Bubblegum Club

Author: Themba Kriger

  • Exploring Klein’s dramatic soundscapes

    Highly original and imaginative, Klein’s music can seem daunting at first but reveals an underlying familiarity in its curated chaos. “If you get through the first song of the EP you’ll like it because I was aware the first song of the record is so intense,” Klein laughs. A collage of reshaped samples, pitch shifted vocals, piano and synthesised drones, her songs are dramatic soundscapes.

    Born in London, Klein spent a few years in Lagos and Los Angeles as a child before returning home. Raised in a home surrounded by gospel music, her influences range from the Foo Fighters to Disney soundtracks. Introduced to music at 14 thanks to a keyboard given to her by her mother, she hadn’t considered pursuing a career in music. “It wasn’t a thing where I was like, okay I’m going to start making music and be serious about it. It was more like this is kinda fun and for ages it was just like really a hobby. For years I couldn’t really admit to myself that it’s what I liked to do. I never really thought of it as something that would be something that could be a thing. Literally maybe 5 months ago I was like okay, oh crap, I’ve been doing this full time for a year. And was like wait a minute. And got really freaked out. It’s been a slow process over the past few years. Of my kind of accidentally ending up in this world.”

    Coming out on Hyperdub, ‘Tommy’ is her first EP not to be self-released following the acclaimed ‘Only’ and ‘Lagata’. Inspired in part by the attitude of Tommie from Love & Hip Hop. “There were certain things I was unsure of doing, certain things I wasn’t sure of putting on the record and I was like nah Tommie would think this is sick. That you could be honest with yourself. I took that element and placed it in the record.” The record has a darker tone than her previous work and shows a progression in her production. Divided into acts like a Shakespearean production the EP explores Klein’s emotions. “It is a thing where with Tommy I allowed myself to be vulnerable. To really dig deep into how do I feel. Certain emotions. As well as elaborate and finding ways of exploring certain feelings or certain messages.”

    Taking inspiration from the music she loves and twisting it into her own interpretation, Klein has a unique sound palette that reminds you of something you’ve heard before yet sounds like nothing else. “I just like to play around with like mixing all of those familiar tones that I have and I grew up with and finding ways to present it a way that is nice to my ears. So it is a thing where I just tend to make stuff for myself in my own head and then hopefully in due time hopefully people will get it once they take their time with it.”

  • Music and Technology at Fak’ugesi Festival

    Now in its 4th year, the Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival is a celebration of technology, creativity, collaboration and innovation from across the African continent. The festival includes a range of seminars, talks, exhibitions, workshops, hack-a- thons, films, artists, games, innovation riots and music. With highlights including the Fak’ugesi Conference, Making Weekend as well as Fak’ugesi Beat, a new curatorial partnership with WeHeartBeat that focuses on beats, music and technology.

    The Fak’ugesi Beats program is multifaceted and includes the week-long Fak’ugesi Beats Lab workshop, the curation of panels at the Fak’ugesi Conference and the Fak’ugesi Beats Bloc Party which sees the festival outcomes come to life. Red Bull Studios Johannesburg at the Tshimologong Precinct will play host to the workshop which includes Soulection’s Hannah Faith, videographer Foxy Neela, French Soulection beatmaker Evil Needle, Swiss beatmaker Melodinsfonie, alongside the local Mante Ribane and the Dear Ribane collective working on a collaborative piece the result of which will be showcased at the Block Party and also see the work pressed to vinyl.

    Two of the panels at the Fak’ugesi Conference will be examining the influence of technology on music. ‘Future Beats’ features Joe Kay, founder of Soulection and pioneer of the Future Beats sound, Evil Needle and trap jazz pioneer Masego. The conversation will look at how the digital age as influenced new genres in music and what this means for musicians and artists as a whole. The second panel discussion ‘Sonic Visions’ will be an examination examination of collaboration between film, design and music. With a panel that features singer Nonku Phiri & Rendani Nemakhavhani who collaborated together on a music film, Foxy Neela, Hannah Faith, Mahaneela Choudhury-Reid of WeAreInBloom, and Benoit Hicke of the French F.A.M.E Festival the aim is to have a playful conversation that engages with the audience.

    The Free Workshop Program at the Making Weekend allows the public to gain hands on experience in areas from programming and creating gaming controllers, to robotics and music & film. Led by French/American artist Yann Seznec, the workshop ‘Room to Play’ explores the world of DIY musical controllers and instruments. Making use of everyday objects the workshop will challenge attendees to reimagine what a an instrument is and placing limitations on its function thus challenging the design strategy of commercial controllers. “How do you make a digital instrument that’s more difficult to play? And then thus what kind of questions does that open up?” asks Yann Seznec.

