Surf Coast bred multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Immy Owusu launches his dreamy new single Flashback, where spacious cinematic psych meets pulsing Afro disco, out on March 30th through Hopestreet Recordings. Immy variously describes his sound as “Afrodelik” and “lo-fi highlife" and it is a synthesis of his Ghanaian roots and his family’s musical traditions with his own explorations as a 21st century troubadour in the vein of Rodriguez or Mano Chao. Flashback is the first single from an album due later in 2023 and Melbourne fans can enjoy the debut of Immy’s new band at his residency at Shotkickers, every Wednesday in April.

Flashback was live-tracked with an all-star band, featuring members of Surprise Chef and Karate Boogaloo as well as some of Australia’s most accomplished Ghanaian musicians. Immy’s voice is resonant and commanding throughout the song and the hypnotic refrain “maybe I should have listened” takes us away to an ethereal dimension while the band weaves it’s magic around him. Immy’s delicate fingerpicked electric guitar dances around Lachlan Stuckey’s hypnotic riff on the second guitar while Henry Jenkins’ pulsing bass and Julius Sackey’s deft drums sit in the perfect pocket. Jethro Curtin’s quirky monosynth leads take center stage when Immy isn’t leading and Kojo Noah Owusu, Immy’s father, blesses the sessions with Kpanlogo drum rhythms and a rambunctious talking drum overdub that interjects and comments throughout. The final touch is provided by delicate backing vocals by Kuukua Acquah, Pia Nesvara and Izzy Adjei.

“Flashback was the first demo I ever made about 7 years ago. My mum put on this house concert in Torquay with Moussa Diakite, this awesome Malian guitarist from Sydney who used to play with Salif Keita in the 90's. In an impromptu guitar lesson in the lounge room he taught me this really cool Malian guitar scale. I first wrote Flashback as a way to practice that scale. I used to walk my dogs down on Spring Creek in Torquay playing this song on uke. So when they heard 'Flashback' they knew it was time for a walk.”