Tag: electronic music

Global Groove, Local Varbs: NTS X Diesel TRACKS Hits South Ah!

This place has insane energy and a distinctively effortless cool that flows through the streets. It’s no wonder that this inexplicable local flair is increasingly resonating globally and major international brands are acknowledging the unique cool factor that defines South Africa. As more brands come knocking, it means more to us than mere recognition; it’s a nod to our unstoppable and ungovernable spirit. So it’s always a vibe when we see a suitable synergy between said big brands and the manifest movements we make on the ground.

Initially rooted in denim mastery, Diesel was established in 1978 by Renzo Rosso. It’s now known as an innovative international lifestyle company and a leader in premium fashion, but what makes it interesting to us is that it’s remained a genuine alternative to the established luxury market. Beyond apparel, Diesel produces fragrances, watches, jewellery, interior design, and real estate projects through Diesel Living. Bolstered by its parent company OTB, Diesel continues to foster creativity.

Originating in Hackney in 2011 as a DIY passion project, NTS is a global music platform and radio station that broadcasts from over fifty cities monthly with permanent studios in Los Angeles, Manchester, and Shanghai, with over 600 resident hosts, including musicians, DJs, and artists. Aiming to provide an alternative to mainstream radio, over half of the music played on NTS is unavailable on mainstream platforms like Spotify or Apple Music. With a growing global audience of 2.8 million monthly listeners, NTS continues to broadcast the best in underground music on a mass scale, free of charge and without on-air advertising.

Now the collaboration between NTS and Diesel TRACKS, which initially launched worldwide last year, has made its debut in South Africa. With a foundation in the fusion of music and nightlife, TRACKS gathers progressive musical talent from various corners of the world to champion the universal language of club culture, connection, and celebration. The focus is now on spotlighting emerging DJs who represent the distinctive local music scene and nightlife culture.

Image courtesy of Bandcamp

Scheduled to take place every last Friday of the month, starting November 3rd, 2023, this initiative will champion a diverse array of sounds, including GQOM, House, Amapiano, Techno, Club, Experimental, and drum’n’bass. The inaugural artist, Teno Afrika, aka Lutendo Raduvha, unleashed the sounds of Soweto with his musical style that skillfully blends techno and electro with deep house, infusing elements of soul and jazz to craft harmonies, percussions, and basslines—an embodiment of the DIY essence of amapiano.

Teno Afrika is rapidly rising in the realm of South Africa’s electronic music scene and has gained considerable international recognition. Growing up in the townships of Gauteng province, Teno Afrika discovered his passion for DJing and production on his father’s computer in 2007. His debut album, Amapiano Selections (2020), received acclaim for its minimal yet impactful exploration of the genre, while his second album, Where You Are (2022), features stellar collaborations with fellow artists, contributing to the genre’s evolution.

With features like this, TRACKS promises to be a sonic fusion that brings together mind-blowing musical mavericks and ignites the universal and invincible spark of club culture. Through dynamic mix series, electric live club nights, intriguing radio shows, stunning talent showcases, and generative roundtable discussions hosted by influential music professionals and collectives, who knows what kind of boundaries could be shifted and where this could take the future of nightlife? TRACKS is not just about music; it’s an invitation to dive into a world where beats and cultural connections collide in a symphony of transcendental energy.

Access the featured DJ mixes at DIESEL or NTS!

20 November 2023
Lady Skollie X Morena Leraba: A Triumph at the Standard Bank Gallery

Last night was lit! The Standard Bank Gallery was filled with great vibes and beautiful people. The wine was flowing and we even got a little goodie bag! The size of the crowd was just right, not too overwhelming or chaotic. Present were some well-known faces, including the esteemed Gallery Manager Dr Same Mdluli. Alongside such art world heavy hitters, we saw the likes of SAMA award winner Msaki and the 2022 Standard Bank Young Artist for Theatre recipient Billy Langa.

We all came together to celebrate Groot Gat, Lady Skollie‘s latest exhibition at the Standard Bank Gallery. Having already been shown at the National Arts Festival, the travelling exhibition aims to confront the erasure of indigenous African culture and highlight historically disregarded or marginalised artistic traditions. The award-winning Cape Town-born Lady Skollie, who has always had a commanding presence, welcomed her audience, husband in tow, with the extra glow of new motherhood. In addition to the work on show, Skollie was flexing her curatorial muscle.

The First Thursdays event featured a 7 p.m. performance by Lesotho-born performer Morena Leraba, which was set to echo the exhibition’s ethos. I had the privilege of chatting with Morena Liraba before his performance, and he emphasised the connections between his and Lady Skollie’s work. He expressed a strong interest in continued collaboration and an in-depth conversation with Skollie about the overlaps between their work. The interaction between Lady Skollie and Morena Leraba was charming. The two seemed genuinely delighted to be working together.

