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³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio 3's late night music programme Late Junction invited the British twisted folk-pop-rock collective Tunng to collaborate with members of Tinariwen, the Touareg rockers from the Southern Sahara.

The two bands had never met before the Late Junction team brought them together for a unique recording at the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s Maida Vale studios in the first of a monthly series of collaborations.

The music can be heard first in a special Late Junction session on 19 February 2009.

This collaboration proved to be so successful that, as a result, the two bands are about to embark on a Contemporary Music Network UK tour together.

This first recording did present the production team with a few unexpected challenges.

Recording time was tight as Tinariwen had only flown in to London for a short stop-off between the last date of their current tour and Paris where they were to start the long drive back to their home in the Sahara. And as the Touareg musicians spoke little English the team had to rely on their long forgotten language skills to communicate.

Producer Peter Meanwell says: "We were all pulling out our schoolboy French by the end of the day, but both bands were so keen to try new ideas and make each track a real collaboration that all the effort was worth it."

Tunng were formed in London in 2003 when producer/guitarist Mike met singer-songwriter Sam on the circuit. Over time, they've been joined by Ashley Bates, Phil Winter, Becky Jacobs and Martin Smith in their music collective. Their mix of acoustic guitars, synthesised beats and vocals has created a new digital folk sound.

Sam Genders says of his experiences recording the Late Junction session: "I think it's one of the most enjoyable things I've ever done. They're such great singers and players, it was really exciting to be in the same room as them."

Mike Lindsay added: "We've never tried anything like this. When I first saw the band I thought they could really work with Tunng. Today, all the songs kind of melded into one and it just felt like one band. Really, really inspirational."

Tinariwen were formed in Southern Algeria by three teenage friends living in exile. In the Eighties, all three become soldier-musicians, lured into military camps in Libya by Colonel Ghadaffi.

After a brief and painful rebellion against the government of Mali, the trio accepted peace and finally realised their dream of becoming full-time musicians. Their name, based on "Kel Tinariwen" means the "desert boys".

Through their manager, Tinariwen said: "We were very happy to have this experience where so many ideas came out. Putting it together was good fun. It brought out things that maybe even we didn't realise was there in our own music."

Notes to Editors

UK Tour 2009

• 18 March – De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill on Sea
• 19 March – De Montfort Hall, Leicester
• 20 March – Manchester Academy, Manchester
• 21 March – Edinburgh Picturehouse, Edinburgh
• 22 March – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
• 23 March – Leeds Irish Centre, Leeds
• 25 March – Komedia, Bath
• 26 March – Koko, London
• 27 March – Reading Town Hall, Reading
• 28 March – The Rainbow Warehouse, Birmingham

Late Junction is on Radio 3 every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 11.15pm. Presenters are Verity Sharp and Fiona Talkington.

The special recording featured, from Tinariwen:

• Eyadou Ag Leche (electric guitar, bass guitar, vocals)
• Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni (acoustic guitar, vocals)

And from Tunng:

• Mike Lindsay (acoustic guitar, electric saz, vocals)
• Sam Genders (acoustic guitar, vocals)
• Phil Winter (electronics)
• Martin Smith (percussion, celeste, clarinet)

This session was recorded at ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Maida Vale Studios earlier this year.

Additional quotes from both Tunng and Tinariwen are available as are photographs of the session.

RD3