    According to Seznec DIY musical controllers and instruments have had a large impact on the performance of electronic music. “It means that you can do electronic music performances that are more meaningful to an audience. One of the big changes in electronic music in the last 10/15 years was that everything could be done on a laptop. With the downside of it being pretty uninteresting. I think what’s nice about DIY instruments is that it brings new methods of performance to the world,” notes Seznec.

    The Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival will culminate with the Fak’ugesi Beats Bloc Party which will feature the outcomes of the festival’s various collaborations as well as a selection of some of the finest local and international artists including Masego, Joe Kay, MNDSGN, Melodiesinfonie, Evil Needle, Hannah Faith, Nonku Phiri, Christian Tiger School and Petite Noir. “We’re trying to setup an international beat festival and present artists that we feel are making headway internationally and deserve platforms and deserve to be heard. So we feel like we’ve put together a really beautiful lineup,” says Dominique Soma of WeHeartBeat. “We’ve worked with artists that apply the traditional analog way of music making in terms of playing traditional instruments but then creating it in a digital space or through a digital process,” she adds.

    Unique on the continent in its offering, the Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival highlights the importance of the cross-over between culture, creativity and technology in Africa. With the addition of Fak’ugesi Beats the festival is examining the relationship between music and technology and this program will expand over the coming years. “We’re still looking to explore the relationship between the two spaces in the long term. Over the next few years you will see that crossover coming to life a little bit more,” notes Dominique Soma.

  • Buks (is back) on the mic

    While he is best known for his integral part in the production trio Ivy League that created tracks for the likes of PRO, Khuli Chana, AKA, Tuks, Solo, Teargas & Prokid, Buks’ music career started in high school when he was a rapper in the group Entity alongside school mate AKA. With a musical background that includes piano, saxophone and clarinet it wasn’t until he discovered hip hop via his older cousins that his interest in expressing himself through music was piqued. With his parents strongly opposing his pursuit of a music career Buks left the limelight of rapping in Entity and started producing after a friend from his boarding school introduced him to the production software Fruity Loops. “Making beats was my way of staying in the music side. I couldn’t really be in the forefront because then my folks would know that I’m still in the group,” Buks recalls.

    Although Buks was producing with Ivy League while still studying he decided not to pursue rapping until he had completed his degree. Then he could focus on bringing his songwriting to the same level has his production. “I needed to get the varsity stuff out of the way. As soon as I finished then I was like, let me get back into writing. But obviously I had been producing for a very long time at quite a high level and I hadn’t been writing for a number of years. For me it was about getting my writing back to a level where I’m comfortable enough putting out music and at a very high level,” Buks says.

    On Buks’ debut album ‘Pegasus’ he explores the theme of conscience. “I think a lot about the polar opposites of things. How we navigate through life is how we negotiate in terms of good and evil. If your conscience is clear in whatever decision you make I think that’s what makes the difference in life. For me a lot of the songs come out in that way,” Buks muses.

    Producing and mixing the album himself, Buks found the biggest difference in producing for himself was the continuation of the musical journey. “When you produce for someone else it ends once you’ve made the beat. Whereas producing for myself it’s everything from start to finish. I take care of every little bit of detail,” Buks notes. The lead single “Don’t Need Stress” is an upbeat ode to surrounding yourself with positivity. The last track he completed for the album, it speaks to not being questioned with regards to the direction he’s taken with his music as well as “[reaching] this point of “zen” where I feel extremely comfortable where I’m at in my life so I don’t need negative energy coming into my space,” Buks says.

    3 years in the making, Buks is intensely proud of “Pegasus”. “I’ve worked on this project for so long and I’m just really excited for people to hear it. I really do feel like it’s an important album in terms of this current climate that we’re in. I think a lot of the hip hop generally is sounding the same. I think the messages get lost. It’s one of those albums where you sit and you listen and you start to understand over time some of the different concepts and the different sounds.”

  • Loui Lvndn: Chasing the Princess

    With his debut album ‘Your Princess is in another Castle’, Johannesburg based artists Loui Lvndn presents a body of work with a clear concept and narrative. On the album the singer, songwriter, rapper, performing artist, visual artist and writer uses the video game character Mario and his repetitive quest to rescue his princess as a metaphor for the search of happiness. “Our character is failing to find this princess and the princess is anything, it’s love, your aspirations, the best version of yourself, success. All of those things,“ notes Loui Lvndn.

