Tension Hot-Shot, the EP of the late Martiniquan artist, Amédée Ô Suriam, is being reissued. A chance to rediscover his one-of-kind aesthetic in the single of the same name premiered today.
Before his death in 1992, Amédée Ô Suriam had managed to make a name from himself as a percussionist, an author, a composer, a singer, a sculptor and a stylist, all at once, while still in his thirties. The all-round artist drew his inspiration from God almighty which he put in service of his artistic vision. Yet, his work fell into oblivion. In 1989, he released his only solo single “Tension Hot-Shot”. The track is resolutely ahead of its time, a proto Afro-house track which fused together traditional Caribbean music, African sounds and house music, still in its infancy in Europe. The eponymous EP in which the track was featured, has been remastered and reissued by French label Chineurs de House for your ears’ pleasure.
A music video accompanied the release which highlighted his many talents. It tells the story of dapper gangsters: a tensed situation between hot-shots as the name would suggest. Over resounding beats, Suriam smokes cigars, plays pools, wields a katana, faces mad-max-looking bikers and choreographs a dance between rival street gangs while singing to “the glory of the creator” to “bring peace throughout the land”. The characters displays Suriam’s flamboyant designs in full glory. The video, in itself, is in equal parts ludicrously over-the-top and absolutely riveting, fully showcasing the artist’s versatily: a glimpse into his fascinating universe.
Tension Hot-Shot out December 2nd via Chineurs de House.
