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.
Much like the printing press, the internet has democratised knowledge, spreading information that was once only available to a limited number of people all over the globe, simultaneously connecting people to each other. For those with a desire to express themselves through music, there has been no better time than now to learn how to make and share it. A product of this wave of innovation is Cape Town based Lamla Bungane, better known as Lay Lay.
Starting out as a rapper in primary school, Lay Lay became a producer out of necessity as money was tight, and he and his crew couldn’t afford to buy beats. With production software obtained from a friend and online tutorials showing him the basics, Lay Lay taught himself how to make his own beats and record within a year.
A member of DAT Clique alongside Dj Fabo, Day Uno, Black Magic and Tony Neetch, Lay Lay has also worked with numerous up-and-coming artists on his first EP ‘Say More’ and on his mixtape ‘Lay Lay On The Dex‘. The 808-laden, trap-heavy release featured the likes of Cozmik, Chingatime and Broke Boy$. 2017 also saw him release his debut album, ‘Fake Love’, which sees him experimenting with more atmospheric sounds.
Currently working on a follow-up mixtape, ‘Lay Lay On The Dex Volume 2’, Lay Lay will continue to collaborate, with Blaq Slim, Chingatime, Amilca Mezarati and DAT Clique confirmed for the release. His team have also released the music video for DAT Clique’s ‘Police’, from his first mixtape, directed by Motion Billy.
When it comes to his music Lay Lay describes himself as an artist who is just trying to share his own journey. “I believe everyone has a story to tell. I’m a storyteller, I write about the things that I go through on the daily. The things I face in life.”
Have a listen to his latest release, ‘Energy’, below.
Thinking back to the creative industry a number of years ago, creatives of all types generally operated within a specific field and seldom dabbled outside of its borders, unless they were of course, “against the grain”. It is my opinion that institutions of higher learning beg of their young students to specialize in one medium, and to be proficient in this medium exclusively. Multidisciplinary crafts are hardly ever encouraged. In a world of rapid change and instant gratification, the demands of clients ask more of creatives today. I state this as currently there are many stylists who have become proficient in an array of creative expressions to such an extent that they have the capability to wear every hat needed for the execution and completion of a project. We spoke to three of South Africa’s trailblazing all-rounders about their multifaceted creative exploits.
Anees, known for his designs, fashion label and styling, is becoming well versed in the medium of photography. He has set the tone and image (as both digital pixels viewed on electronic screens, and a physical dresscode) for what South African youths look like. Young & Lazy and the Corner Store have assisted in creating an image of our youth that is more versatile and heterogeneous. Looking through the duplicity of lookbooks created by this creative auteur it is almost like seeing Larry Clark’s 1995 ‘Kids’ in still form; yet unlike ‘Kids’ filled with messages of doom, Anees’ message is one of positivity – a celebration of youth.
At the start of Anees’ solo venture he only occupied the position of designer and handed over his collections to stylists and photographers to create lookbooks for him. Regarding it as an act of “letting go” to another stylist, he did not feel capable of styling at that early stage.
Photography by Anees Petersen
“Eventually, I made more collections and I started feeling that by ‘letting go’, the vision that I had, became watered down or changed…” Anees’ persuasion to be more hands on in this regard came from a sentiment that each stylist and photographer inadvertently added their own signature to a specific shoot – a style that he didn’t necessarily want to portray.
From there, Anees took it upon himself to style his designs and worked closely with photographers, making sure he took the lead in the art direction. It took Anees a while to step in behind the lens despite having experience with photographing on a point and shoot.
Photography by Anees Petersen
A boost of confidence intercepted when Anees needed to do some product shots with models and he could not find a photographer for the job at hand. Taking the leap, he photographed the set of images himself. Public review of his images was exceedingly in his favour.“It’s something that I really enjoy. It’s almost [at] a point where I would stop designing to become a photographer, if I could be a photographer.”
His process has become a union of image creator and designer pushing the focal points of his designs for consumers – this differentiating factor is what sets him and his deliverables apart. His style verges on blandness without any frill, lace or prettiness – yet these images should not be construed as unappealing. In fact, they draw you in and mesmerize their viewer.