The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the performance. Renowned for blending traditional Sesotho lyrics with electronic, afro house, and hip-hop genres, Morena Leraba’s music pays homage to Lesotho’s musical traditions. I have been a long-time fan of Morena Leraba’s and I rate his performance style, so I was not surprised to see him immediately elevate the energy in the room. But I had never seen him quite like this before as Leraba departed from his usual electronic and percussive setup.

The diversity within the band was impressive, with a femme horn section and bassist. The keyboard player’s lively performance was a joy to watch, and the drummer showcased thrilling versatility. While they were a group of skilled musicians, one got the feeling that they were still finding their sea legs.

Initially, it seemed the violinist was set at a volume that was quite overwhelming, tending to drown out other elements. This issue was exacerbated when he spent a large portion of the set tending to technical issues. Because of the spiritual tone of the performance, one could make a strong case that the band could have functioned effectively without this rather unfortunate diversion.

The performance itself presented an intriguing rhythmic dynamic. In contrast with Morena’s distinctly African essence, the ensemble relied heavily on Western musical traditions, resulting in moments of rigidity. There were very few solos and when they happened they were incredibly tame and short-lived. It was evident that Morena’s musical prowess shone most when he departed from the standard four-beat structure, venturing into more unconventional territory like legendary African musicians such as Fela Kuti.

While both traditions include cross-cultural fusion, Western and African music generally have distinct rhythmic structures. Western music often relies on regular time signatures and emphasises downbeats, which results in rhythmic predictability. Conversely, African music employs complex, irregular time signatures, intricate polyrhythms, and diversified percussion. In Western music, melody and rhythm are often separate, with melody taking the lead, while in African music, they integrate, producing more rhythmic complexity.

There were certainly moments of complexity during the set, but one found oneself anticipating a further exploration of the dichotomy between what the lead singer was doing and what the band was doing. Nonetheless, observing Morena Leraba’s boldly fluid experimentation suggests that, even if he’s experiencing some growing pains at the moment, we’re witnessing the emergence of a true African rock star. His performance style remains exceptional, and we should be so lucky to continue seeing how he refines and evolves it.

One thing is for sure — this night was historic. The collaboration between Lady Skollie and Morena Leraba was a harmonious marriage of sound and vision, the likes of which we seldom see. The atmosphere was electric! Leraba’s music, with its lyrical depth and genre fusion, was a perfect complement to Lady Skollie’s visually stunning pieces. It was a high-vibrational moment and truly a blessing to witness. Kudos to Lady Skollie, the Standard Bank Gallery, and Morena Leraba for allowing us to be part of such a significant moment in Joburg history.

3 November 2023
Bubblegum Club Mix Vol 17 by DJ Bigger

Can you tell us a bit about DJ Bigger?

I, Makabongwe Nzuza, popularly known as “Dj Bigger” was born on the 6th of April in the Southern township of Durban – KwaMashu, M Section. I attended Sondelani Primary School in eNtuzuma, where I was a leader of an ‘’Isicathamiya” group, part of a gospel group as well as part of the school’s choir group. I then completed my junior studies at Eastberry Seconday School in Phoenix.

My teenage years were filled with music in a very unbelievable way, so much that even the taxis I commuted in would blast music to school and back! Some of the joys of being born in the rhythmic land of KwaZulu Natal.

Share more about your musical background – who or what sparked your interest in gqom?

Growing up in the groovy, talent-filled, iconic township influenced my love for music as every second house in my neighbourhood played LOUD music, simultaneously and religiously each and every Friday; marking the beginning of the weekend and an end to a gruesome week for the working class.

Not only that; but growing up, music was almost the only thing that brought “free” joy to people, its effectiveness in provoking happy feelings, thus creating memorable moments was fascinating.

I started DJing in 2006 at private functions and then moved to club spaces where I realized that this is something I’m passionate about and was good at. In the year 2010 I then started to focus on building myself as a brand.

How do you like to describe your sound?

I would describe my sound as the township version of Electro Music. Gqom music is a very distinct sound that originates from the Township (Ekasi).

Who are your musical influences?

My late friend, DJ Deep, who was also my mentor, played a very big role in influencing and shaping my musical journey. I used to tag along whenever he went to deejay at events/private functions. Basically he is the one that taught me how to deejay. Currently, there are a lot of people that I look up to in the music industry, namely DJ Sox, DJ Tira, DJ Bongs, etc.

What do you want to express with your music? What emotions should it evoke within the listener?

