Bubblegum Club

Author: Bob Perfect

  • Albany Lore Escapes Self Destruction with ‘Running Circles’

    Albany Lore Escapes Self Destruction with ‘Running Circles’

    Since 2014, Albany Lore (Matt Rightford) has quietly and erratically released 3 of the sweetest and most sincere songs you might not have heard yet. Albany Lore, so far, has fit the adage of “It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality,” to a tee. While his catalogue isn’t deep, it’s all worth listening to, and, let’s be honest, that’s not something we can say about most musicians.

    Good work takes time and you can tell Matt is meticulous with his songwriting. Each of his 3 releases shows growth, both in his sound and his personal life. From his debut single, the heartbreaking experimental ballad ‘The Cynic’s Surrender’, to the more self-assured and upbeat ‘Rest Easy, Genie’, to his latest release ‘Running Circles’, where he puts his past behind him because of someone new in his life.

    ‘The Cynic’s Surrender’ was a strong, emotive opening offer where he showcased his range as a vocalist and experimental song writer. It’s rather touching, if a bit morose. It got him attention, but there was no immediate follow up. Then, in December 2017, he put out a song that was the polar opposite of his debut. It was his first foray into the more pop (with a touch of soul) side of things and he was clearly feeling more chipper with ‘Rest Easy, Genie’, a song in which he reminds himself to keep his chin up and to “go full tilt bozzo”, because he’s got this.

    ‘Running Circles’, is a laidback, poppy, and a bit soppy, love song that explores how meeting that special someone else can lead you off the path of self-destruction. The smooth and sultry sounds of a saxophone open the track before Matt croons, “I’ve been looking for the trouble that you promised me. You’ve got me distracted from the wreck I wanted to be.” He repeats, “I’ve been looking for the trouble that you promised me,” before coming to the realisation that “Won’t be long before I find, that trouble’s not what I need.” From there it’s all groove and good times.  

    Matt Rightford used to be a part of the naas collective, he’s worked with some of the best in the business and really knows what he’s doing when it comes to the music thing. His releases may be erratic, but that just makes me cherish them more. I don’t know when we’ll be hearing another release from Albany Lore. The last 2 have been within less than a year of each other, and I see he’s playing live these days, which hopefully means we won’t have to wait until 2020 to hear more audio delights from this genuine sweetheart.

    Listen to ‘Running Circles’ on Spotify.

    Credits:

    Bass Guitar by Simon Lee

    Guitar by Aviwe Mandlenkosi Sikele

    Production Assistance by Thor Rixon & Elu Eboka

    Vocals recording & Mix by Elu Eboka

    Master by Ross Finck of Fin Mastering

    Record Label: KuduKudu Records

    Image by Robyn Keyser
  • Breindy and Matt make Modern Music in Ancient Hebrew

    Breindy and Matt make Modern Music in Ancient Hebrew

    Unless you grew up reading the Torah, you’re probably going to have some trouble understanding what’s going on on Breindy and Matt’s Ruth Avenue. That’s because the married couple make beautiful experimental Indie music with Ancient Hebrew vocals. So, for those who are familiar with Ancient Hebrew, this album will naturally have way deeper meaning, but even if the only Hebrew you know is ‘Hava Nagila’, the amalgamation of different musical elements on Ruth Avenue make it well worth listening to.

    The simplest way I could describe the sound of Ruth Avenue is if Enya had to collab with Destroyer and Christopher Owens from Girls. Listening to Breindy’s vocals, I can’t help but think of everyone’s favourite New Age Celtic singer. Like, I could imagine Breindy doing an incredible cover of Enya’s ‘Carribean Blue’. But, when listening to the music behind the vocals, I can’t help but be reminded of Christopher Owens’ ‘Lysandre’s Theme‘ especially when listening to ‘London Niggun’, and the underlying backbone of a few songs reminds me of the seemingly casual pop experimentation that I love in Destroyer songs. So, that’s why I’d say it’s a fusion of the 3, but then there are also touches of emo-indie on songs like ‘Modeh Ani’ and subtle touches of country and folk throughout, which take me back to my late teens listening to the likes of Bright Eyes and The Promise Ring.

