We recently welcomed Tay Iwar to West London’s iconic Metropolis Studios, for the latest edition of our CLASH Live series in association with ellesse.

The rising Nigerian singer-songwriter, producer and engineer played an intimate discography-spanning set – including a filmed live session of ‘Satisfied’, the opening track from his debut album ‘GEMINI’, which was released in 2019 via the LA-based Soulection collective. ‘Satisfied’ was written in response to Iwar considering, “If I wanted someone to get a good view of my sound, what song would it be?” The resulting meditation on contentment was the answer, serving as the introduction to his sound for many new listeners.

Since then, Iwar has continued building an impressively deep and diverse catalogue over a relatively short time period, with his latest project ‘Summer Breeze’ offering fans a soundtrack to wind down to, or as he describes it “the wind between the chaos.” Embracing spontaneity, he admits that despite being in sound check he is yet to finalise the evening’s track list. It’s important for him to tailor each set to its specific environment, audience and his mood, utilising deeper cuts alongside fan favourites to create a bespoke experience.

“As soon as I heard the sound, I realised I could do some songs that I didn’t want to do before,” he says of Metropolis Studios’ storied Studio A. As a result, we’re treated to a rare performance of the interlude-length ‘Stranger’, which Iwar feels more comfortable playing in the cozier setting.

Iwar has been performing live since he was 6 years old. He recalls wearing a miniature tuxedo for an audience full of parents when he was in school for classical music, and performance has been inseparable from his creative process ever since. “Performance was really the first thing,” he explains. “And then I went into production, became a studio rat, and then went back into performing. So it always felt natural for me, because even in the studio, I produce like I’m performing…it’s a core part of my music-making.”