Digging Crates

Decolonising the Pitt Rivers instrument collection: Inner Peace Records collaborate with African musicians to make new hip hop from instruments held in the museum

Imagined by Hip Hop artist Rawz, Digging Crates brings to life silenced musical instruments cared for at the Pitt Rivers Museum. Using Hip Hop and in collaboration with the Pitt Rivers team, the Inner Peace Records Collective explored the stories and sounds of African instruments to develop new rhymes, rhythms and tracks.

Created over Summer 2021, Rawz and the collective jammed with Africa born musicians Shyam Shah, Kofi Adu, Miles Ncube and Boni Wanda, sampling their shared sounds to create new tracks.

Digging Crates worked with African instrument collections to explore the sometimes difficult histories and questions that these instruments can provoke, from the impact of colonisation on music, to who has the rights to share these sounds today.

Over 2022 the Digging Crates team will be shared these conversations and launched a new EP comprised of tracks created during the project and recorded inside the museum. You can read about the events and find a link to the EP below.

Digging Crates is part of the Humanities Cultural Programme and supported by TORCH, Helen Roll Foundation, CLORE Duffield Foundation, Art Fund Access Fund, St John's College, In-Spire Sounds and co-promoted by OCM.

EP: Digging Crates Vol. 1: by Inner Peace

https://diggingcrates.bandcamp.com/releases

EP available to stream or buy via Bandcamp.

Past project events

Digging Crates Film Screening and Q & A

11 February 2022, 8.00PM - 9.30PM
St John’s College
Film certificate: U
Book your tickets here: https://torch.ox.ac.uk/event/digging-crates-1

Join Rawz and the Inner Peace Records collective to launch Digging Crates, a documentary film that brings silenced African instruments to life through new Hip Hop tracks.

Created in collaboration with the Pitt Rivers Museum. Sam Mansell is director, cinematographer and editor.

Listening Party #11: Music that Inspires

4th May, 8pm
The Barn, St John's College

Oxford's Bring Your Own Music night! An open mic style night where the audience brings their favourite tracks to share. This time we're getting inspired! We are joined by Rawz and Tiece who sings with Inner Peace Records. We’re looking for songs that have fueled our imaginations, aspirations, and have empowered us.

Presented and co-produced by OCM.

Digging Crates EP Launch with support set from African jazz band Wanda-NA-KL

11th June, doors 7pm, music 8pm
OVADA, 14a Osney Lane, Oxford city centre OX1 1NJ

Hear the new music at the heart of this project: Hip Hop made by Inner Peace Records in the Pitt Rivers Museum, with Shyam Shah, Kofi Adu, Miles Ncube and Boni Wanda.

Book tickets here: https://www.ocmevents.org/whats-on/digging-crates-ep-launch

Presented and co-produced by OCM.

Closing event for Rawz Sound Artist Residency at St John's