I believe that music is universal. Though this is an African sound, I wish for people all over the world to be able to feel and express their feelings through the music that I share with them. I want people to dance and feel liberated.

You are part of Miaso Studios. Please share more about it and your involvement?

I grew my brand locally overtime and quickly became one of the most respected disc jocks amongst my peers. The group was started by DJ Deep. Along the way I started working with Dj Kaybee, Ayo and Tropika. Together we formed a music production conglomerate and called it “MIASCO FAM”.

Why do you think gqom has become such a huge sound in SA, and subsequently, abroad?

Gqom Music is a unique sound and I think its uniqueness is recognized by everyone across the globe.

When did your partnership with FAKA begin and how is it going?

I started working with the group FAKA last year (2017) in August. They got my details from Jamal. They contacted me and the rest was history. Currently it is going very well. We have great chemistry and share a similar love and passion for music. They are my chosen family.

What are you working on at the moment?

I have been touring with FAKA and currently working on new music that I’ll be releasing soon.

16 August 2018
Rose Bonica doesn’t want it to get to your head

Since her beginnings in 2016, Rose Bonica has quietly made a name for herself as a fresh and innovative producer of electronic music that, thanks to its many influences, defies classification within a specific genre. Unbound by the rules and structures inherent in club music, her productions instead are highly textured and often play with the listener’s expectations while still referencing the foundational elements of dance music. “I stick to a loose idea, like when there’s a break [the track] has to develop, but I still live arrange. I feel like copy-pasting, sticking to that structure, loses that kind of feeling and makes it really rigid, but I do try keep the live arrangement within the realms of the rules of what people actually resonate with,” Rose Bonica explains.

Her second EP after 2017’s “Rosy Disposition”, “Don’t Let It Get To Your Head” sees Rose Bonica pushing herself more as a producer and artist, exploring new territories and honing her sound. Explaining her move to include her own vocals on this release Rose Bonica says, “I wanted to fuck with vocals. I found you can actually do a lot with vocals and I was tired of waiting for people to come to Hout Bay, so it was definitely a natural progression I wanted to push. I don’t know why I should sample someone else’s voice if I can attempt it first.” As a producer she is also pushing herself to incorporate more melody in her music, something she felt was lacking in her first release.

Photography by Tatyana Levana

Viewing production as a therapeutic outlet, Rose Bonica sees “Don’t Let It Get To Your Head” as a release that deals with how quickly one can veer off one’s own path, dealing with the industry and how easy it is for all these things to get to you. “I would say it’s just a culmination of everything like a break up in relationship terms and with the [industry]. Trying to step away from everything and the politics that go around this little city, and the world.”

As on her previous release, the sounds and moods of “Don’t Let It Get To Your Head” are varied, with Rose Bonica’s sonic palette featuring everything from deep, droning techno basslines to drum patterns with a distinct afro-house feel, serene synth-leads and industrial percussion. Over the course of 6 tracks, Rose Bonica shows her versatility and originality as a producer, with the tracks on this EP each having their own sound yet fitting together as a coherent whole.

With a visual treatment in partnership with Tamzyn Limb on the way and yet-to-be-announced festival bookings on the calendar, Rose Bonica is looking to bring her EP to life in way that is fun to experience and perform, all while remembering not to let it go to her head.

24 July 2018
CANINE WISDOM FOR THE BARKING DOG – THE DOG DONE GONE DEAF // Exploring the Sonic Cosmologies of Halim El-Dabh with Artistic Intervention at the Dakar Biennial
Sonically transformed. Haunting vibrations converging in crescendo. Signifying colourways correlating corresponding frequencies as musical notation. Perforating paper-thin eardrums. Beating through a spectrum of sounds. Tones sculpted, mixed and mastered. The music of modernity finds its tonal traces in histories of the past.

The recently deceased Halim El-Dabh, was an Egyptian American composer. His six-decade experimental music career positioned him as a pioneer of electronic music. In 2007 he performed his album The Dog Done Gone Deaf for the Suoni Per Il Popolo Festival in Montreal, Quebec. The musical piece is a fable of the Navajo indigenous American people – the relationship between man and hound. The narrative explores how the dog saves the man’s life, only to be treated with brutality. In response to the violence, the dog covers its ears and goes deaf. However, it eventually forgives the man, in realising that they are both creatures of the earth.

It was in the middle of the session of The Dog Done Gone Deaf, that El-Dabh invited the audience to close their eyes and breathe together – creating a collective participatory performative moment, one that he hoped would elicit an experience of colour frequencies. A notion that was central to the process and notion of his work.

