Collaborative album featuring emerging Welsh artists released on streaming platforms

Stephen Price

A collaborative album featuring some of the most exciting names in Welsh music which launched on vinyl with only 200 copies available to purchase has now been released on all streaming platforms.

‘Stafell Sbâr Sain: Klust’ was initially released on vinyl with the third issue of Klust magazine in November 2024. The ten track compilation album celebrates some of Wales’ most innovative and progressive artists of today.

Curated by Klust and pieced together by critically acclaimed artists Talulah, Malan, Sywel Nyw, Siula and WRKHOUSE, the record has been promoted via a series of sold-out shows across Cardiff, Caernarfon and London.

Having garnered support from the likes of Georgia Ruth and Huw Stephens over recent months, along with a fitting tribute by Tom Morgan in CLASH, the record’s digital release marks the final chapter in the first edition of Stafell Sbâr Sain.

To celebrate its release, Sywel Nyw, Tokomololo and Carmarthen-born London-based producer, Tomos, will all take to the decks at Cardiff’s Paradise Garden on Saturday 18 January.

“Long time coming”

Owain Williams of Klust said: “Pulling this compilation album together, and the project as a whole, has been a long time coming and something that I had always wanted to do.

“Huge kudos to Sain for making it possible and for inviting Klust to curate a collection of tracks that we feel represent Wales today.”

The first in a series of innovative collaborations led by Sain to provide a platform and outlet for new music and artists in Wales, the album has been carefully curated by Klust and features some of Wales’ most exciting artists, including Talulah, WRKHOUSE, Malan, Siula and Sywel Nyw.

All ten tracks were recorded live at Studio 1 in Sain, Llandwrog, over a six-month period, with the film director and long-time Klust collaborator, Aled Victor, creating a series of behind the scenes videos to accompany each of the five live sessions.

The album artwork, along with the magazine, was designed by independent graphic designer, Elis Povey, from the beaches of Taghazout and Casablanca in Morocco.

Limited number of physical copies still available

Among the ten tracks on the record are original works, special remixes and new versions of iconic tracks — including Sywel Nyw who gives new life to one of Hergest’s classics, ‘Harbwr Aberteifi’, which was originally released via Sain in the early 70s.

Lewys (Sywel Nyw) explains: “It was the harmonies that attracted me to this song in particular, and the aim was to transform the vocals so that they laid on top of the warm chords that occasionally clash.

“A lot of Welsh records from the 70/80s can be difficult to work with as they were not recorded to a click, so this one required a lot of processing work!

“The track has now possibly left Cardigan’s ‘West Coast’ and sounds a little closer to Cardiff’s Concrete Jungle.”

Owain Williams added: “It’s a comprehensive, bilingual collection of tracks, some brand new, others exclusively re-worked for the compilation, spotlighting some of the most exciting artists in the music scene in Wales today.

“The album was released alongside Klust’s third magazine, a special 60 page celebration of new Welsh music, woven together by twenty new writers from Wales.”

Vinyl

This is the first in a series of innovative collaborations led by Sain to provide a platform and outlet for new music and artists in Wales.

Pressed to eco-friendly vinyl and limited to 200 copies, the record was released as part of an exclusive bundle with the latest issue of Klust magazine, with copies still available to purchase.

Sain Records’ first edition of ‘Stafell Sbâr’ — specially curated by Klust — is available to purchase now.

An exclusive bundle is also available to order.

Stream ‘Stafell Sbâr’ here.