Gabrielle is a name so embedded in Cape Town’s creative culture that it’s hard to speak about the scene and leave her name out of the conversation. Known for her immense talent as a stylist her hand brings styling to the foreground of any image. But Gabrielle does so much more than styling. A former student of Michaelis school of Fine Arts, she is also a producer, creative director and photographer.
Curious about when her creative disciplines started intersecting, Gabrielle tells me that the process already happened during her school years when she started a clothing business with a friend. Here she took on a chameleon like role of a photographer, stylist and co-director for their lookbooks.
Image courtesy of Gabrielle Kannemeyer
She unpacks her creative process as one that relies on documenting experiences. Her documentation takes the tangible form of drawing, creating mood boards and writing her ideas as they come to her. “Most of my work starts as something I see in my mind’s eye…” She shares that her process is ever changing and doesn’t necessarily take place in a linear pattern, stressing the importance of collaboration in her practice.
The Gabrielle Kannemeyer aesthetic can be defined as one with strong styling and simplified backgrounds. As a child growing up in the Northern Cape area she explored many landscapes which influenced her. She later moved back to Cape Town. She shares with me her strong belief that South Africans should tell our stories in the spaces that we are native to.
Image courtesy of Gabrielle Kannemeyer
The singularity of her styling practice arose from Gabrielle’s ability to recognize that what she wanted to bring across is something that she had not seen in the glossy pages of fashion magazines. “…No one was layering garments in a sculptural way, or in a way I thought was interesting.”
She explains that she thinks of the human body as a sculpture on which silhouettes can be changed to no end by adding elements or tying cloth and fabric to limbs. Inspiration also lends itself via the interpretation of clothes within our country she tells me. “I am incredibly inspired by the individuals I dress / collaborate with and it excites me to see the interaction they have with the silhouettes I build and all of that in relation to the spaces they are shot in is something I continue to explore today.”
Chloe works as both a stylist and a creative director honing her skills at Vega where she studied Graphic Design and Branding Communications, and later completed a short course in Personal Styling at Fedisa. Growing up in Durban as an only child, she cultivated a vivid imagination that has carried over into her adult life; spilling into her creative practice.
Her artistic interests came at a young age and was met with a similar fixation with dress up. Rummaging through her mother’s closet she would put together outfits that she called “characters” and insistently begged for an audience to admire her various ensembles.
Image courtesy of Chloe Andrea
“I started dreaming about my label in high school where I’d often sew myself up a top to wear out for the night. Later, launching my first collection in college called Ramble, which was completely ridiculous and outer space themed. My friend Nicci modelled the outfits, with my cousin behind the camera. It was then I realised I had discovered a new interest – the photograph.”
In the world Chloe creates for her clients framing takes a classical stance and every element within a picture frame is carefully thought out and placed. Her hand is known for its versatility and that is what she believes makes her projects distinct. From beautiful white on white to edgy pairings each project translates into human beings draped in such a way that they themselves become human artworks. “I’m inspired by creating characters and telling stories about them through fabric and images.”
Image courtesy of Chloe Andrea
Chloe tells me that her working in Nigeria has been her favoured project up to date. “Working in Nigeria – you learn a lot about self-identity and where you fit in. It’s also very challenging working in a new place where you don’t speak the languages. That being said, what a beautiful, colourful place! Everyday people rely more on local tailors to create garments for them rather than commercial retailers. It’s quite special.”
When it came to advice for young creatives with similar career aspirations, Chloe had the following to say, “The best advice I ever got was from Caroline Olavarietta. ‘Assist. Assist. Assist.’ I’d say, don’t chase fame and earn your stripes.”
Developing her skill set to encompass that of a fashion designer as well Chloe looks forward to a year of growth. She will continue creating garments for her own shoots as a costume designer while pushing the bill towards launching a full-time fashion label. She is currently being mentored in pattern making by a fashion designer.
“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”
I assume everyone reading this website knows who Nonku Phiri is. Well, you know her work, at least. The multi-talented creative has featured on a handful of hits, both as rapper Jung Freud and as ‘herself’, has collabed with some of the most respected names in the game, and put out two vastly different singles, in the few years she’s been putting out music. She’s also an illustrator who has done work for other local musicians. Oh, and she has her own record label, Albino Black. It’s all been so multifaceted that while she’s shown her range of skills it’s hard to say that any of us really know who Nonku Phiri is from her work so far. This year though, we’ll all be getting to know Nonku a lot better.
