Drawing from West African records, Latin influences, and 90s R&B, the duo that is Owelu Dreamhouse with co-producer Henry Jenkins have got and Melbourne's top session players to create tracks that'll make 'Owelu Dreamhouse' a must have album.
The compilation to celebrate Hopestreet Studios 16th Birthday (see review HERE) did not give us any warning about Owelu Dreamhouse debut, 'Owelu Dreamhouse'.
The artist based co-operative who have released 50 records whilst "fostering a community spanning soul, R&B, funk, Latin, Bollywood psychedelia and more" have excelled themselves on Owelu Dreamhouse as their Charles Stepney meets Motown opus as Nkechi Anele (vocals with Saskwatch) and multi-instrumentalist Nic Ryan-Glenie with a blend of Afrobeat, soul, psych, jazz in an cinematic setting a la prime Curtis Mayfield / Isaac Hayes.
'Struggle For Kasawa' hints at 70s Blaxploitation with a 60s Bassey/Winehouse element, throw in some beats with 'Okra 4 Bilalli' and gentle jazz ('Yellow Trumpet'), the album explores "being a third-culture kid, with the band's name playing on Nkechi's grandmother's village Owaelu in Nigeria - single 'Tourist' captures the complexity of returning home while simultaneously feeling out of place" whilst the heavy percussion and horns keep it Afrobeat centric, like the stand-out 'Oluwatsam' and the Manu Dibango-influenced 'Stutter' (Ed. the Cameroonian saxophonist who had world wide hits with 'Soul Makossa', 'Big Blow' and many more).
Touched by the poetry of 'Daughters Always Listening' that flows into the the soul-pop of 'Niger River' the Hopestreet 17th Birthday party is going to be special as the the spirit of West Coast Africa links up with south coast Aussie .
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Artist: Owelu Dreamhouse
Title: Owelu Dreamhouse
Release date: 6th February, 2026
Label : Hopestreet Recordings
Catalog Number : HS
Format: Vinyl LP / Digital / Bandcamp
