John Orpheus returns to his Trinidadian roots with BACCHANAL, a mixtape steeped in Caribbean slang and West African rhythms.
The term 'bacchanal' means both a wild drunken party & high drama. It's also something you scream at a Caribbean fete/party on the verge of madness. Orpheus says, 'It’s a reference to Bacchus, the Greek god of wine and song, but to me it’s that feeling of being alive in a sea of chaos. That’s what being Trini is all about.”
The heartbeat of BACCHANAL is supplied by Sarah Riegler, Orpheus's musical soulmate and drummer. This winter, they began building pop songs off the traditional West African rhythms that are Sarah's specialty. The vibe was so evocative of his Caribbean roots that Orpheus instantly fell into Trini slang and so BACCHANAL was born.
Both vibes are loud & present throughout the mixtape. Lead single “JIGGY AF" employs the infamous 'bookshelf' dancehall riddim and the track “JOUVERT MORNING” is a vivid snapshot of the traditional Carnival all-night street party that leads to people getting covered in mud & oil. "STAY WOKE" and "SO WE SAY" dig deep into West Africa, as they are built upon rhythms from Guinea (Kuku) and Ghana (Kinka), respectively.
