In summer 2024, Chilean afrobeat collective Newen Afrobeat recorded a live session at Quarry in Liverpool, a stripped-back, straight-to-tape performance captured mid-tour. The resulting EP, Liverpool Session, documents the band’s raw live energy with precision, without leaning on post-production or overdubs.

Newen Afrobeat play a politically grounded, rhythm-heavy style rooted in classic Nigerian afrobeat, shaped by their Latin American background. Formed in Santiago, the group combines driving percussion, dense horn arrangements, and a rotating vocal front to deliver music that is both groove-led and socially aware.

The EP opens with two of their own tracks — “Grietas” and “Es la Vida” — drawn from their most recent studio album. On stage, both are more direct and rhythmically charged. The band tightens the arrangements without sacrificing detail, leaning into percussive intensity and sharp dynamic shifts. These are followed by two Fela Kuti compositions — “Ako” and “No Agreement” — not played as tributes, but reinterpreted with deliberate shifts in rhythm and phrasing. There’s a clear respect for the original material, but it’s filtered through Newen’s own musical language.

The session was recorded fully analog by The Lightning Cave, preserving the feel of the room: mic bleed, amp buzz, human interaction. Vocals by Fran Ri and Erin Rutledge are up front without dominating, and sit tightly within the mix alongside Sebastian Crooker’s guitar, Benjamin Astroza’s bass, and a locked-in rhythm section featuring dual percussionists and a five-piece horn line.

Newen Afrobeat return to the UK in summer 2025, with shows scheduled at Brewery Arts in Kendal (21 June), Gorilla in Manchester (22 June), and The Garage in London (24 June).

Stream and have a listen to the EP HERE