The unification of traditional music influenced from around the world with modern electronic make up the out of this world sound created by Toledo’s own Heavy Color.  Formed by Ben Cohen and Sam Woldenberg, Heavy Color pushes boundaries to the limit with their atmospheric ideas.

Today, Heavy Color is premiering their video for the single “Hidden Kingdom”, which is found on the 2018 release River Passage.  Much in the way of their tunes, “Hidden Kingdom” is described as “abstract sonic tapestry musically celebrating community, ancestry, continuity, and reverence”.  The video takes you a colorful journey as a seed turns to a flower and back again.  The animation is by Simon Alexander Adams, who was introduced to the duo at the 2017 Ann Arbor Film Festival. 

River Passage is a collaboration between Heavy Color and musicians and villages in Eastern Congo. Dense and mysterious. A curious thread connects these interwoven musical fabrics and their trans-continental essences. Drawing from classic Afrobeat and Afropop, Minimalist Electronica, Futurist Instrumental Hip Hop and Detroit Boogie. 

In May of 2015 Earthwork Music asked Ben of Heavy Color and Akili Jackson of Radiant City Arts to travel to the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as musical ambassadors, part of On the Ground’s cultural exchange program, which strives to create meaningful connections across cultures through creative collaboration. Sales from this album are helping fund projects in Congo that directly support gender equity and fair wages for women in farming regions as well as the continued support of an arts center in the city of Bukavu, which teaches youth dance, recording technology skills and music lessons in a positive and safe space.

On Sunday, October 14 the Ndaro Cultural Center in Bakuvu suffered a devastating fire that destroyed all of their equipment and musical instruments.  Thomas Luongo, who is the featured vocalist on “Hidden Kingdom”, serves as Director at NDARO and has devoted much of his life to learn and practice dance, music and the recording arts. 100% of download sales from “Hidden Kingdom” are being donated to rebuild the NDARO cultural center.

Single Available exclusively for download at https://heavycolor.bandcamp.com/.