CANINE WISDOM FOR THE BARKING DOG/THE DOG DONE GONE DEAF is described as a “spin-off” by the projects curator, Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung. He goes on to say that it, “seems an appropriate entry point into a venture of reflecting on and paying tribute to one of the greatest composers from the African continent and worldwide, Halim El-Dabh, in the framework of Africa’s most important and most consistent art manifestation, the Dakar biennial.”

El-Dabh appropriates and invents mythologies in his compositions while disseminating sonic and aural epistemologies. “The exhibition project will also serve as a platform for deliberations on, and experimentations as to what is and where is sound art in contemporary African art, putting a spotlight on transdisciplinary artistic practices between the visual, performative, installative and sonic mediums.”

Bonaventure highlights the importance of narrating and actively claiming one’s own histories within a framework of Pan-Africanist ideology. “Our intention is also to re-establish a genealogy of modern arts and sound arts in Africa and beyond, and contemporary sound artists, painters, video and installation artists are hereby invited to relate, extrapolate from, get inspired by El-Dabh’s practice – his compositions, installations, theories and research.”

Younes Baba Ali, Leo Asemota, Satch Hoyt, Tegene Kunbi, Memory Biwa and Robert Machiri, Ibrahim Mahama, Nyakallo Maleke, Elsa M’bala, Yara Mekawei, Emeka Ogboh, Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom & Ima-Abasi Okon, Lorenzo Sandoval and Sunette Viljoen are artists who span the continent. CANINE WISDOM FOR THE BARKING DOG/THE DOG DONE GONE DEAF invited them to engage with El-Dabh’s seminal text, using it as a point of departure to explore sonic modalities and create an artistic response of their own.

“For twenty-five centuries, Western knowledge has tried to look upon the world. It has failed to understand that the world is not for the beholding. It is for hearing. It is not legible, but audible.”
- Jacques Attali, Noise: The Political Economy of Music, 1977.
17 May 2018
1991 Put Out Dope Electronic Music That Cape Town is Known For

Growing up, I always admired Cape Town’s electronic music scene. With the sounds of Sibot, Markus Wormstorm and Richard The Third finding their way to me through SL Magazine’s compilation CDs, I got a taste of a scene I’d never get to experience but would always revere through their releases. These days, while I get to visit Cape Town every now and again, I still find myself in the same position of admiring it’s electronic musicians from afar because either they don’t play live or I visit at the wrong times. At least we have Soundcloud, and lately I’ve been racking up the plays on Cape Town label 1991’s page.

I don’t really know all that much about 1991 other than that they’ve been going for about 2 years, their aesthetics are on point, and the music they put out is either wavey or ravey.

If you check out their website, you’ll be treated to slick design, with them using stamps featuring butterflies and Olympic rings as album art, giving things a nostalgic feel. Something about it (probably the rings) reminded me of those Olympic promotional playing cards Caltex once gave out in the 90s.

So far, 1991 have put out music rom 3 artists over the 2 years with most of it coming from Gourmet (wavey) and Maxime Alexander (ravey), with one track by the brilliantly named Constantia Mom (bit of both).

Maxime Alexander image from MA14

Gourmet makes what he calls Spaghetti Pop which actually reminds me a bit of Thor Rixon’s earlier work with a touch of future bass and chill wave goodness. Thor even jumped in on a remix of Gourmet’s ‘Good With a Nose Bleed‘ a while back. Gourmet’s latest release, ‘Jamaica‘, sets the scene for a night spent under the stars, on the beach in Jamaica, naturally.

While Jamaica is very chilled, the next track on 1991’s Soundcloud isn’t. ‘Fake It‘ by Maxime Alexander gets ravey with some dark and methodical acid techno. I’m already dripping in sweat with my jaw clenched tight just sitting at my desk. I can’t even imagine what this dirty, dirty, dirty piece of electronic music would do in a dark club.

They might not have the deepest lineup, but for my money, 1991 have been putting out some of the dopest electronic music that Cape Town is known for.

Still from ‘Cashmere’ music video by Gourmet

Still from ‘Yellow’ music video by Gourmet

12 March 2018
Swiss electronic composer Aïsha Devi to release new Album

When I opened the link for Swiss electronic composer Aïsha Devi‘s ‘Mazdâ‘, I had no idea that I was about to be yanked out of space and time. The song stretches her vocals to breaking point over deep, stabbing synths. This alluring music scores images of a lysergic dance of uncanny bodies, Buddhist icons and lush vegetation shrouded in smoke, taking place in what looks like a decadent ceremonial chamber. I felt completely disoriented- was this heaven or hell, from the forbidden past or some savage future? It was both enticing and sinister, and hard to tell if this was an amazing piece of performance art or the final orgiastic blowout of a doomsday cult.

