Today sees the release of Two Chords and the Truth, the first single from South African multi-instrumentalist and global music innovator Guy Buttery’s highly anticipated new album, Orchestrations. The album, which is set for release on the 20th February 2025 marks the culmination of a 12-year journey that began with Buttery’s groundbreaking performance alongside the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2012.
Orchestrations represents Buttery’s most ambitious project to date—a sweeping exploration of sound and collaboration featuring contributions from renowned artists across ten countries. The album’s 14 tracks are bound together by Chris Letcher’s expansive orchestral arrangements, with Buttery’s guitar at the core, branching outward like growth rings in an ancient tree. The result is a musical tableau that bridges genres, cultures, and traditions.
The first single, Two Chords and the Truth, offers an immersive entry point into the album’s rich soundscape. Layer by layer, instruments and innovative modifications—such as paper-threaded cello strings—interweave to create a textured, dynamic composition. The song ebbs and flows like geological strata, reaching climaxes and receding with a mesmerizing rhythm.
Buttery describes the track as a testament to the transformative power of simplicity: “With just two chords at the heart of the piece, the real magic lies in the micro-adjustments, the countless ways sound can interact, shift, and surprise us.”
Recorded across continents, Orchestrations brings together an extraordinary roster of collaborators, including:
Kaki King (New York)
Derek Gripper (Cape Town)
Julian Sartorius (Berne)
Madala Kunene (Durban)
Mudassir Khan (New Delhi)
The album’s creation has been as much a journey of self-discovery as it has been a celebration of musical diversity. Buttery’s relentless curiosity and attention to detail shine through every note, making Orchestrations a listening experience as profound as it is expansive.
Guy Buttery is no stranger to accolades. In 2018, he became the first artist outside the classical genre to receive the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist Award. Known for his insatiable appetite for experimentation, Buttery’s music has long resonated with both South African and international audiences. Orchestrations further cements his reputation as a boundary-pushing artist whose work defies categorization.
“Two Chords and the Truth” is now streaming on all major platforms, giving listeners their first taste of Orchestrations. The full album promises a transformative experience that spans the highs and lows of Buttery’s decade-long creative journey.
Buy / Stream Two Chords and the Truth on Bandcamp an all DSP’s
Pre-order Orchestrations on Bandcamp and all DSP’s
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