Das SPEZIAL "Roots" Feat. Abi D'Arcy (RUFFMERCY VIDEO)

Written By Shahab notghi
Das SPEZIAL return with their latest single Roots, a bold and melodic track with Brighton based singer and lyricist Abi D’Arcy. 
It began, as so many Das SPEZIAL works do, with a collaboration between producer Shahab Notghi and Stew Jackson (Massive Attack). Inspired by world music—particularly Gambian rock and African rhythms—the pair set out to merge these influences with a 1960s vibe, weaving sitar, African percussion and vintage arrangements into a rich, psychedelic instrumental. To give the track added depth and emotional weight, cellist Drew Morgan was brought in, his warm, resonant lines enriching the soundscape. 
It was this distinctive instrumental that found its way to Abi D’Arcy, who had previously worked with Das SPEZIAL on her single Messy. The song immediately struck a chord: “love the psychedelic nature of this track and felt immediately inspired—the chorus came first,” Abi recalls. Where Messy explored nostalgia and release, Roots searches for grounding and belonging. Abi’s lyrics emerged instinctively from improvisation, with the chorus line arriving fully formed during her very first freestyle. “Roots felt like a comforting song,” she explains. “It’s about seeking the roots that ground us and remind us we are never alone. A mantra of connection and healing.” 
The result is a track that blends Das SPEZIAL’s adventurous production with Abi’s lyrical depth and emotive delivery. Psychedelic in tone with a nod to world music rhythms, Roots marks another step in the group’s evolution, creating melodic and immersive soundscapes.
Shahab notghi https://www.thisisspezialshop.com
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Using a Church Built in 1551 as Natural Reverb for Our Song “Roots”