    Told in a linear fashion, the album follows the exploits of the main character from a cold-hearted, ego driven place to meeting a girl and bringing her into his life, while slowly falling in love with her, before being overcome with jealousy and insecurity, before losing the her in the lifestyle through which they met and ultimately becoming the person he was before they met again. “With the album I resolved to ending the story with two endings. In one ending the repetitive nature of it seizes once the main character Loui achieves this happiness. He finds it in one. And the other ending is recurring. It’s sometimes about the journey. You revel in the moment and the experience of it all. Sometimes you actually do find it. Which is not to say you lose it and you search again. So I added both endings because there is a duality,“ muses Loui Lvndn.

    The album also sees Loui Lvndn in full control of all aspects, from the art direction, to the narrative and the composition. “This is the first time I got full control over what these melodies were doing. What these compositions were like. So I created everything from scratch. For the first time I think this entire body of work is exactly what I sound like today.“ To add the final touches to the album he worked with London-born, Knysna-based producer Jumping Back Slash. “He helped finesse and refine all of the sounds, make them listenable. But he did a super job because he tuned into the wavelength that I was on and actually even took it a step further.“

    Despite presenting dual outcomes to the narrative on the album Loui Lvndn believes that the search for one’s metaphorical princess is continuous. According to Loui, “success will always take a step forward as I take a step forward. So I don’t personally think I’ll ever find it. No matter how successful I am. I can have success and still be looking for it and I can have love and still be looking for it. It just seems like that sort of play.”

     

     

  • Face-to-face with deKiller’Clown

    Hailing from Johannesburg, rapper, producer and all-round artist deKiller’Clown’s music draws inspiration from the sounds around him and the situations he finds himself in. With an older sister who studied sound engineering and introduced him to a lot of music including hip hop he started making music from a young age. “I started making music at 8 or 9 years old just because I looked up to my sister that much. I just got into music from the inspiration that I drew from my sister,” deKiller’Clown remembers, “At the time she was listening to a lot of The Roots, Erykah Badu, J Dilla, a lot of that old school hip hop. I was introduced to hip hop and fell in love with J Dilla.”

    Although he tried his hand at production around the age of 11, it wasn’t until a few years later that he took producing seriously. “Later on in life around 17/18 I met up with some friends who then inspired me to get into producing and that’s when my producing started.”

    While he doesn’t favour any particular emcees or producers, “I pretty much have favourite songs throughout different artists”, deKiller’Clown is inspired by what he is listening to in the moment as well as artists such as Nekro, Jedi Mind Tricks, Kanye West, Travis Scott. “Kid Cudi was a huuuge influence,” he emphasizes.

    A member and producer for Indigoat Clan,the crew was started by his high school friend ET and him as a way to create music for themselves and their friends. ”We made music for a long time before we put a name on it. At first it was just making music just for our friends to chill with. Listening to music, listening to ourselves. I think we were making for 2 or 3 years before we came up with the name.”

    His debut solo mixtape ‘I Changed The Name’ is a reference to the ongoing struggle he’s faced in naming the project over the almost 2 years he’s spent working on it. “I couldn’t really pinpoint what I was trying to do with the tape until I realised it’s me basically exploring all the different elements that I can explore with myself musically. Because I was inspired by so many genres like grime, trap or boom bap it was so evident in my music and it’s something I only noticed when I put together the EP that I’ve actually got a shitload of different sounds on this,” says deKiller’Clown

    Releasing the project towards the end of September the lead single ‘Vodka’ is currently getting the video treatment. With an eye for cinematography deKiller’Clown is hoping this will be the first of many to accompany the release. “I wanna do as many videos as I can for the tape because I have different ideas for how I want to display the songs visually,” deKiller’Clown muses.

    Drawing inspirations from across the hip hop spectrum and beyond deKiller’Clown hopes his music inspires others to not feel restricted in their self-expression. “Hopefully I can inspire other people to make music too. I just wanted people to not really feel like as a rapper you need to stick to rap, you need to stick to boom bap or you need to stick to trap. I just felt like music is an art that needs to be explored.”

