Rare, cosmic soundtrack album at the intersection of psych and prog that blends acoustic guitars and synths and is loaded with library atmosphere and sample potential. Think Obscured by Clouds meets Tubular Bells in South Africa in 1977.
In the aftermath of South Africa's explosive heavy psych scene of the late-1960s, independent rock takes a variety of interesting turns. As the 1970s unfold, we observe the progressive influences of new technology, retreats into singer-songwriter introspection and forays into New Age spirituality. One album from former Abstract Truth and Freedoms Children guitarist Kenny Henson performs the astonishing task of integrating all of these new musical directions into a single mystical package.
A soundtrack project commissioned by the South African Council of Churches, produced by the indie 3rd Ear Music label and issued locally by Warner Bros. Records, Let Us Become Man emerges from an extraordinary intersection of stakeholders. Meticulously crafted in the studio by Henson alongside engineer Nino Rivera and a host of collaborators, the album stands as a project driven by deep artistic ambition rather than commercial success and it emerges in the 21st century as a cult classic.
In the wake of Freedom's Children with Malombo Jazz Makers and John Oakley-Smith's Matinees on Saturdays, Kenny Henson's Let Us Become Man completes a trilogy of Sharp-Flat releases from the 3rd Ear Music archive. 2026 boutique press replica reissue on black vinyl.