    And that’s the thing, while I have no idea what Breindy is saying, there are so many parts to this release that draw me in that it really doesn’t matter. They call it Indie-Alternative but it’s really an experimental mixture of some of the best parts of indie, country, folk, and electronica that would probably be labelled as “world music” by most because it doesn’t fall neatly in any category.

    To listen to Ruth Avenue visit Spotify or iTunes.

    Follow Breindy and Matt on Instagram.

    Credits for cover image:

    Photography: Paul Shiakallis

    MUA: Devorah Kirkel

    Hair by: Wigs / Sheitels by Sharnee

  • Ruzza Wazzi Gives Back with ‘We R Fire’

    Ruzza Wazzi Gives Back with ‘We R Fire’

    Growing up, I never really understood the concept of “keeping kids off the street”. The kids in my area and I grew up playing in the streets. That was the norm. Initially, it was the traditional sports like cricket and soccer, and we received many roasties for our efforts. Later, it was skateboarding, which featured even more roasties for our efforts, but also provided many psychological rewards each time we got a new trick on lock, gave us goals to work towards, and was also the way many of us outcasts found like minded individuals. Sports, like skateboarding, in my opinion, are vital to kids upbringings, regardless of if they’re played on the streets or on a field.

    I think Ruzza Wazzi probably feels similarly, as he’s donating all the proceeds from the streaming of his uplifting dub influenced track ‘We R Fire’ to a non profit called Skateistan. The multidisciplinary artist has a soft spot for the organisation as he used to work there as an Educator. Skateistan uses skateboarding and education as a tool to empower “at risk youth” around the world, which is pretty rad. They’ve been around for 10 years globally and 2 years locally. You can learn more about this incredible organisation here.

    Skateboarding is about freedom, expression and pushing yourself, and Ruzza Wazzi embodies that in his work. The artistically gritty video for ‘We R Fire’ is shot at Skateistan in Jozi and features layers of symbolism that I don’t exactly “get” but I can still enjoy the part sci-fi, part mystical aesthetics.

    Ruzza Wazzi cares deeply about the visuals that accompany his audio, and you’ll be able to delve deeper into the psyche of this radical artist real soon. I got to see and hear an entire album of his work just once before he took it down to edit something he wasn’t happy with, and I’ll say this much: You haven’t seen anything quite like it.

    Look out for ‘Voice For The Fringe’ which will hopefully drop soon, but for now, enjoy Chapter 1 with ‘We R Fire’, and if you dig the track, stream it on Spotify or Apple Music and help keep kids out of trouble whilst on the streets.

  • Yung Killa’s KILLA$ZN – for a sound that is both familiar and different in rap

    Yung Killa’s KILLA$ZN – for a sound that is both familiar and different in rap

    What do you expect from a rapper named Yung Killa? Probably raps about gats, stacking racks, stunting on the haters, smoking on weed, and sipping on Dom? Guess what, you’d be right. How perceptive of you. That’s not to say everything about Yung Killa’s KILLA$ZN is what it says on the box though.

    I mean, you are 100% gonna hear all the rap tropes you’ve heard before, but KILLA$ZN has an old school feel with new school weirdness, and Yung Killa brings a laid back yet menacing attitude to some uniquely wavy beats that keep things fresh. At this point, nobody is reinventing the wheel when it comes to rap, but it’s still fun to see how each new rapper approaches the genre and it’s tropes.

    Yung Killa kinda reminds me of Angel Haze meets Dope Saint Jude – Angel for cadence, Dope Saint Jude for flow but a bit slower. The adolescent murderer has a lazy flow for the most part that suits the more experimental beats and gives both space to shine. She might not be able to go one on one with Tech9 but she knows how to make her shit sound dope all the same.

    There are a few stand out tracks on the release. ‘Hol’ Up’, which is the 2nd track, is fully the kind of song you lean your seat back in your Toyota Yaris and wind the window down as you roll through the suburbs. I’m assuming most of you aren’t that thug that you’d roll your windows down in town, but ‘Hol’ Up’ is the kind of track that makes you feel like you could and nobody would fuck with you. ‘Stunnin’ sounds like it’s made using church bells and is all about looking stunning in leather. It’s the perfect anthem for getting dressed before the jol. That’s followed by ‘Studio’, which references the infamous “don’t touch me on my studio” moment and I like to think it’s the soundtrack to walking in the club to. ‘Wo’ is my favourite track, though I’m not sure who the dude rapping on the track is but I enjoy the juxtaposition between him and Yung Killa and I’ve the hook of “Pull up on ‘em like ‘do do do’” has been stuck in my head since the first time I heard it.  