  • Soweto Sounds: Cross-border Collaborations

    A chance meeting between Ruth Daniel of In Place of War (IPOW) and Malose Malahlela of Keleketla! saw the creation of a project that would result in legacy lasting beyond a week cross-border collaboration. Working with creativity and music in places of conflict or communities with conflict, IPOW organises music collaborations between famous international artists and local musicians as well as education programmes that help develop skills and share ideas around creative entrepreneurship. These two aspects, musical collaboration and training, aim to help people in those communities take their creative or music talent and make it into something more sustainable.

    The creative entrepreneurial programme developed by IPOW is based on work they have done in 40 countries looking at examples of innovation and best practice. Having come to Johannesburg in November 2016 for the first round of training IPOW will be returning in September to continue their work, this time with the aim of embedding the training in Soweto. “The idea is not that we would always come out and train people in the programme but that we would train trainers in the programme,” explains Ruth Daniel.

    Home to this training will be Trackside Creative, a studio in Soweto which also played host to the musical collaborations of Soweto Sounds. The goal is that those trained in the programme will be able to take it out to the wider community around Trackside Creative. In support of this IPOW has also secured music studio equipment from various sources in the UK including a mixing desk from London’s iconic jazz venue Ronnie Scotts to further enrich the creative possibilities as Trackside Creative.

    Along with creative entrepreneurial training, September will also see IPOW bring across more musicians – including DJ Yoda and hip hop artists from Brazil – for more collaborations, sound engineers to train the use of the studio equipment and activists from the UK and #BlackLivesMatter activists from California for activism workshops.

    The musical collaboration which took place at Trackside Creative at the beginning of the year saw the worlds of electronic music and jazz, and artists from the UK and South Africa meeting to create new, experimental works of music. The experimental Johannesburg based label Mushroom Hour Half Hour organised the South African musicians which included Thabang Tabane on percussion, Sibusile Xaba on guitar, Tubaist Mpho Moloi on vocals and flute, Tally Ngove on the bass, Nono Nkoane on vocals and Dion Monti as sound engineer. Joining them from the UK were electronic music pioneers Coldcut. The 5 day collaboration resulted in the production of 7 new works of music which will be released on Coldcut’s infamous underground electronic label Ninja Tune. The week of collaboration culminated with a performance of the works at King Kong in Johannesburg.

    Beyond the week of musical collaboration and the release of the music, there are musings about touring the collaboration. For now though the South African musicians that took part will be heading to the UK in August and September for a number of performances at summer festivals. Of the musicians, vocalist Nono Nkoane will also be taking part in a special collaboration in the UK alongside 9 women vocalist and producers from Zimbabwe, Ghana, Venezuela, Brazil and across the world. The project entitled GRRRL sees these women coming together to tell their collective stories of life, conflict, inequality and change through music. Fusing together sounds of dark techno, ghetto bass, hip hop, dancehall, reggae, soul and electronica this will be dance music packed with purpose and a message to tell.

    Through Soweto Sounds, IPOW and Keleketla! have created a project that has a legacy which extends beyond training workshops and collaborations and has grown into something larger with a life of its own. Aiming to help empower the musicians at Trackside Creative and its surrounding community, the project is helping to change the possibilities for creatives in Soweto, Johannesburg and South Africa at large.

    Credits:
    Photographer: Dwayne Innocent Kapula
    Videographer: Jonathan Kyriakou

    Musicians:

    Coldcut – Electronics- UK

    Thabang Tabane – Percussions
    Sibusile Xaba – Guitar
    Tubatsi Mpho Moloi – Vocals & Flute
    Gally Ngove – Bass
    Nono Nkoane – Vocals
    Dion Monti – Sound Engineer
    Co-curator: Mushroom Hour
    Organisersed by Keleketla! Library & In Place Of War

    ‘This article forms part of content created for the British Council Connect ZA 2017 Programme. To find out more about the programme click here.’

  • What’s the word? The Word Is Uhh

    Cape Town’s Quit Safari is a record label run by the musicians it releases. Driven by a DIY attitude everything from mixing and mastering to artwork and music videos is created in house. Featuring artists leading the charge in Cape Town’s forward thinking, experimental electronic scene their roster includes the likes of Christian Tiger School, Hessien+, Fever Trails and Damascvs.

    Quit Safari’s latest release are two singles from Cape Town rap group The Word is Uhh. Comprised of Damascvs and Jon Laura, both originally from Durban, the tracks ‘Hominid’ and ‘White BMW’ are the first offerings from the duo. With moody beats provided by Damascvs their tracks are, in true classic hip hop fashion, full of loose samples and fat synths. ‘White BMW’ is the more laid back of the two, featuring a rolling bassline and cuts of guitar chords. ‘Hominid’ gets you bouncing with a fat bass and playful drums backing the track and chopped up vocal “ooh’s” filling out the top end.

