Out now! TAAHLIAH releases her much-anticipated debut-album Gramarye via her longterm label partner untitled (recs) following singles ‘Boys,’ ‘2018’ and ‘Cherish’. The LP includes invaluable contributions from Dev Hynes aka Blood Orange, and TAAHLIAH lending her own vocals to her music for the first time.

She also announces a new live set featuring strings, guitars & live electronics. It will premiere at ADE in Amsterdam on October 19th and at the ICA in London on October 30th. ICA tickets

With her debut album, Gramarye, she explores another side of her practice. By diving into pop ballad songwriting on a series of interconnected, self-sampling songs, she brings us into her internal world. Following the AIM award-winning EP Angelica, Gramarye is a vulnerable and confessional offering that sees TAAHLIAH sing on record for the first time. “I always knew this record would somehow inhabit my emotions,” she says. “Angelica was about my body, whereas Gramarye is about my mind.”

TAAHLIAH’s commission with the London Contemporary Orchestra in 2023 was a key point of inspiration for the new album, and featured some Gramarye songs in their infancy including last single ‘2018’. During the collaboration, the Orchestra transformed her compositions into a score, while TAAHLIAH performed with live sampling. She describes it as: “one of the most formative experiences for the record. Being able to hear the demos in that context changed the entire direction. That’s when I knew I wanted it to sound as big as possible.” 

The album title is a folkloric word related to magic and necromancy. TAAHLIAH first came across it in an essay by Terre Thaemlitz (aka DJ Sprinkles) in the book The Future Has a Silver Lining, where Thaemlitz notes that “the English word ‘glamour’ has its roots in the Scottish term ‘grammar’ in the sense of gramarye, or magic.” The word connects many threads of this story.  

TAAHLIAH is known as a killer DJ and dance producer. Her slick and distinctive approach to club music has led to viral Boiler Room moments, cross-continental tours, Glastonbury appearances, and an icon status in the Glasgow club scene just a handful of years after first getting on the decks. The shift towards emotional pop songwriting and the hybridisation at play on this record feels like a reflection of what has been brewing in the international music scene for a few years. The increasing presence of live shows in the dance space – and conversely, pop artists turning to club-infused sounds – has further blurred the lines between dance and pop. With Gramarye, TAAHLIAH is placing herself at the centre of that new generation of artists challenging genres. 

Gramarye is TAAHLIAH’s boldest statement yet. From the sensitive confessional writing, to the sharp dance cuts that embody the unbothered confidence of her wild club sets – this debut bares all sides of its creator.

Upcoming tour dates:
12/10 Headrow House, Leeds, UK
16/10 (‘heavenrise’ Live Show Debut) Amsterdam Dance Event, Amsterdam, Netherlands
24/10 Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, UK
30/10 (‘heavenrise’ Live Show Debut) Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, UK
09/11 Depot Mayfield, Manchester, UK
16/11 The Prospect Building, Bristol, UK
06/12 Rencontres Trans Musicales, Rennes, France
12/12 Rash, Brooklyn, NY, US
13/12 Club 6, San Francisco, US
14/12 Los Globos, Los Angeles, US
20/12 Sala Apolo, Barcelona, Spain

CREDITS:
Executive Production by TAAHLIAH
Mixed by James Rand
Mastered by Beau Thomas
Artwork shot by Jackson Bowley
Art Direction by Tom Joyes
Creative Direction by Tom Joyes & TAAHLIAH
℗ & © Untitled (Recs) 2024

1. Lachrymose
Written by Tahliah Simumba
Produced by TAAHLIAH
Spoken word by Octavia St. Laurent
“Octavia St. Laurent’s spoken word audio courtesy of Jerico DeAngelo for OsiriStar
Entertainment”

2. Boys
Written by Tahliah Simumba & Elouiza Mae France
Produced by TAAHLIAH
Vocals by Elouiza Mae France
 
3. 2018
Written by Tahliah Simumba & Sophie Thornton
Produced by TAAHLIAH
Vocals by Sophie Thornton
Backing vocals by Pete Tsatsamis & Devonté Hynes
Guitar by Dante Traynor

4. Hours
Written by Tahliah Simumba, Sophie Thornton, Fred Macpherson & Pete Tsatsamis
Produced by TAAHLIAH
Additional Production by Dante Traynor and Gamaliel Traynor
Vocals by Sophie Thornton and Pete Tsatsamis
Piano by Tahliah Simumba & Devonté Hynes
Electric Guitar by Dante Traynor
Bass Guitar by Devonté Hynes & Dante Traynor
Drums by Gamaliel Traynor

5. Eylvue
Written by Tahliah Simumba
Produced by TAAHLIAH

6. Heavenrise
Written by Tahliah Simumba
Produced by TAAHLIAH
Vocals by Sophie Thornton & Tahliah Simumba

7. Cherish
Written by Tahliah Simumba, Sophie Thornton, Devonté Hynes and Fred Macpherson
Produced by TAAHLIAH
Additional Production by Dante Traynor and Gamaliel Traynor
Vocals by Sophie Thornton
Backing vocals by Tahliah Simumba
Electric Guitar by Devonté Hynes
Bass Guitar by Devonté Hynes
Drums by Gamaliel Traynor
Tambourine by Dante Traynor
 
8. Angel
Written by Tahliah Simumba, Sophie Thornton and Fred Macpherson
Produced by TAAHLIAH
Additional Production by Dante Traynor and Gamaliel Traynor
Vocals by Sophie Thornton
Backing vocals by Tahliah Simumba
Piano by Tahliah Simumba and Devonté Hynes
Slide guitar by Dante Traynor
Harp by Aga Ujma
Organ by Dante Traynor
Drums by Gamaliel Traynor

9. Whispers
Written by Tahliah Simumba, Morven Kemp and Pete Tsatsamis
Produced by TAAHLIAH
Vocals by Pete Tsatsamis
Backing vocals by Sophie Thornton & Morven Kemp
Cello by Gamaliel Traynor
 
10. Dawn
Written by Tahliah Simumba and Rachel Lu
Produced by TAAHLIAH
Vocals by Sophie Thornton and Rachel Lu
Strings by Gamaliel Traynor
Flute by London Contemporary Orchestra
Drums by Gamaliel Traynor

11. Holding On / Let Me Go
Written by Tahliah Simumba, Sophie Thornton and Pete Tsatsamis
Produced by TAAHLIAH, Dante Traynor and Gamaliel Traynor
Vocals by Pete Tsatsamis
Backing vocals by Sophie Thornton
Bagpipes by Nick Hart
Drums by Gamaliel Traynor
Guitars by Dante Traynor

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