I work at the intersection of acoustic ecology, sound design, experimental music, and video. My practice is deeply grounded in Yoruba cultural knowledge, through which I explore themes of migration, ecology, ancestral memory, and identity. Drawing on oral histories and archival materials—particularly early 20th century Yoruba recordings—I investigate how systems of power shape our perceptions of race, love, and indigenous knowledge.

Born in Ile-Ife and raised in Osogbo, Nigeria, within my family’s touring cultural ensemble, I was immersed early in the rhythms of ritual and collective storytelling. These formative experiences continue to guide my approach to sound and performance. Sound, for me, is both archive and prophecy: a vessel for ancestral presence, and a medium through which futures can be rehearsed.

My compositions and installations weave Yoruba opera, classical African motifs, field recordings, electronic textures, and ambisonic diffusion into immersive sonic cartographies. These works invite audiences into embodied ways of listening that collapse time—where ancestral voices resonate alongside contemporary improvisations and speculative rhythms. In 2020, I released Niri, a solo project developed over a decade of research into Yoruba chants and archival music, which has since grown into a live performance series and a forthcoming screening project.

Equally central to my practice is the sculptural and spatial. Textile-based installations, inspired by Egungun masquerad collective resilience. These figures are conceived as vessels for ritual encounters—gestures of protection, remembrance, and renewal.

Collaboration and participation are also foundational to my work. Projects such as Playlisters by Adey and Adey & Bilal Studio Sessions have grown from intimate acts of sharing music into platforms for collective authorship and cultural exchange across Africa and the diaspora. Since 2022, I have curated an annual program for the Yinka Shonibare GAS Foundation, engaging traditional musicians in digital sonic research and expanding the archive of Yoruba sound practices.

My work has been supported through residencies at ArtHouse Foundation (Lagos), Cité internationale des Arts (Paris), La Napoule Art Foundation (France), and Schloss Balmoral (Germany). I was awarded the ACP-EU Culture grant for the live performance of Niri, and my projects have been presented at the Santa Fe Art Institute, with a screening at King’s College London in July 2025.

Ultimately, my practice is concerned with continuity—how ritual, sound, and gathering can serve as
counter-narratives to erasure. Whether through immersive installations, documentary projects, or live sonic encounters, I aim to create spaces where ancestral knowledge is not only remembered but reimagined, offering new possibilities for listening, belonging, and collective transformation.