    With both Damascvs and Jon Laura rapping, their unique, laidback flows complement each other perfectly. Jon Laura, whose characteristic baritone drawl was first featured in the rap group Oh! Dark Arrow, fills the tracks with a touch of humour thanks to his witty wordplay. On the other end of the spectrum sits Damascvs whose subversive, thoughtful rhymes play the perfect counterpoint to Jon Laura.

    Touching on love, food, disconnection and the party, The Word is Uhh are exploring and documenting an as yet unarticulated experience. In their own words it is “jiggy music for the introvert, runway jams for skaters and a spiritual moment for sports fans”. And judging by their singles their debut album ‘Grosvenor Beach’, which will be released on the 1st of October, will be the perfect soundtrack to kick-start the summer.

     

  • The God of Art: Mashayabhuqe

    From his early days in Emandeni, to his later years in Eshowe and now finally Johannesburg, Mashayabhuqe considers himself a child of the new South Africa rather than rooted in a specific location. “Hence my Instagram handle @MrSouthAfrica because I have no one place I can claim as my home. Every place that I’ve been or I’ve stayed or grew up in has influenced me in a certain way,” Mashayabhuqe notes. During the early years it was his father who would introduce him to new sounds, from the ballads of Johnny Gill & Gerald Levert to local sounds such as TKZee, Thandiswa Mazwai and Sipho Gumede. “My dad was always that person that collected music and he never stopped.” Later on artists such as James Blake, Kanye West, Justin Vernon, Bon Iver & Polica plus local acts such as Dirty Paraffin and Spoek Mathambo played a huge influence on him and his decision to express himself musically.

    Given the name Mashayabhuqe by his father, which translates to ‘god of art’, and KaMamba, a reference to his paternal great-grandmother, his first foray into music was as part of the Durban kwaito group AMABHUNGU. Soon he felt the call for something greater. “When I was in the band I knew for sure that I was never comfortable in that situation. It was never enough. I wanted to break through and learn more. Not only about just music or art, but about humans and what’s happening around us and who we are exactly, why are we here and where do we come from?” Mashayabhuqe remembers.

    Photograph by Ben Moyo

    With his 2014 debut release ‘The Black Excellence Show’ he introduced the world to his Digital Maskandi sound, a combination of traditional Zulu music and the electronic, 808-heavy & auto-tuned sound of now. Heavily influenced by Busi Mhlongo his motivation to make the record was not commercial. “For me it has never been about making songs for radio or making songs to please anybody. For me each and every song has its own story and it’s a thing of making the song define who you are and what you stand for and why you’re here on earth.”

    For his latest release ‘Nguniversal’ Mashayabhuqe’s aim was to introduce himself and his sound to the world while breaking the language barrier that singing mostly in vernac brings. “Those vibes where it’s not about the language anymore but it’s about the mood and the direction and the vision of the music itself. All these places that you go to while you’re listening to the music.” Featuring the artists QonVocals and UncleStann, Mashayabhuqe will be releasing a deluxe version with extra songs. “The beautiful features on the deluxe edition will blow your mind.” Launching on the 25th of August at the Tennis Club with support from the Kalashnikov gallery, he aims to create a memorable performance. “I just wanna ensure that everyone enjoys the music live. I’m trying to perform for a special hour.”

    Looking to the future Mashayabhuqe is aiming to take over the globe. “With ‘Nguniversal’ it’s like I’m ready to do world tours. I’m ready for Coachella. I’m putting it out there for the universe; mother nature never disappoints,” he says emphatically. He also has an album in the works, featuring many of musical friends. When it comes to what Mashayabhuqe wants people to take from his music his message is clear: “Just to remember one thing. I was here not to change you but to give you hope that you’ll be bigger than me and you’ll do bigger things than me. That’s why I’m here.“

    Cover art by Ellene Dmar

  • Morena Leraba is moving mountains

    Growing up in the village of Ha-Mojela in Mafeteng district Lesotho, the artist Teboho Mochaoa better known as Morena Leraba was exposed to a variety of music. From kwaito and South Africa’s traditional music to the alternative and rock music his older brother preferred, along with the sounds of Lesotho. “Famo and traditional Sesotho music came natural; it was more of a village thing. You’ll know the songs subconsciously,” Morena Leraba says of the sound that evolved in the 1920s when Basotho men were migrant workers in South African mines.

