Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
It's a pity that an artist of Jordan Rakei's calibre remains a "well-kept secret", a "name that is passed around" or an artist strictly "for those in the know"... Each new album by this New Zealand soul artist, who has been living in London since 2015, reminds us of the subtlety of his writing, the uniqueness of his voice and the depth of his music. What We Call Life, his fourth studio album and third for the Ninja Tune label, is a change of pace from this major voice of contemporary soul and R&B. For the first time, Rakei has produced a record that goes heavy on introspection, with themes of therapy, positive psychology, meditation and mindfulness at its core. “I realised I would love to talk about the different lessons I learned from therapy in my music: about my early childhood, my relationship with my parents and siblings, becoming independent in London, being in a new marriage, and understanding how my marriage compares to the relationship my parents had,” he says. Hard to be more open than that.
To help him put this record together, the New Zealander immersed himself in the music of artists who have made no secret of their vulnerability: songs by Laura Marling, Scott Matthews, Joni Mitchell and John Martyn helped him write What We Call Life. “Their lyrics are usually very honest, and sometimes not even ambiguous,” he says. “I was jealous of how open they were, when my stuff in the past had been more like commentary.” This interweaving of influences gave birth to a soulful album which is modern in its form but timeless in its content. Its refined combination of electronics and acoustic sounds raises up the level of the production. This record is so good that Jordan Rakei soon won't have to remain a "well-kept secret", a "name that gets passed around" or an artist “for those in the know... "© Marc Zisman / Qobuz
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From kr124,99/month
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Sony/ATV, MusicPublisher - Jordan Rakei, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Ernesto Marichales, ComposerLyricist
2021 Ninja Tune 2021 Ninja Tune
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Jonathan Harvey, ComposerLyricist - Sony/ATV, MusicPublisher - Chris Hyson, ComposerLyricist - Jordan Rakei, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Jim Macrae, ComposerLyricist - Imraan Paleker, ComposerLyricist
2021 Ninja Tune 2021 Ninja Tune
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Jonathan Harvey, ComposerLyricist - Sony/ATV, MusicPublisher - Chris Hyson, ComposerLyricist - Jordan Rakei, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Jim Macrae, ComposerLyricist - Ernesto Marichales, ComposerLyricist - Imraan Paleker, ComposerLyricist
2021 Ninja Tune 2021 Ninja Tune
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Sony/ATV, MusicPublisher - Chris Hyson, ComposerLyricist - Jordan Rakei, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Jim Macrae, ComposerLyricist - Imraan Paleker, ComposerLyricist
2021 Ninja Tune 2021 Ninja Tune
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Sony/ATV, MusicPublisher - Jordan Rakei, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Jim Macrae, ComposerLyricist
2021 Ninja Tune 2021 Ninja Tune
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Jonathan Harvey, ComposerLyricist - Sony/ATV, MusicPublisher - Chris Hyson, ComposerLyricist - Jordan Rakei, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Jim Macrae, ComposerLyricist - Imraan Paleker, ComposerLyricist
2021 Ninja Tune 2021 Ninja Tune
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Jonathan Harvey, ComposerLyricist - Sony/ATV, MusicPublisher - Chris Hyson, ComposerLyricist - Jordan Rakei, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Jim Macrae, ComposerLyricist - Imraan Paleker, ComposerLyricist
2021 Ninja Tune 2021 Ninja Tune
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Jonathan Harvey, ComposerLyricist - Sony/ATV, MusicPublisher - Chris Hyson, ComposerLyricist - Jordan Rakei, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Jim Macrae, ComposerLyricist - Imraan Paleker, ComposerLyricist
2021 Ninja Tune 2021 Ninja Tune
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Sony/ATV, MusicPublisher - Jordan Rakei, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Jim Macrae, ComposerLyricist - Homay Schmitz, ComposerLyricist
2021 Ninja Tune 2021 Ninja Tune
Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Jonathan Harvey, ComposerLyricist - Sony/ATV, MusicPublisher - Chris Hyson, ComposerLyricist - Jordan Rakei, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Jim Macrae, ComposerLyricist - Imraan Paleker, ComposerLyricist
2021 Ninja Tune 2021 Ninja Tune
Album review
It's a pity that an artist of Jordan Rakei's calibre remains a "well-kept secret", a "name that is passed around" or an artist strictly "for those in the know"... Each new album by this New Zealand soul artist, who has been living in London since 2015, reminds us of the subtlety of his writing, the uniqueness of his voice and the depth of his music. What We Call Life, his fourth studio album and third for the Ninja Tune label, is a change of pace from this major voice of contemporary soul and R&B. For the first time, Rakei has produced a record that goes heavy on introspection, with themes of therapy, positive psychology, meditation and mindfulness at its core. “I realised I would love to talk about the different lessons I learned from therapy in my music: about my early childhood, my relationship with my parents and siblings, becoming independent in London, being in a new marriage, and understanding how my marriage compares to the relationship my parents had,” he says. Hard to be more open than that.
To help him put this record together, the New Zealander immersed himself in the music of artists who have made no secret of their vulnerability: songs by Laura Marling, Scott Matthews, Joni Mitchell and John Martyn helped him write What We Call Life. “Their lyrics are usually very honest, and sometimes not even ambiguous,” he says. “I was jealous of how open they were, when my stuff in the past had been more like commentary.” This interweaving of influences gave birth to a soulful album which is modern in its form but timeless in its content. Its refined combination of electronics and acoustic sounds raises up the level of the production. This record is so good that Jordan Rakei soon won't have to remain a "well-kept secret", a "name that gets passed around" or an artist “for those in the know... "© Marc Zisman / Qobuz
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:43:08
- Main artists: Jordan Rakei
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Ninja Tune
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B Soul
2021 Ninja Tune 2021 Ninja Tune
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.