I had the pleasure of getting to know the songbird a little bit better and get a feel for what she’s got going on this year via a short Skype call a few days after her New Year’s weekend Afropunk and Smoking Dragon sets. She was a bit tired but still lively, “It’s just been a long year so I’m feeling a bit in need of a break. Nothing too hectic”.
Since it’s the new year, I opened by asking her if she was the resolution type, “Nope. I do think one does need to have a plan for each year but I like to leave room to expand. I have plans for what I want and plans to achieve through the year and then everything else that falls in between is like leaving room for surprise and seeing what the world has to offer.”
Her plans for this year include kicking off the year by putting out a fresh single and finishing off the EP she’s planning to release around June. “There’s a new single coming out soon,” she tells me and wryly follows up with, “I’m not gonna give you dates but it’s coming out soon.” Nonku plays her cards close to her chest, she wouldn’t even tell me who she was working with on the project. “You’ll find out when it comes out. I’m just working with someone I’ve been working with for a while.”
“I plan on putting out a lot of music this year. I’ve been producing as well so…” I interrupt her by asking her what it’s like moving from just being a vocalist to producing as well. She corrects me by saying “I’ve never just been a vocalist,” and goes on to answer the question,“I’ve been solo for the last 3 years, been travelling and kind of have a different approach in terms of the live set. A lot has been learnt in terms of, as you said, being more of a vocalist and using the voice as an instrument, versus standing there and having backing tracks. It’s been fun to explore that side of being more hands-on with how the music gets done versus stepping into a booth and just writing.”
Because of how much she’s collaborated, I ask if she’s looking forward to having more control over the music. “I’ve had control over my music the whole time, I just think the collaborative part of, I guess, the formative years was just based on kind of challenging myself and getting out of my comfort zone.”
Nonku then gets into what about collaboration she thinks is so dope. “It’s being able to create something that can’t ever be duplicated with any other individual. Being a musician or being a creative will always have a collaborative element to it. I think for me it was being young and, you know, not necessarily having one thing that you’re solely focusing on genre-wise. Going from boom-bap, experimental hip-hop beats, to then doing house music, then having a stint, like, rapping, and then getting back to just making music.”
Circling back to the question of control, the musician continues, “I think the only thing that I would say is that it’s not about having control, it’s about finally being able to have people understand me outside of the collaborative part. Featuring on a track doesn’t necessarily mean that one’s just a featuring artist. I just feel like there’s a contribution, or a story, that can only be told by specific people or when you work with specific people.”
“Everything I’ve worked on has always had a touch of me. Nothing else I’ve created through collaborations has been the same.” If you’ve heard her music, you know this is true. We get into the growth that comes with working with talented people across so many different genres. “The sonic side is something I’ve always been exploring and I guess you always learn or get influenced by the different genres or whatever. I’m using my voice and being able to come in and not just have to sing words, you know? Vocalists are kinda underrated in that sense. They are producers in their own way,” she says in reference to the earlier vocalist versus producer comments.
Nonku sees the last three years since she’s moved back to Joburg as an incubation period. “I think it’s been a stage of incubation, a stage of exploring myself. I mean, before this I wasn’t really travelling overseas or playing to different audiences so I think It’s been a very beautiful growth period and, I don’t know… I just think Joburg always has all these negative connotations attached to it, but it’s home for me. This is where I was born.” Although she grew up in Cape Town, she was born in Jozi and moving back gave her “time to just figure out who I was at this particular phase as an adult.”
“It’s just been a really great mirror in terms of what you surround yourself with. I don’t think the influences have necessarily come from the city, but I think it’s been a space that’s allowed me to just be… “ she briefly pauses and then lets out, “without having to try be anything.”
And I guess that’s the thing with Nonku, why it’s so hard to pin her down – it doesn’t feel like Nonku is really trying to be anything, she just is. She’s a creative spirit expressing herself, and she plans to do so in a myriad of ways this year. She’s keeping things hush for now, but she’s clearly excited about putting everything she’s learned up to this point into a definitive release that encompasses all her talents. Look out for Nonku’s name, voice and visuals in 2018. You’ll be glad you did.