    Listening to these genres he always imagined mixing them with Sesotho music.”I told Carl McMillan, a filmmaker friend based in Lesotho, that I could actually fuse traditional lyrics with electronic music and he was very interested,” Morena Leraba remembers. Through Carl he met the Germany-based producer Fritz Holscher in 2014 which resulted in the release of his first single ‘Bojete’.

    Working as a shepherd in his home village, Leraba’s lyrics are rooted in the folklore and other stories that are passed on by older generations. “Morena Leraba is an alter ego confined partly by rural and village perspectives; hence, he tells village stories and everyday happenings. From Basotho folklore and mythology, herbalism, witchcraft and other norms that define us as Bantu or Basotho people,“ Morena Leraba explains.

    Photography by Hlompho Letsielo

    From the beginning his music has crossed borders and led to collaborations with musicians from around the world. The release of ‘Bojete’ gained him the attention of Brooklyn-based producer Kashaka resulting in the single ‘Lithebera’. This led to him collaborating with Brazil’s TrapFunk&Alivio alongside Joburg’s Mankind on the single ‘Impepho’. This put him on the radar of Spoek Mathambo which led to the two working together on the track ‘Thapelo ea’ which featured on Spoek’s 2017 album ‘Mzansi Beat Code’.

    His upcoming EP will feature productions by Spoek Mathambo, Sibot and TrapFunk&Alivio and sees him working alongside Xitsonga rapper Sho Madjozi. “With this EP, I’m further introducing this fusion of traditional Sesotho lyrics with electronic music. I honestly want to feature Sho Madjozi because she’s creative. By both bringing two South African, somehow related, indigenous languages, I’m confident we’ll deliver something new,” Morena Leraba says of the collaboration.

    Photography by Sobukwe Mapefane

    Currently wrapping up a 5-song EP with Kashaka featuring Spoek Mathambo and Manteiga from BATUK, Morena Leraba will also be releasing a single with DJ Spoko and Andre Geldenhuys from Fantasma in the near future, with other future projects to include the likes of Jumping Back Slash, Sibot and Fela Gucci of FAKA. In August he will be performing at AfriSki Winter Festival in Lesotho and then preparing for shows in Poland, Germany, Belgium and France.

    Morena Leraba debut album is also in the works. With an interest in different languages and cultures it will include artists from around the globe. “I’m going to feature artists from Nigeria, South Africa, Brazil, France and the US. I’m recording with Tumi Matlala of Bassmint Studios in Johannesburg and a couple of engineers, including Riccardo Benigno. DJ Spoko is also going to be on board. I totally need their guidance and direction,” Morena Leraba says of the album.

    Crossing language barriers and borders, Morena Leraba’s music bridges the traditional with the contemporary, ensuring that the rich cultural traditions of Lesotho continue to live on and evolve. “Morena Leraba is forever a shepherd and musician,” Leraba notes.

  • Many Half Hours: New Music Through Collaboration

    A multifaceted collaboration between musicians, dancers and writers, Many Half Hours crosses borders and transcends musical genres. Born out of a partnership between South Africa’s experimental music imprint Mushroom Hour Half Hour and Scotland’s The Gallow Gate gallery, the aim of Many Half Hours is to bring together a wide range of artists from different backgrounds to create a new, singular piece of work that combines their respective experiences and skills.

    Starting out as a vinyl based music show on internet radio, Mushroom Hour Half Hour evolved into a unique independent record label focusing on recording live, contemporary African music. Based in Johannesburg the label travels around Southern Africa recording a variety of artists in different spaces as well as curating once-off collaborations between artists from different genres and generations.

    It is this concept that The Mushroom Hour Half Hour have brought to Glasgow in partnership with The Gallow Gate. Based at Many Studios, a creative space in Glasgow, The Gallow Gate is a platform for contemporary visual art and culture working with creatives with African and Caribbean heritage to address west-and-white-centric-thinking within the arts sector in the UK. The space also experiments with methodology by introducing play and participation to the programme to build accessibility to creative practice with their local context. Curator Natalia Palombo explains: “We designed the gallery this way to challenge what people expect from creative practice, and to try to break down barriers of access and elitism within the sector. We’ve done this largely by producing cross-arts projects, like Many Half Hours, which brings musicians into the gallery context and invites audiences into the process of making rather than focusing on ‘final/completed work’.”

