Andrew Ashong
Andrew Ashong, the British-Ghanaian singer, DJ and producer from Forest Hill in South London, began his career DJing and building record collections from his mid-teens. His first solo release, the Flowers EP made with Theo Parrish, arrived on Parrish's Sound Signature label in 2012 and won Track of the Year at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards, a recognition that established him within the UK's soul and dance underground. He has continued to spin vinyl across the UK and internationally for more than fifteen years, describing his DJing and record collecting as running alongside, rather than beneath, his work as a recording artist.
His own label Which Way Records released his Special EP, further blending jazzy, psychedelic soundscapes with funk-inflected DJ selections drawn from his own collection. Collaborations with Kaidi Tatham on the 2020 project Sankofa Season, and features with Nightmares on Wax, Sampha, Tony Allen and Wu-Lu, have extended his profile as both a performer and a selector. His live performances draw on jazz sensibilities and a wide-ranging record collection informing both his own music and his DJ sets.
He has played sets and festival dates including the Deep South Music and Arts Festival in Tunbridge Wells, combining touring DJ work with his output as a singer-songwriter. He remains closely tied to London's soul, jazz and house crossover scene behind the decks and on stage.