A ‘straight ahead’ mix from Naffi’s Brenda Ray including an unreleased track titled “As Time Passes By.”

There are many pathways into the world of Brenda Kenny a.k.a. Brenda Ray: Her early works of D.I.Y. reel to reel dub and post-punk with her band Naafi Sandwich; the peculiar synth-pop of “Theme From A Tall Dark Stranger” which appeared on Music from Memory’s 2018 compilation Uneven Paths: Deviant Pop From Europe 1980-1991; her cult classic lovers rock album Walatta on Jamaican producer Roy Cousins’ Wambesi; 2012’s D’Ya Hear Me!: Naffi Years, 1979-83 compiled by Osaka’s legendary EM Records; or the quick drift of EP’s on balearic UK label Aficionado Recordings.

However you make your way to Brenda, more likely than not you’ll be quickly pulled deep into her interplanetary orbit of new wave pop, psychedelic noise, and warm roots, dub and lovers rock. We’ve certainly spent hours, afternoons, full days even, soaking in her quirky and brutally honest songs about love, dreamin’, and sweet wine. There’s simply an undeniable magic in Brenda’s music that reaches far beyond her humble home-made studio in North West England.

While Brenda’s tracks have made their way around the world, the central figure behind the music has remained a bit of a mystery… Brenda’s Bandcamp page offers one of the only tidbits about her available online. Written by the artist herself, the bio reads:

melodyist/rhythmist – vocals and live hand played instruments. composer/mixer/producer at home style…naffi studio.
♪tactile manual mixin’♪…analogue with a sprinkling of digi. vu’s rule.

A few weeks ago, we reached out to Brenda’s Bandcamp page to inquire about Perfume Of The Soul, her first album since 2006’s Walatta. The message was essentially a shot in the dark, knowing full well that the enigmatic artist likely did not manage the page. To our surprise, Brenda responded, and with a gift…

So today, we present a very special mix beamed down to us directly from Naffi HQ. The selection includes tracks from Alice Coltrane, Augustus Pablo, Pharoah Sanders, The Chordettes, and others along with an unreleased B.R. tune that references a very familiar nocturne… The mix also comes with a short note from Brenda herself: “home, car, wherever y’are…….a selection of soul enlightening to lift the spirit music. Hope this finds ‘You and Yours’ keeping good and well – especially over these past couple of crazee years.”

The full tracklist is as follows:

1. Intro Cosmic Rays – Sun Ra
2. Alice Coltrane – Journey Into Satchidananda
3. Pharoah Sanders – Dedication To James W. Clark
4. Horace Silver – Que Passat
5. Joe Henderson/Alice Coltrane – Fire
6. Michael White – Land Of Spirit and Light (Part 3)
7. B.R./T.C. u/r – As Time Passes By
8. Shirley Scott – Keep On Movin’
9. Dave Pike – Blind Man Blind Man
10. Ornette Coleman/Asha Putli – All My Life
11. Marion Brown/Prince Willie – Sweet Earth Flying (Part 4)
12. John Handy – Live At Monterey Jazz Festival
13. Horace Silver – Kathy
14. Over and Above – Ray Warleigh
15. Les Mystere Voix Bulgares – Erghan Diado (Song Of Schopsko)
16. C.T.G.16. B.R. – Spirit’s So High
17. Augustus Pablo – Baby I Love You So
18. Big Stick – Drag Racing
19. Ornette Coleman – Rock The Clock
20. Joe Bonner/Johnny Dyani – The Walk Street
21. Outro Drifting Back – Cordettes

Listen to Brenda Ray’s latest album Perfume Of The Soul available now digitally on Bandcamp.

Vinyl will be available in October via Emotional Rescue.