    Many Half Hours sees The Gallow Gate hosting three South African musicians alongside three UK based musicians and artists to collaborate, record in and around Many Studios, and for a series of live performances. The musicians and artists involved come from a variety of backgrounds and generations, and included Omar Afif, a Gnawa vocalist and musician playing the gimbri and krakebs, cellist and dancer Katie Armstrong, as well as dancer and choreographer Mele Broomes. Joining the collaboration from South Africa are the incredible Sibusile Xaba, Thabang Tabane and percussionist Dennis Magagula.

    Son of the legendary Dr Philip Tabane, who founded Malombo the group and created Malombo the sound, Thabang Tabane is a percussionist and vocalist who learned to play the drums when he was younger by watching his uncle and co-founder of Malombo, Mabi Gabriel Thobejane. From Mamelodi in Pretoria he continues the longstanding tradition of Malombo that sees the traditional sounds of South Africa, particularly that of the Pedi and Venda, fused with that of improvisational jazz.

    Originating from the Kwazulu Natal midlands, Sibusile Xaba is a guitarist and vocalist that is carrying on the Maskandi/Mbaqanga tradition of his region while also forming part of South Africa’s burgeoning, dynamic jazz scene. In his music he is influenced by the likes of his first mentor, the Zulu guitar giant Madala Kunene, as well as vocal master Shaluza Max while still pushing the envelope and evolving his sounds. Under the mentorship of Thabang Tabane’s father and alongside Thabang he continues to explore the sound of Malombo widening its spectrum by including influences such as rock and other contemporary genres.

    This unique cross-border collaboration has answered questions and challenged understandings surrounding non-traditional collaboration. “How will a classically trained cellist work with Southern and Northern African musicians who have grown up around music and learned through rich historical and familial traditions? And how then, does a dancer like Mele Broomes, whose style has been influenced both from her gymnast training and her Caribbean heritage intercept and interpret those sounds?” asks Natalia Palombo. “The answer to all is ‘beautifully’! It’s been incredible to see these artists come together over the last few days and find a seamless flow within the group, borrowing rhythms and language to build new work,” she says.

    Apart from the three public sharings which formed part of the residency, the artists also performed at The Art School as part of Creative Mornings, the Transmission Gallery as part of The Other’d Artist/s show and Subcity Radio.

    While the collaboration and live performances were only transient, the recordings will be hosted on the Mushroom Hour Half Hour site.

    Final sharing courtesy of Many Studios and shot by Iman Tajik.

     

    ‘This article forms part of content created for the British Council Connect ZA 2017 Programme. To find out more about the programme click here.’

  • Umlilo is fire!

    Confident and clear, Umlilo’s voice conveys the air of a seasoned performer. Meaning fire in Xhosa, the name Umlilo describes Siya Ngcobo’s performances as an artist. “Fire is something that can give life but at the same time it can be something that destroys completely. The way I see myself as an artist, I destroy people’s perceptions of what an artist is supposed to be, what gender is supposed to be or what music is supposed to be, but at the same time that flame can be something that helps something grow and that helps something develop,” they say. Refusing to be boxed in, Umlilo challenges what people expect from pop music and gender stereotypes. Using their future-kwaai sound as a platform to make people confront their own preconceived ideas, they see their music and aesthetic as a two way conversation. “It’s not just this one sided thing – this is who I am – but who do you think I am? How does that make you feel? How do I challenge that and how do I learn from your perspective? I love that interplay between music listeners and music makers.”

    Influenced by a variety of genres including kwaito, rock, pop, R&B and hip hop, Umlilo sees future-kwaai as a representation of South Africa’s sonic future. “You might not be able to understand it immediately or it’s not as tangible but it’s definitely a sound that’s as unique as South Africa’s cultural landscape but also looks to the future,” says Umlilo. As an artist Umlilo stays away from being genre specific, remarking that “I never want to be stagnant. I never want to be focusing on one genre. I always want my songs to be different from each other. And I always want to push myself to be that artist that’s never bound to a certain genre.”

    Releasing their first experiments as an artist under the moniker Siya Is Your Anarchist, their sound and message evolved from a disruptive space into the more accessible sound of future-kwaai. Their debut as Umlilo came in 2013 with the release of their EP ‘Shades of Kwaai’ which saw them experiment in musical discovery. “How far can I go? Is that too far? Does that sound good?” Umlilo asked of their music when working on the EP. The EP too was a chance for them to learn about production and their voice which allowed their fans to grow with them. “I think the evolution of it has been really great because the more output you make you start finding your sound through that. I think a lot of people who were with me in the beginning of my journey have now figured out who I am as an artist as I’m figuring it out,” they note.

