ZENA – TEMESGEN out now

ZENA, the contemporary ethio-jazz duo from London comprised of producer, keyboardist and synth player Yohan Kebede and bassist/producer Menelik, have released their long-awaited debut EP ‘TEMESGEN’. 

Taking its name from the Amharic word which means “Thank God”, ‘TEMESGEN’ is a six-track aural odyssey that balances uncompromising experimentation with a deep sense of home, comfort, and exploration. Moving fluidly between tradition and forward-thinking sound design, the project reshapes the contours of Ethiopian music, opening it up to a new generation of listeners while remaining rooted in its historic spirit.

Forged through a constant creative push and pull between the duo’s anchors, Yohan Kebede and Menelik, ‘TEMESGEN’ finds its power in the space between memory, heritage and innovation. Stretching the possibilities of Ethiopian music into something unmistakably new while sitting right at home within the UK’s evolving sonic landscape.

Speaking on how it feels to have the project out, ZENA said: “It’s equally scary as it is exciting! We feel as though we’re in uncharted territory in regards to the brand of music we’re putting out, so even though we’re both pretty experienced, it’s hard to predict exactly how people are going to receive it. Equally, that makes it exciting. Even just holding the record in our hands gave us butterflies. It’s given us the itch to make the next one”.

Buy the vinyl here.

Listen here.