Collaborative album featuring Welsh artists gets release date

A collaborative album featuring some of the most exciting names in Welsh music is set to be released in November – with only 200 copies available to purchase.

Having announced the collaboration in August, Klust and Sain Records have shared that the ten-track compilation album, ‘Stafell Sbâr Sain: Klust’, will be released on vinyl on the 15th of November 2024.

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 record is 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.

Reworked and original

‘Stafell Sbâr Sain: Klust’ (Sain’s Spare Room: Klust) will be launched via a three-stop tour across Cardiff, Caernarfon and London, including a Klust curated Stage at Sŵn Festival this Saturday, which will see artists from the record perform live.

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.”

‘Harbwr Aberteifi’ by Sywel Nyw will be played for the first time on BBC Radio Cymru tonigh (17 October) between 19:00-21:00.

Founder, Owain Williams, says: “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 will also be released alongside Klust’s third magazine, a special 60 page celebration of new Welsh music, woven together by twenty new writers from Wales.”

First in the series

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 will be released as part of an exclusive bundle with the latest issue of Klust magazine.

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

An exclusive bundle is also available to pre-order.