rakei’s 2024 LP The Loop and its deluxe version released later that year.
“Easy to Love”, featuring Jungle co-founder Tom McFarland, arrives after previous single “What It Gave Me” featuring Jalen Ngonda, which dropped back in November, offering the latest look at the collaborations appearing on the EP.
Discussing the track and his collaboration with McFarland, Rakei says: ”I’d seen Jungle a few times over the summer beforehand and had been a fan of their music for years, so I was super excited to finally get in the studio with Tom. In many ways we come from similar influences, a shared love of groove, AND we’re both producer-songwriters, so it felt natural sharing the responsibilities and creative decisions together.
“Bouncing around between instruments. We hit it off straight away. We talked about our kids, life in London, and what it meant for me to be working at Abbey Road, and then we just rolled straight into making the song. By the time lunch was over, it was basically done. It just flowed out of us. Really relaxed, fun, and natural.”
The EP was recorded towards the end of Rakei’s time as Artist in Residence at Abbey Road Studios. In addition to McFarland and Ngonda, he invited collaborators FKJ, Nubya Garcia, and Ezra Collective drummer Femi Koleoso to each join him for a one-day writing session, with the final results forming the songs on Between Us.
Speaking on the EP, Rakei shares: “I had a lot of fun making this EP. For me, it really captures my time at Abbey Road. While I was there working on my own music, I also found myself diving into loads of spontaneous collaborations, using the space almost like a creative playground. I had so many different artists and musicians come through, and it constantly kept me on my toes and excited. With everyone I worked with on this record, we set ourselves a simple goal: make a song in one day — and whatever came of it, that’s what it was. No overthinking.
That freedom was incredibly liberating. When you’re making music with the intention of releasing it, things can start to feel very serious. But this felt different. It took me back to my teenage years, making beats with friends and throwing them up on SoundCloud just because we loved it. It’s a super chilled, fun project, and I’m really glad it’s out in the world.”
Between Us tracklist
“What It Gave Me” with Jalen Ngonda
“Easy To Love” with Tom McFarland (From JUNGLE)
“It Never Ends” with Femi Koleoso (From Ezra Collective)
“Problems” with FKJ
“Monsters” with Nubya Garcia
English (US) · 