Rebecca Vasmant – Who We Are, Becoming (2025)
Rebecca Vasmant’s second album, Who We Are, Becoming, marks a pivotal moment in the Glasgow-based producer and DJ’s career. Released through a new label collaboration between New Soil and WomenInJazz, the LP reaffirms her role at the forefront of Scotland’s contemporary jazz movement.
Rooted in personal history and creative independence, the record brings together a wide cast of collaborators, including harpist Amanda Whiting, bassist Joe Rattray, drummer Graham Costello, trumpeter Cameron Thomason-Duncan, and vocalists Emilie Boyd and Paix. True to her DIY spirit, Vasmant recorded nearly the entire album, excluding drums, using a single Rode microphone in her Glasgow apartment.
The dreamy focus track, “Becoming” featuring rising vocalist Terra Kin, encapsulates the album’s core themes of self-discovery and healing.
Meanwhile, “Rooted” draws directly from Vasmant’s family history, particularly the survival of her grandparents during the Holocaust. “If they weren’t hidden, none of my family bloodline would exist,” she explains, framing the song as both tribute and expression of gratitude.
Elsewhere, the album explores themes of femininity, connection, and resilience. On “Mother Earth,” Vasmant debuts her own vocals, inspired by late-night insomnia.
The delicious “Sun Song,” co-written with Emilie Boyd while pregnant, has since become a lullaby sung to Boyd’s son.
“Sisterhood (Skit)” features a childhood friend and their child, capturing Vasmant’s belief in chosen family and emotional kinship.
Expanding her jazz palette, the album features a 25-piece ensemble and mixes live instrumentation with electronics. Despite its scale, the work remains intimate and self-directed, reflecting Vasmant’s belief that “you don’t need fancy studios to create amazing music.”
Vasmant first gained recognition with her 2021 debut With Love, From Glasgow. Her follow-up EP, Dance Yourself Free (Tru Thoughts), garnered support across BBC 6 Music and Record Store Day appearances. She has since performed for BBC 6 Music Live in Glasgow and hosted Round Midnight on BBC Radio 3.
Through her label, Rebecca’s Records, she has also championed local talent including ARI TSUGI and Azamiah. A former Ministry of Sound resident, Vasmant turned away from mainstream club circuits early on to carve out her own jazz-infused pat, earning a reputation as a defining voice in Scottish jazz.
Her performances span both DJ sets and live ensembles, with appearances at Glastonbury, We Out Here, Brick Lane Jazz Festival, and Jazz Café, supporting acts like Questlove, Thundercat, BADBADNOTGOOD, and Gilles Peterson.