Room Tone Collective – Live from the Archive Vol 1: A sound on Love

By Chinonso Ihekire

On May 2, 2024, Room Tone Collective released a three track project titled “Live from the Archive Vol 1” to great excitement. The creative company brings together talented songwriters, producers and artists under one platform to create compelling music with enduring appeal. Through a bootcamp driven approach, each release becomes part of an evolving sound archive – one that continues to deepen the Afrobeats soundscape.

Backed by the vocals of Akinwale Dayo Morakinyo (Rakin Beats) and Queensley Agharese Okoro, with Morakinyo also serving as the project studio producer, the project has an ethereal quality that makes it unique and an instant hit at every listening. Across its three tracks, it leans into racy, raw and edgy textures while maintaining a sense of intimacy for lovers having feel good moments.

“Live from the Archive Vol 1″ opens with “Deja Vu,” a song that acts as a form of submission to love. On this track, a lover is ready to commit himself to the dictates of his partner, whom he refers to as his “Deja Vu,” “Oh my deja vu/ see my perfect tune/ lock me in your room/ I go shout halleluh/ Oh girl I want to read your book, follow you go school/ Everything wey u dey do, make me lose my cool.” As the project’s opener, the song feels airy and bouncy, making it engaging on the dancefloor.

On “Groove,” the second track off the project, Akinwale Dayo Morakinyo (Rakin Beats) delivered the vocals. He is ushered in by a lush keyboard line mixed with a thumping bass. For anyone familiar with Amapiano, the lyrics are minimal, while the beats do the heavy lifting, energizing the dance floors. “Groove” is not far removed from this South African genre, both in style and in the way it makes one feel.

The singer experienced a joyful moment on the song, reflecting on having dreamt on his arrival, “Oh happy day/ And I have been dreaming of you.” As he embraces this feeling, he also expresses excitement at the thought of being with his lover throughout the week, “Oh sunshine, from monday to Sunday/ I have been joyfully thinking about being with you.” This suggests an awareness of both emotion and the beauty associated with love.

Closing the project is “Sunmomi,” a song that invites a love interest into the cool embrace of a lover. Here, queensley renders the vocals, enticing her partner with silky lyrics, drawing him into close contact for an intimate experience. As she notes in the line “Shebi na u dey impress me,” the singer further acknowledges the effect of her lover on her. The song employs house music elements, giving off an Amapiano inspired sound. While there are few lyrics to express her sentiments, the progression of the beats does enough to anchor the track from beginning to end.

Room Tone Collective, as a creative company, delivers a strong project with its release of “Live from the Archive Vol 1.” The three song body of work serves as a solid contribution to the Nigerian music scene, which continues to welcome new and diverse sound. By drawing from the Amapiano elements, Room Tone Collective is able to create unique, bouncy beats with minimal lyrics for the Afrobeats audience. This stands as a bold experiment that listeners may come to appreciate as the collective continues to release more projects in the future. With Live from the Archive Vol 1, Room Tone Collective begins to reveal its vision for the music industry.