    If you enjoy rap music about all the things rap music has come to be known for but you’re tired of hearing it done the same way, then give KILLA$ZN a listen for something that’s both familiar and different.

  • The Future is Now for Muzi

    The Future is Now for Muzi

    Muzi is the future and the future is now. With the release of Afrovision, Muzi, who has been producing bangers for a minute now, has gone from being an “act to watch” for those in the know locally and overseas to an absolute sensation both at home and abroad.

    A couple of years back, on this very site, I said that Muzi had the blueprint for success, and the proof is in the pudding. Sure, at the time he only had one booking, but 2 years later he’s on a tour that’s seen him “murk” (his word) Durban, Joburg, Falkirk, Glasgow, Lancashire, Milan, London, and Wiltshire. With Oppikoppi and Rocking The Daisies ahead of him. He’s stuck to his vision and is now reaping the rewards for years of hard work and self-discovery.

    To some, it might seem like Muzi has popped up out of nowhere because it takes the mainstream media and the public a while to catch on, but he’s already had a career that many artists would be jealous of. Major label releases, living in Berlin, making music with the likes of Damon Albarn, showing Stormzy around Durban, interviews and reviews on all the major international music sites, and a music catalogue that most producers are straight up jealous of.

    Despite all that, Muzi is a relatable guy. Through his social media, you get a feel for his playfulness, his mindfulness and his humility. And not humility the way rappers are “humble”, but you get a genuine sense that while Muzi takes his work and career seriously, he doesn’t take himself too seriously.

    While I’ve always found Muzi easy to relate to, his music didn’t resonate with audiences at home as much as it should have. Europeans were wilding out but Muzi was an underground fav in South Africa, that’s because the music he was making had African touches to western sounds. But with Afrovision, Muzi truly embraces his roots whilst creating something with global influence and reach. I personally consider Afrovision to be my album of the year. It just sounds perfect.

    After his stint in Berlin, it feels and sounds like Muzi has finally found his place back home. He might still be a bit of a misunderstood outcast, but he’s also someone who knows who he is, where he comes from, and where he wants to go.

    To listen to Afrovision click here.

  • Missu’s ‘An Education’ is the Soundtrack to your Next Summer

    Missu’s ‘An Education’ is the Soundtrack to your Next Summer

    Missu makes music for the summer. Feel-good synthy grooves that are just as much a jam cruising with the windows down or sweating it out on the jol. Which makes his debut EP ‘An Education’ well timed since it’ll take South Africans a month or 2 to pick up on the dopeness at hand.

    In a weird way, it reminds me of Gateway Drugs’ self-titled EP. Not that it sounds the same although there’s plenty of 80s pastiche weaved into ‘An Education’, but in that it’ll probably be the cult-hit soundtrack for those who find it. Those who do find it will love it and make it blow up amongst an ever-growing fan base. Missu is already a rather popular chap in Durban with his fun live shows that are just straight up impossible not to dance to. Both his energy and songs are infectious, the dude is a multi-instrumentalist who puts effort into making each live show a unique experience.

    ‘An Education’ has five tracks and 4 features, most of whom you should probably recognise. Red Robyn, Costabesta, Robin Thirdfloor and Moonchild all add their unique personalities to the tracks. Each song suits the vocalist and feel like they were made closely together, making the EP a well-rounded release.

    ‘Dilemma’ is the opener and features Red Robyn. It kicks off as a dreamy synth pop number and then diverts into a sci-fi rap breakdown for a bit, only to then kick into this section that feels like you’re playing Space Invaders. It has so much depth and commands multiple listens. It’s fun, it’s cheeky, it’s sardonic, it’s honest. Oh, and the Luke Nelson directed video will have you feeling some type of way.