    This journey is continuous as they keep experimenting and pushing themselves and their music. “There is a very distinct Umlilo sound that I’m still figuring out as well. But at the same I’ve got a lot more confidence and I’m still very much an experimental artist. And that excites me because I never want to get bored and I never want to feel like I hit it, this is my sound, this is what I want to do. There must always be an exploration. That’s what makes the journey interesting,” says Umlilo. With a wide vocal range they are able to explore a variety of sonic palettes from hip hop to more operatic sounds. While they used to view this as a hindrance, they have grown to embrace this aspect of themselves. “I used to think how do I put all of this into one,” they recall.

    Having released their second EP ‘Aluta’ in 2016, Umlilo has continued to create more music and collaborate with different producers. The last year has seen them work on numerous projects which will slowly be released over the coming year. June 16th saw the release of ‘Rainbow Riots’, a compilation produced by Sweden’s Petter Wallenberg and featuring queer voices from some of the world’s most dangerous countries for LGBTQ people, such as Uganda, Jamaica, South Africa and Malawi. They have also been working with Jumping Back Slash on a new EP entitled ‘Isambulo’. “I really have so much respect for the work that he does and he’s one of those producers that I really clicked with,” Umlilo says of Jumping Back Slash. A frequent collaborator with Joburg’s Stash Crew, Umlilo has a single with crew member Whyt-lyon in the works and will be playing festivals in Berlin and Stockholm with them. “There’s a lot of things coming out in the next year or so. I’m very excited to finally share things with people who have been following my progress,”  says Umlilo. With a clear message and aesthetic, there is no doubt Umlilo will have a lasting impact on South Africa’s music scene and beyond.

    Photography & Styling: Jamal Nxedlana

    Hair & Makeup: Orli Meiri

    Stylists Assistant: Kyra-moon Halfpenny

    Photographers Assistant: Dhevan Bergmann

  • Exploring the ambiguity of winter with Ribongia

    As winter descends upon the Southern Hemisphere and days become colder, a longing for companionship and the warmth that it provides emerges. It is often the casual partners that fill this void and it is this ambiguity of feelings that is explored on Sydney-based producer Ribongia’s latest release ‘Before the Winter’.

    Playful, with tropical rhythms and an infectious groove, the track features the signature melodic raps of Sydney emcee and long time collaborator Jannah Beth, and a tempo-flipping verse by our own YoungstaCPT. The two met after Ribongia watched YoungstaCPT perform at a friend’s insistence. “I was a bit dubious at first, but once he started performing I was hooked. The next day we were in the studio!” he explains of their collaboration.

    Born in Italy, Ribongia moved to Sydney in the early 2000’s. Starting his music career as a drummer, he produced electronic music as a hobby and only took the electronic path by chance. “It was thanks to a local radio station here in Sydney. They showed support for my music early on so I decided that I was going to drop the band that I was in and concentrate on production.”

    His music includes a wide array of indigenous sounds which are inspired by his travels. “I think the world has so many amazing sounds, cultures and traditions that often are overlooked. This inspires me deeply.” On tour Jannah Beth joins him as vocalist. Explaining how they met Ribongia says “I saw Jannah perform for a local collective and was blown away. She’s a good rapper but I think there’s something real special in her voice.”

    Jannah Beth – Photography by Adam Scarf Photography

    Speaking of the writing process for ‘Before the Winter’ Jannah Beth says “that [the] first version was very different! I’d say we developed a lot of the structure, melody and mood of the song together” with the lyrics driving the concept. “The concept of the song was born through the lyrics and became a very relatable topic! I went for more of a singing approach on the track, so it was perfect to have Youngsta come in to drop the rap vibes.”

    With both ‘Before the Winter’ and it’s b-side, the instrumental but equally playful ‘Sonder’, both appearing on Ribongia’s yet-to-be named upcoming album, he hopes his music will have a positive effect on those who hear it. “[In the early 2000s] multiculturalism was celebrated and I feel the people of Sydney where proud of this stance. These days things have changed and unfortunately for the worst. I hope the music I make will inspire younger people to keep an open mind and be curious about foreign cultures.”