Recovered from this synaptic assault, I discovered that the video accompanied her 2015 album Of Matter and Spirit, with the visuals being provided by the transgressive Chinese artist Tianzhuo Chen. The ritualistic intensity displayed in the video was not merely an impressive spectacle, but central to her artistic project. She uses her powerful vocal range, veering from the angelic to the guttural, and bone crunching beats to summon collective spiritual experiences. As the title of Devi’s latest track ‘Inner State of Alchemy‘, from the forthcoming DNA Feelings (available in May 2018) suggests, she is looking for nothing less than the hidden gold of the human spirit.

Album Cover by Niels Wehrspann

Born in the Alps, and with Nepalese and Tibetan roots, Aïsha Devi’s current work was inspired by a deep period of personal questing, with her immersion in meditation and ancient knowledge culminating in a transformative experience in the Tunisian desert. Alongside her solo production, Devi is also one of the founders of the Danse Noire label.

Her upcoming release is sure to put her at the forefront of artists exploring a post-club space, where electronic music becomes a key to unlock what her new album calls the Hyperlands of human consciousness.

<a href="http://aishadevi.bandcamp.com/album/dna-feelings">DNA Feelings by Aisha Devi</a>

2 March 2018
Gaika Performs in the Heart of Jo’burg’s Party Culture – Kitcheners

Built in 1902 Kitcheners (KCB) has been the general stomping ground for generations upon generations of creatives, artists and students alike. Famed as the second oldest building in the city, there is no one occupant of this city who doesn’t know about it. It is more than fitting then that Gaika would perform the Johannesburg leg of his tour at this historic venue.

Arriving prior to the show, at 18:30 sharp for my interview with him it was eminent that nothing about KCB changes. The built-in upholstered cushioning that surrounds the dance room has reached the end of its lifetime of elegance and is peeling at the seams, presumably due to countless back and bottom harassment from eager party goers. As I walked into the crowded dance floor space the media was closed in by means of the glass and wooden door room dividers. Flashbacks from my student days spent body against body grinding out to some of South Africa’s best local talent all came rushing back to me as my feet stuck to the sticky floor and a minor sweat temporarily took hold of me.

There he was, locked in a video interview as I waited patiently for my turn to speak to the underground London-based artist. Camo pants, nude Nikes, a white top and a denim shirt loosely styled made up his attire. His demeanour was different from his music. He was calm, relaxed, open, and inviting. Unlike his experimental rap that oozes with pointed criticism on society and a near dystopian future. My turn finally arrived and he smiled at me with kindness, shaking my hand for an official introduction.

I took a seat next to him and in conversation, I saw a personal side to the artist I had never heard in his lyrics or seen published in any article. A visitor to South Africa for the second time in his life he shared with me that his visit was vastly different from the first he made as a child. Describing it as an emotional experience, Gaika tells me that the decision to embark on this tour was greatly motivated by his need to travel to the furthest place.

With an ability to partake in an intimate conversation, and seconds later retort with aloofness, I asked him about what he would perform for us that evening. “My records.” He told me as I tried to flesh out more. “I don’t want to ruin the magic so you’ll have to find out.”

He described his passage into music, “I fell into it really. I always wanted to be around music. I was a visual artist and around musical culture and one day I just decided I want to make music and just got lucky that opportunities arose for me to do that. I was never a kid with a hair brush in the mirror like I wanted to be a singer. My dad got sick and I just decided that you only live once and you’ve got to follow some of the things that you are too scared to follow. Or too scared to try and so I did and I’m quite committed. I want to do it properly. I don’t want to half do things.”

What stuck with me most was his response to what inspires him “Everything and nothing”. After some prying, he tells me that the sounds of early 80s and 90s film music act as an influence that he can recreate and interpret in his own way. It is as though Gaika finds comfort and inspiration from sounds of his early childhood or as he likes to call it, “kid music”. He does, however, caution by stating that, “I’m not really aware of influences”.

Dark musical undertones, otherworldly hard-hitting bass and sharp criticism found in his lyrics got me to the question of a possible pessimistic outlook. He responds to me confidently “No that isn’t true. I’m an optimist and a realist. I say it like it is. If it’s uncomfortable it’s uncomfortable. I don’t think I focus on negatives in my life. In my music that can be quite a criticism of energy that I bring out. Things can only get better from confronting what’s wrong in the first place.”

In parting, he shares with me that he would enjoy another tour like this in the future. The evening draws on as the dance floor greets sets by Rosie Parade and Kajama. 23:00 and the underground thunder of Gaika breaks loose. His sound intoxicates not only KCB but the streets in its surrounds.