    Costabesta comes through with a grime flow on ‘Coast’ which might have you mistaking him for Dizzee Rascal rapping over a beat made using cups and spoons. I can’t tell if the “You and you and you” line is a Max Normal reference, because it’s said with a similar cadence, but either way it’s a vibe.

    ‘Engojeni’ features Robin Thirdfloor and it’s an up-tempo feel-good dance track that’s all about the art of thrift shopping drenched in Kavinsky-like synths with a thumping beat. No Macklemore vibes here though as I know for a fact that Robin’s style comes from living that thrifty life.

    Moonchild does her thing on the closer, ‘Popcorn’, which is a song about the pains of wearing high-heels and has a chorus about popping the corn on your foot. I shit you not. It’s amazing. Moonchild has a penchant for providing earworms and this one encourages on the jol footcare, although the imagery makes me think of Dr Pimple Popper which means this is either gonna gross some people out or turn them on.

    ‘An Education’ is a solid offering from a musician who really should be on your radar by now. There’s plenty of weirdness that’s held together by pop sensibilities, collabs that accentuate both, and a love of synths that would make Robert Moog proud.

    Listen to Missu’s debut EP, ‘An Education’ here.

  • Umaah’s Sheila EP is Vulnerable and Experimental

    Umaah’s Sheila EP is Vulnerable and Experimental

    Before the current wave of soulful songstresses from Durban who blend R&B with hip-hop and jazz, like Red Robyn, Victoria Raw, and Rhea Black, I used to be enchanted on the weekends by Umaah Khumalo, or as she was affectionately known then, Apple. Umaah mostly used to kick it with Ex-Con (Existing Consciousness), a high energy free-flowing new age act that would blend hip-hop with jazz, rock, soul, R&B and whatever else tickled their fancy. Even though she was the smallest member, she never came across as such on stage.

    Umaah has always felt bigger than her surroundings. Like she couldn’t be contained, although, for a while in Durban, she was a bit. I’ve had a few conversations with her over the years. About the struggles of being a young musician, of balancing work with being in a band. About whether or not that band would make it. It didn’t. But that doesn’t mean Umaah won’t. Her debut solo EP as Umaah is a massive step in a direction that could see some success for her.

    Produced by Jozi’s experimental electronic music genius, Micr.Pluto, Umaah is given plenty of space to shine on the Sheila EP over sounds I’m not used to hearing her on. No acoustic guitar or big band behind her. Instead Umaah gets to pair her voice with some good-old fashioned boombap (with Micr.Pluto’s modern touches, of course), trip-hop, and even a few dubsteb wubs.

    The opening track, ‘Baptist‘, is my favourite. The beat kinda reminds me of Nas’s ‘Represent’ and coupled with Umaah’s soulful vocals, it takes me back to the 90s, driving around in my mom’s Uno Fire whilst she’d play R&B compilations with the likes of Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill on them. There’s a good chance Umaah grew up on Erykah, as she’s the artist I can most liken her to. She’s experimental with her vocals, although she keeps things relatable with an ever-present layer of vulnerability.

  • Okzharp and Manthe Ribane’s Closer Apart is a Masterclass in Repetition

    Okzharp and Manthe Ribane’s Closer Apart is a Masterclass in Repetition

    Repetition is such a powerful tool. Through repetition, you can hypnotise someone, or wake them. Through repetition, you can numb the senses, or heighten them. Through repetition, you can create anxieties, or relieve them. Through repetition, you can express your deepest thoughts and desires, or bury them. Through repetition, you can say everything, or say nothing at all. It’s a bit ironic that repetition can be so diverse.

    Okzharp and Manthe Ribane’s Closer Apart is a masterclass in repetition as an artistic tool. Not only have I listened to it on repeat (it’s kinda the job), but every song folds in on itself and creates a time-travelling wormhole worth exploring over and over again. It’s a beautiful exploration of loops and lyrics that find new meaning each time they’re repeated.

    “Are you ready for the truth? Even if it hurts you?” Ribane repeatedly asks on ‘Make U Blue’, the second track of the album. She wants to confess, but she knows it will crush the priest in this particular booth. “Only the truth can hurt you.” It’s haunting in its simplicity and cuts deep, whilst also offering comfort. A common theme on the album.