It’s been 13 years since Esa Williams last lived in South Africa. In that time, the dynamic producer, musician and DJ has racked up a career that any electronic artist would be proud of. We’re talking more mixes than a young Tom Cruise, a residency on Worldwide FM, his Boiler Room set at Amsterdam’s Dekmantel Festival is real journey that highlights his passion for blending rhythmic bands from across the globe together, and he’s played all the festivals and clubs your friends who are clued up on the European scene want to go to. Oh, and he’s playing at the boutique electronic music festival Churn this weekend. Which you should definitely go to if you’re in Joburg or can afford to road trip to the Tweefontein Melkery.
Esa has been around the block a good few times but still gets mistaken for a new artist. I jokingly asked him if he’d done a lot of interviews since his answers in our email exchange had that polish of a seasoned vet, “Yes, indeed, many many interviews because every year I’m the new artist. Which is very funny, but I think works in my favour and hope it’ll continue, where I can also present something new and interesting every year.”
“I’m from Cape Town, the Cape Flats and grew up in between Athlone and Bonteheuwel. It came with it’s challenges at times but I was lucky and had parents who always pushed forward to give my sisters and I the best,” Esa tells me when I ask about his early life. Esa credits his father with setting him on his musical journey. “My late father was a policeman and also a DJ and I guess all my initial music education was through him. This is also how I had my first experiences with people dancing to somebody playing records and tapes. Another person who also played a massive role with my music was my cousin Kamrudien who was also sadly killed on the Cape Flat earlier this year. Alongside my father, the two of them played at private gatherings, family weddings and some of the clubs on the Cape Flats.”
It seems music runs in Esa’s veins, so I asked if he was gifted with an ear for music or if was it something that developed over time. He told me, “I think it must have been a gift from the gods since I don’t see myself doing anything else. But, it’s been a proper journey. Exploring and developing new ideas and thinking it’s something that’ll continue because it’ll mos be boring to listen to one style of music for the rest of your life.”
If you’ve heard Esa’s sets and mixes, you know he’s definitely not boring because of the myriad of styles that he blends together. Esa has picked up a lot from moving around over the years. The move overseas has done him good, even though it’s been a long journey from the Cape Flats to London, which he now calls home.
“I’ve been living away from South Africa for 13 years now. When I arrived here back in 2004, it was in the middle of winter. In Aberdeen, Scotland, of all places. Which, at the time, I didn’t even know existed. I then spent the next 2 years there, working along the east coast of Scotland, visiting many small villages day to day selling energy.”
Even though he was far from home, he was able to connect with the Scots thanks to a few similarities to home. “What was funny is that I felt a connection through the Scottish attitude and language dialect. It was weird as there was certain words they would say, and I’d think “Yoh, did the bra just say something in Afrikaans?” It was kak funny, but it was the best way to slowly ease myself into the UK, looking back now. From Aberdeen, Esa then moved to Glasgow where he got most of his UK club culture experience. “I was really lucky. In the 7 years I spent there, I managed to be involved with most of the Glasgow ‘underground’ music scene. From Sub Club, to Soma Records, Jackmaster, Rubadub and finally the last Scottish project which was Auntie Flo, which was when I also moved to London, about 4 years ago. London has been really good for me since I felt Glasgow was a bit too small after 7 years. I was looking for a change in scenery too.”
“It’s an amazing city but equally scary. There’s no time to waste. You got’s to be on top of your game and most importantly be open minded,” he tells me when asked what it’s like living in one of the modern cultural hubs of Europe. I asked if it was possible to juxtapose Cape Town and London but he said, “I can’t really juxtapose London and Cape Town since most of the time spent before arriving in London was in Glasgow and for me I felt it was a natural progression to where I wanted to go as a person and artist.”
That being said, things are obviously different when he comes back to his hometown. “Whenever I visit Cape Town I always have this positive expectations but it seems like things are moving backwards, especially in the communities I grew up in. It saddens me but this in some way has also been an inspiration for me to push on harder with my goals and aspirations, with a hope that it can have some positive effect back home.”
