Decode, a Spotify original podcast, is returning this year with a deep dive into Skepta’s Mercury Prize-winning Konnichiwa album.
Presented by Zambian-British author and poet Kayo Chingonyi, it was originally launched last year as a UK counterpart to the long-running Dissect podcast—focusing on UK albums and their cultural significance—with the launch season focusing on Dave’s culture-shifting Psychodrama.
Putting the spotlight on Konnichiwa, the new 12-episode series will see Chingonyi dig deep into the album’s lyrics and put them in context. The significance of grime’s resurgence, the attention from the US, and the highs and lows of Skepta’s career that led to that point can’t be underplayed. The album arrived at a time when grime’s latest wave was right at its peak, Britain’s cultural cache was higher than ever, and there was a boundless optimism about being young and British—and if you were there, you truly felt it.
The new series will also explore the iconic album’s value as a piece of social commentary, as well as some of the themes that went into the album, like racism, masculinity, and fame. It’ll also trace the album’s roots, via grime’s own heritage, down the line through garage, dancehall, soundsystem culture and video game music.
The creative team behind this season includes Joby Waldman, Rob Fitzpatrick, James McNally, Shara Rambarran, Raymond Tannor, Axel Kacoutié, Rapsz Katai, Ami Bennett, Rachel Byrne, Jack Howson, Weyland McKenzie-Witter, Frank Palmer and Complex UK’s Joseph ‘JP’ Patterson.
Episode 1 of Decode Season 2 drops this Thursday, March 10, via Spotify, with new episodes dropping each week. Listen to the preview below.