    Plenty of snares and hi-hats punctuate Okzharp’s productions, but this isn’t Okzharp from LV fame. This a much calmer offering, with less focus on making you dance and more on creating a story with Manthe. ‘Zagga’ feels like it could have been a big trap track if they cranked it up but instead it feels unsettling, with lyrics that mimic and mock trap cliches.

    Closer Apart at times feels like it could be a soundtrack to a sci-fi space thriller. Especially songs like ‘Time Machine’ which has vocals that sound a bit like Hal-9000 meets autotune Kanye, and the closing track, ‘Treasure Erasure’, gave me flashbacks to running away from corporate cops across rooftops in the dystopian future of Mirror’s Edge.

    There’s so much going on with this album that it requires multiple listens to fully appreciate. It’s remarkably deep and rich with carefully crafted layers of repetition. Give it a listen. And then do it again. And again…

  • Sainty Baby is the Fierce Lesbian Rapper She Dreamt About

    Sainty Baby is the Fierce Lesbian Rapper She Dreamt About

    Sainty Baby is one of the most AMPED people I have ever met. She’s a diminutive ball of energy, and comes across as a soft and genuine person. Her positivity and belief in herself is infectious. With her upcoming EP dropping on the 13th of July, I figured it would be a good time to really get to know the house DJ and rapper who has had quite the life so far.

    Originally from Pietermaritzburg, Sainty Baby is 1 of 3 children which is why she was named Nthathu, which means ‘Three’ in Xhosa. She’s open when I ask about growing up and tells me, “I don’t remember much, honestly, or maybe I’m becoming good at covering things up, especially if they involve hurt and pain.” I relate to her on that. Most of my childhood is in deep recesses I don’t want to delve into either. “I was bullied in primary school,” she explains, “‘til I told my older sister about the culprits. I don’t know why it took me 2 years to tell [her], but boy, did she save my gay ass! Sorry can I say that? Real talk, I can never understand people who are actively mean for no reason.”

    Her complicated relationship with her father is one of the motivations behind her work. But music wasn’t the original dream. “I remember exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up – a cop. I always imagined one of those shootouts where the cops hide behind a car, pop up carefully and fire at perpetrators, like in the movies, and guess what? I sort of did it! I say sort of because the only time I shot a gun was at Traffic Training College and during the annual Station Shoot.” Not exactly what I was expecting to hear. Personally, watching those movies, I always imagined being the bad guys and anti-heroes, but haven’t pursued the fantasy too much IRL. Sainty Baby became a cop for 5 years. “From 2009 to 2014, I was a cop by day and DJ by night. Provincial Inspector for the Road Traffic Inspectorate to be specific. Yawned out after 5 years.” Before that, it was working at McD’s on weekends and school holidays from Grade 11.

    Sainty Baby got into rapping back in 2007 thanks to a MXit rip-off and wanting to fit in. “There was a chatting app called Mig33. One particular group that intrigued me was the Rap Battle group. I decided I HAD to learn how to battle so I could hang people out in public. I know that’s terrible inspiration but in the beginning that’s what I desired.” She’s so self-aware and open, it’s disarming yet comforting. “I had a rapper friend/producer called KayDee so I asked him and he was more than willing to help. Immediately, I picked up that my word play was pretty sick.” She also has a fair bit of self-confidence.

    “I moved to Durban in 2009. In 2013 I met an artist/producer named Gavin from Sydenham. He actually gave me a Hip-Hop hit which I never released. When it came to practicality, as a new artist I had to choose an art to finesse.” Sainty came to a crossroads in her musical journey. She had been rapping and DJing for years, and had to figure out which to pursue further – “I had to choose between rap and house.” She choose house. Her thinking was, “Once I got GOOD at DJing, then I could look into learning more and incorporating that into my music, which got me looking into production. I quit my job in November 2014 and the following year I used the money from my old job to pay for my Soul Candi Institute of Music fees. That’s when life became interesting – I could make my own music from scratch!”

