Gordon Koang is South Sudan’s enigmatic superstar of infectious pop music – Music In Exile are releasing a series of remixes from his recent Unity album, this time partnering with two leaders of electronic music in Melbourne, Sleep D and Andras. All proceeds will go towards Gordon’s plight for citizenship and to be reunited with his family, currently in war-torn South Sudan. Gordon and his cousin Paul Biel Kueth were on tour performing to expatriate communities in Australia around six years ago, when they were forced to apply for humanitarian protection because of the civil war tearing their country apart. Now resettled in Australia, Gordon records and releases music in order to support his family back home in East Africa. Gordon met the Music in Exile label after languishing on the outskirts of Melbourne’s suburbs. Music In Exile is a not-for-profit, run by members of Melbourne’s flourishing music scene, in order to create more opportunity for the city’s numerous refugee and migrant musicians. During a successful run of singles and festival performances around Australia, the Covid-19 pandemic hit, derailing Gordon’s newfound success and forcing him to reach out to some of his newfound friends in the city. Unity is Gordon’s eleventh full-length album and first to be recorded in Australia. It was produced by Stefan Blair and Liam Parsons of Melbourne lo-fi legends Good Morning, featuring an ensemble of Australian performers. South Sudan and Y Dah are taken from the album for this release and the remixes were a gift to Gordon and his family, with no fees paid or royalties due. Gordon, who was born blind in a small village in South Sudan’s Upper Nile Valley, began composing on the thom, a five-stringed instrument sometimes referred to as a Sudanese banjo. He started busking on the streets of Juba, accompanied by his cousin Paul, who would sell homemade cassettes and CD’s. His anthems of peace, love and unity made Gordon a folk hero, as well as a voice for peace in a country torn apart by ongoing conflict. He still awaits Australian citizenship and hopes that if granted, it will allow him to reunite with his wife and family in his newfound home. Gordon Koang, Sleep D & Andras Y Dah / South Sudan is out through Music in Exile / Above Board now. Visit Music In Exile for the tunes.