His outfit has changed. Dressed in all black his music seems to inhabit every human form on the dance floor. The bass amplified and clinical leave my teeth on a near clatter. As he jumps and dances and throws his arms, so the crowd follows in imitation. The music in my bones, in all the life forms stacked on the dance floor, and in the old floorboards of KCB during his performance was so abundant that keeping my camera stable was a balancing act in itself. Gaika spits his lyrics with such intensity it makes his lyrics come across as dogmatic, with synchronized rhythmic bodies as followers of his sonic dogma. His ‘Security’ album takes hold of us and he asks, he pleas for a future of equality. Seeing Gaika live at KCB was nothing short of extraordinary. His vigour for his experimental practice will forever live on in my memory.

13 February 2018
The Pontifications of Big Space

“My girlfriend tells me there’s an SABC job to be done, I’m the assistant stylist, R1000 a day for 8 days, that’s R8000, I firmly agree. We wait for production budget of R21000 to be deposited. It never arrives. We have no electricity, we drink wine, I smoke weed and play 30 seconds in the dark until we fall asleep.”

So begins one of the stories that form part of the novella Big Space is releasing along with his latest album. “To pontificate is the stillborn child of the union between solitude and loneliness. These are my pontifications in text and sound, a collection of moments entrenched in my pursuit to not only make music, but to create a world inside myself where I can be King, ruler of the troglodytes, the lord of the flies. I have lived a thousand lives and I have died a million deaths, behold my truth and eat my shit.”

When it comes to producers forging their own path through South Africa’s music landscape, there are few who are as firmly committed to producing original music that pushes boundaries as Big Space. Over the years he has worked with the likes of Schlachthofbronx, Scratcha DVA, and Spoek Mathambo, local producers 7FT Soundsystem, Leeu & Jumping Back Slash as well as having a slew of original releases under his belt.

“PONTIFICATIONS”, out on the 8th of February, continues this tradition of seeking originality and is an insight into the world he has created for himself. Released through his label, Wet Dreams Recordings, which he runs with label-mate Rose Bonica, “PONTIFICATIONS” is electronic music, but refuses to stick to the limits of this genre. Taking bits and pieces from well-known and not so well-known musical genres, it has an underlying familiarity while still managing to sound like nothing before it.

With a playtime just short of 90 minutes, the album is filled with diverse tracks that still form a cohesive collection, a testament to Big Space’s relentless pursuit of originality. Highly layered, with non-traditional structures, the music on “PONTIFICATIONS” requires a few listens before the nuances become apparent. From touches of drum ‘n bass on “Innocent Hands” to the psych-rock tinged “Serpent Moon” featuring Young Om, it’s impossible to know what is coming next on the album, which is precisely the point. It’s clear that “PONTIFICATIONS” is the product of solitude and loneliness because it sounds like nothing else.

Have a listen below to ‘DAT SINKING LIFE’ from “PONITFICATIONS”

24 January 2018
The Organic goes Mechanic // Gaika comes to South Africa

All the way from Brixton in the UK, the dystopian style of Gaika will be greeting South Africans and Malawians for the first time in February. A childhood surrounded by various forms of tech and scientific innovation fostered within, Gaika’s current mode of production inspired by the digitization of humanity.

Gaika’s sound can be compared to that of a future voice whispering profanities – barely out of reach. What is organic has become a ghostlike digitized chaos devoid of humanity. Like a Black Mirror episode Gaika’s message is one of grimness and disillusion.

His unapologetic worldview has been compared to the trip-hop of Tricky, and he has been deemed electronic music’s answer to Basquiat. The background noise of a post-millennial existence is given a sound track. These are the sounds of human failure, surveillance, violence, terror, masochism and exploitation all strewn together to create a seamless sound broken as the broken world that Gaika sees and contests with his music.

Titles such as ‘BATTALION’ featuring Miss Red and ‘BLASPHEMER‘ act as piercing commentaries on modern society. Collaborations with artists such as Israeli MC Miss Red known for bringing ‘Murder’ to beats speak of the idiosyncratic nature in which he chooses to execute his message of doom and despair that is only strengthened by the collaborations he partakes in. In an interview with Dazed he expresses, “How can we make art that isn’t political when you go out of your house in London and you see two or three homeless people by a cash point, and people like me are getting killed by the police. What are we doing as artists?”

Music that inhabits the industrial space pertain to a machine fetish. Gaika should however not be mistaken as a pessimist – instead he is a realist and depicts the world for what it truly has and is becoming. “I prefer to express the darkness of reality. I’m a ‘night’ person in that sense,” he tells Dazed.

