The maestro Sven Wunder and the legend Asha Puthli join SOYUZ for an exclusive collaborative piece for the Mr Bongo label – found on its regular Record Club compilation series of current favorites. The series is a must-check for its breadth and quality of choices that have been floating the Bongo boat and on rotation at their HQ and in their DJ sets.

Spring Has Sprung started out in Minsk just a month before the outbreak of full-scale war in Ukraine and SOYUZ’s emigration to Poland. Spending time in the studio playing around with different instruments and recording ideas, SOYUZ’s Alex Chumak wrote the initially piano-driven track, influenced by Azerbaijani pianist and composer Vagif Mustafazadeh, with hints of Holger Czukay weaved within.

The label says: “This one is very special to us, [as we] linked three of [our] cherished musical family together; the wondrous band SOYUZ, legendary cult artist Asha Puthli and Swedish maestro Sven Wunder, for an exclusive production made especially for the Mr Bongo Record Club 7 compilation. We were so blown away with the results, we wanted to share it as a stand-alone single too.

“They say don’t meet your heroes, but this is not the case with Asha Puthli. You couldn’t meet a more inspirational, gutsy and funny spirit, who is rich in stories, experience and knowledge. At the age of 79, Asha has embarked on her first-ever world tour, returning to the stage after over 40 years.

“As longtime fans of Asha’s music, SOYUZ were incredibly excited about the prospect of a collaboration. Asha loved the demo, so the band recorded a proper studio session, sending it to her in Miami where she returned it with her mystical vocals.”

Alex then met the other Mr Bongo hero, producer and composer Sven Wunder from Stockholm, while playing with fellow label artist, Brazilian Sessa and his live band. Sven wrote the string arrangement that was recorded with the Stockholm Studio Orchestra and conducted by Erik Arvinder.

“[It was] like a revelation – strange and beautiful at the same time,” Alex says.

“Lifting the track even further, subtle percussion by Anders Scherp and Anders af Klintberg delicately dusts the grooves,” the label adds.

It was a pure goosebumps moment when we first opened the finished track at Mr Bongo HQ and got to hear the song in its entirety.

“At just over two minutes it’s short, but oh-so-sweet, beautifully encapsulating Asha’s character and personality – playful, wise and serene, whilst also perfectly capturing SOYUZ’s cinematic, song-writing prowess and Sven Wunder’s distinctive style.”