    Recently though, she found herself called back to rap. “Last winter, I was in my brother’s studio. He handed me his phone and asked me to try and do the last verse he had written. I did it. It felt good until the other rappers started complimenting my verse.” Usually most people are stoked to get compliments but Sainty Baby wasn’t satisfied with her brothers words in her mouth. “At first, I wanted to write my own raps so I could get compliments for my own rhymes, but a year later I feel like lyrics descend upon me during my quiet moments, like a gift from a higher power. Or maybe I’ve practiced enough to confidently say that this is my best medium of expressing myself. I don’t know how I’d speak about getting shot in the face over a house beat.” Being a house DJ just didn’t fit the vision Sainty had in her dreams. “I’ve always had a picture of a fierce lesbian rapper who’d drive the country crazy with punch lines, word play and a bit of confusion. Girls like her. Guys like her. All the lesbians want to be her. I woke up one day and realized that star female rapper was me. My fellow citizens just don’t know yet. I’ve created a lot of audio letters and confessions and I’d just like every person to listen to it at least once.”

    I asked her how she’s found the transition from behind the decks to in front of them. “Astonishing, exciting and a bit nerve-racking because it’s different to DJing. Now I have to stand in front of a crowd and convince them I’m worthy of their time and I CAN actually entertain. Meanwhile, I’m just trying to tell everyone how grateful I am to be alive still. I’m also very eager to release my audio confessions so I can finally move on from all the things I’ve been through. Everything is okay now.”

    Sainty aims to be one of the 5 best female rappers in South Africa, so I asked her what she thinks it’ll take to get there. “Hits, sass. Honesty and playfulness. Dope visuals and a lot of well curated shows, preferably free shows. A bit of giving people what they want without losing your uniqueness in the process. International strides are a good way of boosting your fans’ confidence back home.” It seems like she has it pretty figured out, although time will tell if she can make such moves.

    She’s got a unique vision and wants to offer people something different. I asked her what she’s offering that others aren’t and she burst forth with ideas. “I pray my competition doesn’t copy this but instead of traditional music videos I will put on live theatre shows, showcasing the music. The picture on my E.P. cover, picture that bed on a real stage and the opening act is me waking up from sweet slumber and bursting into song! I’m offering a new and evolving sound. Every beat is different from the next. I’m also bringing my birthright into play. Vernac! I don’t know a female rapper that spits in her own language, with the exception of Sho Madjozi. I’m going to give people Instagram captions in isiZulu and have them ask themselves HOW a girl is able to come up with such. It’s beautiful because I do everything on these songs. I sing, I rap and I switch between my two languages with the greatest of ease. Fun and Truth combo is an angle I’m going with. I’ll jokingly or sometimes straight up say something that most people already have on their mind.

    ‘Getting you outta rotation,

    Vele you’re so overrated,

    Why are you famous?

    Alrighty that’s none of my business,

    The company went outta business,

    The country economy dipping,

    Why are you doing this Cyril?’

    I didn’t mean to use his first name but it rhymes better. Anyway, I’ll use my sweet voice to carry messages across and once in a while, in between the lines, you’ll find something you also relate to.”

    Sainty Baby’s debut EP drops on the 13th of July, you can hear her most recent singles below:

  • Bottils makes familiar and unfamiliar electronica

    Bottils makes familiar and unfamiliar electronica

    Lately, a few young musicians have asked “Should I have a Facebook fan page?” Usually, I tell them, “Probably.” While Facebook is an evil hellscape designed to offer you nothing but an addiction to the doses of serotonin you get whenever you receive a notification, it still has its uses. Like, if you’re too broke to afford a website (you’re probably not, it’s more affordable than you think), it’s where you can store your info so journalists, bloggers and fans can find out more about you. Also, there are a few billion people on there so there’s potential reach, but tbh, you won’t get it unless you pay for it.

    Anyway, the artist you’re being introduced to today doesn’t have a Facebook page, yet I’m still writing about them. Which makes me think that when you just want to make dope music, you probably don’t really worry about how many Facebook fans you have or if journalists can find out info about you. I mean, maybe that’s the point, maybe they’re going for that whole mysterious persona vibe.

    Here’s what we know about Bottils from their soundcloud bio: Bottils is a fictional musician from the world of ‘End of the Continent’, a choose-your-own-adventure story set in an alternate history of Cape Town.