At the end of 2017 the artist released The Spectacular Empire I and II that included his ‘BATTALION’ soundtrack. Perhaps it’s time to fight the machine, or will we become one with it in a world where minimum wage jobs are dying out and the friendly person at your local McDonalds is slowly but surely being replaced by an automated system. Making poverty soar at an all-time high. Let’s join Gaika on his tour in solidarity with a world that is losing its humanity.

Tour dates:

Kitcheners, Johannesburg: 8 February 2018

The Waiting Room, Cape Town: 9 February 2018

Grittah’s Camp, Lilongwe (Malawi): 10 February 2018

17 January 2018
palmdrive’s A A // B B // E P is the soundtrack to the dystopian retrofuture

There are a few things we know about the enigmatic palmdrive aka deadprocession aka ujochi aka Josh Scheepers: He loves taking naps, making music, skateboarding, playing retro games and tweeting about Charli XCX and GRIMES. In that order. He’s also a pretty sweet graphic designer by day (and sometimes night), but having a day job gets in the way of the other stuff. Josh is well known on the Durban scene – which means you probably haven’t heard of him because nobody knows what the fuck is going on in Durban, not even Durbanites – from playing in short-lived bands like Meth Breath and Teenage Teethmarks, but more recently as a solo artist. The multi-instrumentalist recently put out a (mostly) synthwave EP drenched in sonic nostalgia called A A // B B // EP, and even though he hasn’t seen Drive yet, it would fit perfectly on that soundtrack. We chatted to the piss-taking producer about retro gaming, balancing multiple music projects and not being able to nap at work.

This new EP has quite a bit of retro gaming influence, from the name to the art to the music itself, what is it about old school games that inspires you?

I’ve always liked video games since the first time I played Frogger on the Atari! The thing I like most about retro games was their restrictions in regards to the art/sound etc. Didn’t have a lotta megabytes back then to work with so you had to make do with what was available, an evergreen ideal.

Which is your favourite gaming console or have you always been a PC and emulator kinda guy?

I never actually owned many consoles so that’s a difficult one to answer… but… Sega Genesis. Or the Mega Drive if you prefer. I use a VST that emulates the Genesis sound chip sometimes (fm synthesis ain’t easy). PS1 is up there as well. Sega Saturn has the best controller of any console ever made ever this is fact and cannot be disputed. Emulation is just a great way to relive the classics and to find new (old) games you might really enjoy!

What’s your favourite game and why?

FAVOURITE?? Couldn’t say, I have many. There’s classics I still play like Diablo 2 and Crash Bandicoot, but I really, really, really, REALLY loved Mirror’s Edge. Too many new indie games to mention. Papers, Please is pretty awesome. Okay I guess Monkey Island 2 is my all time fave. Point ‘n click adventures in general make me pretty happy.

You’ve been in bands and you’ve got 2 solo projects, which do you prefer and why?

Bands are cool because playing with other humans is always a good time, bouncing ideas around, making something together that you would never be able to do or think of alone. Solo is cool because you get to do whatever the heck you want and no one can stop you.

What do you prefer about bedroom producing to playing live, and vice versa?

Bedroom producing can get a little frustrating. Depends on what you’re trying to do I guess, but I tend to get distracted by a sound or direction and get carried away from what I was trying to do in the first place. Playing live is cool because you can let the distractions happen without worrying about it too much. It’s also cool to see people enjoying themselves to whatever weird shit I might be playing.

How does playing multiple instruments affect the way you write and produce music?

I play piano differently to the way that I play guitar, so they contrast nicely I think. Playing many instruments just helps with being musical. I wouldn’t wanna be stuck to one instrument. There’s a lot of them!! Each instrument helps in different ways regarding to melody/rhythm etc.

Also, with the new EP, how much is made with production software and how much was made with instruments? Do you enjoy getting to mix the 2 together or do you not really care, so long as it works for the song?

Depends on the song, but mostly I just click things in with the mouse lol. I’ve been trying to mix my old live band type producing with the newer electronic production ways. Still a long way to go, but I’m too obsessed with synthesizers at the moment. And vocaloids!

You’ve consistently put out music as both palmdrive and deadprocession – how do you decide what works together as an EP, and what to release as singles? Also, how do you keep the 2 projects separate? ‘Cause there are guitar parts on ‘Where is the Sun’, which is a bit different to most of your palmdrive stuff.

deadprocession is just for punk/pop punk/alt rock kinda stuff. I generally don’t put any synths or samples or anything like that in there, and I write lyrics and do vocals for it. palmdrive is for full-on electronic and whatever else kinda musical spazzing out, more of a free to do whatever solo project with lots of experimenting and learning new stuff – dp has some loose rules and regulations I try stick to.

tbh the new palmdrive EP is cobbled together from the farthest corners of the soundscapes I’ve been dabbling with. I didn’t intend for those 4 songs to be together specifically or anything, it just kinda happened. It’s a bit of a vague one, unfinished exploration. I just wanted to put something out before I put more stuff out with a little more direction and intention. I have some semblance of a plan brewing.

