Andrew Weathers - Under The Tree (2017)

Each year, $47 billion in foreign aid and charitable donations is sent to Africa. Under The Tree is a web documentary miniseries that highlights the work of three community-led organizations in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Each episode explores one project and the hardworking people behind it. The series was made possible by a list of incredibly generous donors who invested in bringing these stories to life.

Full Spectrum label boss Andrew Weathers provided the soundtrack for the series, working in conjunction with director Ryan LeCluyse to mold his experiences in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya into a musical narrative. Over the course of 18 months, they discussed LeCluyse’s unique experiences in these countries, while working through dozens of track ideas. This tape is a collection of the best of those demos.

Comprised primarily of synth and organ – and garnished with field recordings LeCluyse captured during his travels – these tracks find Weathers in an unusually eclectic mode, moving from kosmische-style drones to shambling rhythmic meditations and back again. Think Ash Ra Temple by way of Stefan Schneider’s Mapstation alias for a starting point.