    So, this could be a Gorillaz type vibe, someone in another band or project working on something on the side, or just someone in their bedroom putting out some sweet electronica as a release from their mundane day job. I have no idea, but I dig the 2 tracks Bottils has put out so far.

    Musically, Bottils reminds me of a slower tempo Grimes if she had grown up on South African 80s pop music. It’s emotive electronic pop that you could hear on the radio, but more likely to hear in the car of your friend who is super into 8bit music. There’s something about Bottils’ music that reminds me of my childhood yet still feels new. A familiarity and unfamiliarity that both draw me in to listening to Moschops and To Return over and over again.

     

  • STASH CREW’s latest EP is the electronic soundtrack for a gender fluid future

    STASH CREW’s latest EP is the electronic soundtrack for a gender fluid future

    The future is gender fluid. Probably. I mean, if there is a future. With the current climate, who knows how much longer we’ll inhabit this planet for? What I do know is that more people these days are starting to open up to the idea that sexuality is a spectrum and so is gender, which bodes well for a less binary future. STASH CREW’s GENDERFLUIDZ, as you can probably tell by the title, is a jacked up electronic soundtrack for that future.

    Right off the bat, we’re greeted with a booty popping opener called Pop (Dat) which I can only describe as Smack My Bitch up in a washing machine of bass. It’s a fun opener that gives you a solid idea of what you’re in for over the next 7 songs. You’re in for is a queer as fuck retro-futuristic rap-rave jol. Think Die Antwoord, but with less cultural appropriation and more lyrics about women eating pussy.

    “The realities of living as a queer person in South Africa are brutal. We are inspired by the transformative and inclusive possibilities of queer culture and how we can counteract the challenges and violence that queer people face on a daily basis,” STASH CREW explain in their press release, “We want more queer positive, sex positive people celebrating themselves and their wants and desires – and dancing every damn day”.

    GENDERFLUIDZ will definitely get you dancing, and it truly is 2 queer kids from Jozi celebrating themselves, with touches from Umlilo, HLASKO and Schall Regall. Whyt Lyon, Phayafly have a close working relationship with Umlilo. In 2017 they toured Brazil and Germany with Umlilo as part of their ‘Queer Intergalatic Alliance’ collaborative project, and Umlilo also features on their bonus song and video for GENDERFLUIDZ, Mad as Hell.

    Photography by Corrina Mehl

  • MHD is the French Rapper You Need to Know About

    MHD is the French Rapper You Need to Know About

    Do you ever worry that there’s so much dope shit out there in the world, that you’ll never get to experience it all? I do. We are in a golden age where art is more accessible than ever, but due to sheer volume of what’s created, I feel like I’m always playing catch-up.

    Like, how the fuck did I now know about MHD? Why am I only now discovering this 23-year-old rapper who has been racking up millions upon millions of plays over the last 3 years? Why didn’t any of you tell me?

    Oh, you didn’t know about him either? Ok, you’re forgiven, but let me fill you in on what I know. MHD is a French rapper of Guinean and Senegalese descent and his Afro-Trap series of raps and videos has catapulted him to fame in France and earned him plenty of love in French speaking African countries. With over 164 million views on his Afro-Trap 7 video, it’s safe to say the chap has resonated with a few people. Don’t parly voo France, hey? Don’t worry, the video has subtitles so you can get a lesson in French and learn about Le Puissance (The Power) whilst you’re at it.

    And it’s not like he’s a one hit wonder either. Every single music video on his Youtube is in the millions of views, and the cat has only been on the scene since 2015. It makes some local rappers’ brags seem rather silly. With a stripped down approach to videos, thumping infectious beats, and a don’t-give-a-fuck cadence, MHD’s career has skyrocketed.

    MHD has strong African roots which he pays homage to in his music. He’s already collaborated with African icons like Fally Ipupa and Angelique Kidjo, and even has a song about Cameroonian football legend Roger Milla, which lead to him swinging his hips in celebration along with the Cameroonian football team as part of a promotional video for PUMA.

    If you have an hour and a bit spare, take a deep dive into this young rapper’s Youtube catalogue and be stoked that there’s still so much dope art left to be discovered.