By Rinelda Mouton
After a five-year break from releasing an album, award-winning Namibian artist EES, also known as Eric Sell, has returned with Freshness, his 16th studio album, marking a new chapter in his music career.
The album brings together EES’s musical influences and collaborations with TopCheri, Mr. Glo Solani, Oteya, Space, ESB and Kelvin Declined.
The album includes previously released singles such as “Manuva”, “You Smell So Good”, “Beautiful Enough”, “Aye Ayo” and “Big, Round & Beautiful”, alongside new material.
EES said the album explores Amapiano and its characteristic rhythmic elements, combining them with his own musical background in Kwaito, as well as Pop, House, Reggae and Hip-Hop influences.
He said the album contains live musical instruments, including drums, bass, guitar, saxophone, keyboards and trumpets, including baritone.
For EES, his new offering represents a new chapter in his music.
“The idea behind the title came from how I was feeling about music and the world around me. At some point, everything started feeling a bit dull and repetitive to me. I wanted to bring a certain type of freshness back into music and, at the same time, into my own sound. I didn’t want to simply repeat what I had done before. I wanted to take everything I have learned over the years and give it a new energy,” EES said.
The German-based artist said the album contains songs about positivity, love, relationships, self-confidence, unity and enjoying life.
“There is a bigger message behind the album for me: you can evolve without forgetting where you come from. I am a Namibian artist who has spent many years building a career in Germany, and Namibia is still very much at the heart of my music. The album is another way of showing that our stories and our sounds can travel far beyond Namibia,” EES said.
EES said he did not rush releasing the album, which took him five years to complete.
He said that as an artist, he knows that sometimes a song needs time before being released.
“The CD was developed over time. Some of the songs were written and recorded years ago, while other songs came much later. During those five years, my own musical taste and the music around me continued to change, especially with the rise of Amapiano. I kept going back to the songs, changing things, adding new ideas and sometimes completely rethinking a track,” he said.
EES said he is currently busy with a Freshness Tour in Germany from 18 to 27 September, where he will perform the new material with his eight-piece combo brass live band.
“It is not simply about playing the songs from the record. Beyond that, I will continue developing new music, live projects and ways of connecting Namibian music and culture with audiences internationally,” EES said.
