Xaybu - the unseen

"Sélébéyone can justifiably lay claim to being one of the world's most original combinations of improvised music, hip-hop, spoken word and electronica ... The contrast between Steve Lehman's alto saxophone and Maciek Lasserre's soprano is loosely paralleled by the contrast between Senegalese MC Gaston Bandimic's Wolof vocal and New Yorker HPrizm's English ... The shifts in tone and phrasing, particularly the transition from the choppy, guttural West African rhythm to the smoother American flow almost makes for a four-horn front line over a one-man percussion orchestra ... Standing both inside and outside recognised traditions Sélébéyone draws new meanings and resonances from its uniquely rich composite of African, American and African-American cultures".

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"Alto saxophonist Steve Lehman debuted his Sélébéyone project in 2016 with a self-titled release on the Pi Recordings label. It was nothing short of revolutionary; an amalgamation of jazz improvisation and globalized hip-hop, it was an intrepid declaration. Originally a septet, Sélébéyone returns as a quintet on Xaybu: The Unseen ... The pared-down Sélébéyone puts more emphasis on the beats and the interaction with the two saxophones. Often, one feels like the music is dancing on a constantly shifting platform. [Gaston] Bandimic raps in Wolof, the primary language of much of Western Africa. A blend of French and Arabic, it creates an interesting contrast with the English language rap of Hprizm ... Lehman and Sélébéyone have taken two distinctly African American forms of music to new heights. For listeners who aren't encumbered by tradition, Xaybu: The Unseen is an exceptionally rewarding experience".

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"This high-definition album rewards patience, and while not the most accessible - don't look for melody (exception: "Dual HP") or any kind of regularity - that very irregularity makes it magnetic. But it's not an easy draw ... With this exceptional album, Sélébéyone is clearing a fresh pathway".