Gruff Rhys lends vocals to Welsh psychedelic folk track

Stephen Price

Experimental artist Don Leisure has released a new single featuring the vocal talents of Welsh music icon Gruff Rhys ahead of a new album exploring Sain Records’ expansive archives.

Don Leisure is fast gaining a reputation as one of the most forward-thinking and experimental beatmakers and producers within the current musical ecosystem.

As well as being 50% of Darkhouse Family (alongside Earl Jeffers) he has collaborated with the likes of Angel Bat Dawid, Gruff Rhys, DJ Spinna and First Word label-mates Amanda Whiting & Tyler Daley (Children of Zeus).

Growing acclaim

Garnering serious support from Lauren Laverne, Tom Ravenscroft, Huw Stephens, Gilles Peterson, Huey Morgan, The Vinyl Factory, Clash, Uncut and many more.

‘Tyrchu’ features the soft-spoken vocal stylings of Gruff Rhys over a gently rolling, tape saturated and expertly chopped instrumental, creating (in Gruff’s own words) “Shiny new beat-treasures with ghostly reflections of Welsh pop’s past – skillfully dug from Sain Records’ deepest veins.”

A dedicated student of music, over the years, Don has amassed a vast encyclopaedic knowledge of music genres and subcultures, including a fascination with Welsh psychedelic folk music from the mid-20th century.

This introduction was made by respected musician, producer & selector Andy Votel’s 2005 two-part compilation series ‘Welsh Rare Beat’ (in collaboration with Gruff Rhys and Don Thomas), comprising twenty-five tracks from Sain Records’ back catalogue.

Now the oldest independent record label in Wales, Sain is a wildly influential bastion of home-grown Welsh talent, co-founded by Welsh-language folk singer Dafydd Iwan, whose music has seen a cultural resurgence in recent years with his 1983 song Yma o Hyd (We’re Still Here) becoming a huge anthem for Wales football fans.

Set up in the Welsh capital, many of Sain’s early releases were recorded at Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire, but in the early 1970s the record company moved to the Caernarfon area and opened their first recording studio in 1974 near Llandwrog.

Announcing a huge digitisation project throughout 2024, Sain Records took on the mammoth task of painstakingly digitising their entire back catalogue spanning 55 years, working in partnership with the National Library of Wales the resulting archive then be submitted for to the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, preserving them for future generations to enjoy.

Rediscovery

Taking this period of rediscovery as an opportunity to reimagine their impressive inventory, Sain invited Don Leisure to dig into their musical treasure chest, creating a sprawling sonic tapestry from the dusty gems within.

On this exhilarating excursion, Sain Records founder Dafydd Iwan explains: “Imagine someone gave you access to over 50 years of Welsh popular music – almost all of it unknown to you before. It would be a strange experience of discovery, an unknown territory which could baffle and excite.”

Dafydd Iwan added: “This happened to Jamal (Don Leisure) – and he was captivated by a world of music he barely knew existed, and when he was asked to distill the experience into one album, he immediately warmed to the idea.

“And this is the result – a kaleidoscope of sounds to encapsulate a half century of Welsh music. To call it unique would be superfluous: no-one could ever recreate this album. Listen, and enjoy.”

The resulting product is ‘Tyrchu Sain’ (translating to ‘Digging Sain’), a fearless and exploratory album, which sees Don put his signature unparalleled and unpredictable skills to work, weaving together moments of forgotten beauty into celestial and otherworldly compositions.

The record features appearances by artists from Wales who have a similar obsession as Don Leisure in these classic Welsh rarities including Gruff Rhys, Carwyn Ellis, Earl Jeffers Amanda Whiting and Boy Azooga.

A shimmering patchwork quilt of sound, ‘Tyrchu Sain’ traverses a shifting landscape of acid folk, eerie vocal melodies and interstellar soundscapes, propelled forth by crisp, head nod-inducing drums and grainy textures.

Breathing new life into compositions lost to time, and paving a path for new listeners to discover the magic that lies within.

Launch parties are planned at Paradise Garden, Cardiff and CWRW, Carmarthen celebrating the release of the new Don Leisure album ‘Tyrchu Sain’.

Featuring DJ sets from Don Leisure and Andy Votel, digging Sain sounds and other Welsh Rare Beats.

Purchase the limited edition Tyrchu Sain LP which is released on 28 February on vinyl here.

Live dates

28.02 – Paradise Garden, Caerdydd / Cardiff
01.03 – Cwrw, Caerfyrddin / Carmarthen