Yarni Boro
It’s a real skill for an artist to take you on a journey in the space of a single album and Yarni manages to do that incredibly well with Boro.
Sheffield is a city of notable electronic sounds, from the raw bleep and bass that originated from Warp Records and co to the sweaty, late-night energy of bassline house. But there’s always been a warmer, richer, more soulful sound that’s often skirted around the edges, overshadowed by its more boisterous local cousins.
Yarni’s Boro is an album that deserves to be let into the inner sanctum and hold your attention. It’s one of those albums that’s quite hard to pigeonhole, which is exactly how Yarni wants it. At times we’re lulled into the sense that the record is going somewhere familiar, only to be spun around and sent in the opposite direction. We have rich house music with ‘Shibori’ and the cinematic yet lively ‘Kako,’ which would grace any Björk vocal with ease, as well as the balearic horizontal melodies of ‘Aizome’.
Yarni’s hands-on talents are on full display, not just with the diverse soundscape but in the production and sequencing as well. It’s also important not to overlook his talents as a musician – this is a class artefact he’s crafted. Yarni’s diverse tastes and visit to Japan are clearly visible in the beautiful, haunting sound of ‘Shibui’, featuring the talents of Rachel Shirley.
Other stand-out moments include the early Compost Records styling of ‘Insempo’, featuring Jonoa, and the slow motion, sultry head-nodder ‘Sashiko’. This is a timeless album which show that Yarni just isn’t a musical scholar, but a genuine all-round talent.
