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“My music has found new shapes”: Otis Mensah on Berlin, jazz and breaking musical boundaries
Otis Mensah says moving from Sheffield to Berlin has reshaped his music, while leaving him with a lasting connection to Sheffield. The change matters to his forthcoming album, *Come Beautify the Night*, which draws on the creative freedom and experimental music scene he has found in Berlin.
Mensah misses Sheffield’s slower pace, warmth and green spaces, which offered room for reflection. He says Berlin’s intense energy and DIY culture have broadened his sound towards jazz and fusion, with live musicians helping him explore improvisation, rhythm and percussive vocal delivery. The album began with piano improvisations at Hybrid 3 Studios in Sheffield before being completed in Berlin.
In short
- Berlin has pushed Mensah’s music in new directions.
- Sheffield’s quieter pace and green spaces remain important to him.
- His forthcoming album began with piano improvisations in Sheffield.
Explained simply
Otis Mensah is a Sheffield-born musician whose work combines spoken-word performance and music. Sheffield remains an important influence on him, while Berlin has brought him into contact with a different creative scene.
Berlin is known for its independent, do-it-yourself arts culture and experimental music. Jazz often involves improvisation, where musicians shape the performance as they play; fusion blends jazz with other musical styles.
These influences help explain the range of sounds on Mensah’s forthcoming album, Come Beautify the Night. It began with piano improvisations in Sheffield and was completed in Berlin, linking the two cities in the album’s making.
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