Is “Lite Rails” about cocaine or skateboarding?

Neither! It’s about driving through the dystopian retrofuture megacity looking for abandoned battery packs to charge muh lazerz.

What’s the worst part about having a day job? Not being able to nap?

No naps is painful, ya. I just hate not being able to get rolling with a song idea or sound idea when I get the urge. Which happens a lot. So many lost bangerz I will never program teh MIDIs for 🙁

If they were both playing live at the same time and you could only catch one, who would you pick: Charli XCX or GRIMES?

Difficult… I think I’d go watch GRIMES and then try find Charli afterwards and pop some bottles, yeah?

4 September 2017
Bubblegum Club mix Vol 13 by VELD

Having listened to Richard D. James Album at 16 and discovered the music making software Fruity Loops soon after this, Veld fell in love with electronic production techniques. We had a chat with him about about his musical journey and got a bespoke taste of his talent with his Bubblegum Club mix.

Can you tell us a bit about Veld?

Veld’s the name I’ve been recording music and occasionally djing under since about 2012. You need a name, right, to keep it all in order?

How would you describe your style?

“Loose”. My brother says he can recognise a consistent style in my music, but I’m not sure that I could. At one stage I honestly thought the best thing I’d ever made was a mashup of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “Numbers”, but it turns out it was Girls who made it. That little slice of cryptomnesia might suggest I’d like to sound like a mix between Whitney Houston and Kraftwerk. Actually I’d like to sound like a mix between RZA, Plaid and Kris Wadsworth. Still not close.

Can you tell us about your musical background – who or what sparked your interest in electronic music?

Warp Records. Warp Records did that. In it must have been 1997 or so. Of course those artists had their own influences, and there’s never a break in the chain, but for a 16-year-old in Durban it felt like an utterly new mode of expression, completely sui generis.

At that stage my top records were probably Van Morrison and Pixies. But after I heard Richard D. James Album that was that. I didn’t want to listen to music with guitars in it for the next five years. Because you’d know how it was done. Electronic production techniques seemed to allow for the possibility of hearing sounds that had never been heard before. And that was so exciting. A few years later when I came across a version of Fruity Loops 1.0 from god knows where I thought I’d found the keys to the kingdom. How long I spent trying to reconstruct Squarepusher’s “Red Hot Car” on those four midi channels I don’t know.

After Warp, African Dope Records was massively influential. As well as putting out incredible tunes, I could go out and see the artists playing this stuff live. They made the idea of producing electronic music attainable. I remember nervously knocking on the door of their studio in like 2002 and Fletcher being very hospitable and showing me the little Korg, I think, that they’d used to make those noodly worms on Neon Don’s “Life is Neon”. It had note names written on tape on the keys, and I was like, well if they can make tracks like that without knowing exactly where F# is, maybe there’s hope.

What are your musical influences?

Riaan Botha, Matthew Rowles, drum and bass, 90s east-coast, 4AD, M-nus, Warp, African Dope, Field Marshal, Brainfeeder, Astralwerks, Ghostly, Hyperdub, Bleep, Kitchener’s, Fact Mag, Mouldy, Wendy House, Cellphone Jazz, YouTube, etc. etc.

Listening to music is obviously hugely influential, whether because it informs my taste or provides specific inspiration for a track. But an equally important influence has been the way in which my studio has evolved, and the way in which my use of it has evolved. Getting a new DAW or effect, getting to know an old effect a bit better, learning a new keyboard shortcut or a scrap of music theory, deciding on a new sample folder structure…It’s prosaic stuff that ultimately determines how sounds are going to emerge from a session.

What do you want to express with your music? What emotions should it evoke within the listener?

Evoking anything’s not really the motivation behind me making tracks. For one thing not a lot of people hear them, so the idea of making music for an audience seems a bit grandiose. To the extent I’m trying to express anything it’s what I’m feeling at a point in time, but it can’t be as immediate as if I were an actual musician making my guitar weep because my dog died. The process is drawn out: I’m going to be coming back to a track over days or weeks or months. So it becomes a case of exploring the palette you’ve established for yourself, or the logic of a concept. The reason I’m making music at all is because I love that process so fucking much, particularly the sense of exploration and progress. Surprising myself – capturing something in a heavily mediated process that sounds fresh and contingent – is the drug.

What’s next for Veld?

Keeping on trucking, learning about music, seeing where Ableton takes me. I’d love to have a track used on a surf clip.

22 August 2017