Esa has been using his influence overseas to promote South African artists. “I’m proud to be part of the movement pushing South African music internationally and have always looked back to my roots for inspiration since I first left the homeland. It’s also been a pleasure to have met and befriended so many talented people who are all pushing the boundaries and sharing the sounds of SA worldwide, with the likes of Nonku Phiri, Portable, DJ Lag, Floyd Lavine, DJ Okapi, Cards on Spoke, Nozinja to name a few.”
Looking forward to the weekend and his set at Churn, Esa is hyped to share what he’s learnt over the years with fellow South Africans, “I’m really excited to finally have the platform to showcase what I’ve learnt and my experiences, how better opportunity to do it at Churn Festival on the 2nd December, I’ve prepared a special set with something unique but also sounds that are familiar to remind us of our heritage as South Africans and our beautiful country.”
Likhona Camane is a Cape Town based record collector and producer who releases music under the moniker seventhgaze. Founder of the creative collective and label Lilies, he aims to give a platform to independent musicians on which they can show more than a singular aspect of themselves, with Lilies Radio allowing them to broadcast mixes or podcasts. Lilies Radio’s first show is Wax Trades, a monthly, strictly vinyl based show hosted by seventhgaze.
The idea for Wax Trades sprang to life at the beginning of the 2016 when he was talking to fellow record collector and producer Fernando about their mutual love for collecting. “I really wanted to do more than just release my own music. I wanted to start doing mixes and stuff like that also. My record collection was growing so I thought might as well try,” explains seventhgaze.
Having caught the collecting bug at 16 when his mother gave him a record player for his birthday with a copy of Mumford and Sons’ “Babel” his first purchase, seventhgaze only plays vinyl on his show because it is a more accurate reflection of what he is listening to and drawing inspiration from. “When I’m buying vinyl I’m more specific because I’m spending more money on the music itself”.
He still sources most of his vinyl the old-fashioned way, visiting stores such as Voom-voom Vintage in Observatory, Mabu Vinyl in Cape Town and the vinyl bins of second hand stores. Travel also helped bolster his collection. “I was lucky enough to travel overseas and I collected some records over there.”
His shows are never genre specific but curated around a certain mood. “I try and see where people from different genres try and keep that mood going.” Spanning time and genres, the show is an insight into the music that inspires and moves seventhgaze.
For 2018 seventhgaze is looking to bring in some guests to the show. “We’re living in a time where labels are reissuing older records that weren’t heard before. So I want to try and bring people like that onto the show. So more people can hear what’s being made and what was made before.”
Follow Lilies Radio on Mixcloud to keep up to date with the Wax Trades podcast and the latest additions to seventhgaze’s record collection.
L is for love, or in the Facebook era, a like. If you’re a Scott Pilgrim fan, L is for lesbians. L is for lush or libations if you’re a bit of a drinker. To a cartographer, L is for latitude and longitude. For social media managers looking to hit that millennial market, L is for lit. L is for the lavish lifestyles presented to us by pop stars. L is whatever you make it, but in Sibot’s case, I think it probably stands for legend.
I remember the first time I heard a Sibot track. It was on one of the old SL compilation CDs from back when print wasn’t dead. Those CDs held a lot of gems back in the day, even if they did put out Candice Hillebrand’s first single they also put out a version of Sibot and Watkin Tudor Jones’ ‘Super Evil’ that, to my knowledge, was never officially released. I’d never heard anything so fresh. While Waddy’s “kreepy-krawly” line still cracks me to this day, that beat is infectious and experimental as fuck. This was like 12/14 years ago. A year or so later, after a late night LAN party, I found myself with a folder labeled “the fantastic kill” with no track titles, but after clicking play, I immediately knew who I was dealing with. It was on that album I was introduced to Spoek Mathambo and it was from there that I’d follow everything Sibot, Watkin Tudor Jones and Spoek Mathambo did.
Sibot has continued to grow as a producer, putting out an impressive body of work and developing one of the best live shows in the country. With Toyota on visuals, it’s an unrivaled onslaught of sight and sound. Mswenkofontein was probably his biggest track in recent years but he’s put out a few noteworthy releases, 2013’s “Magnetic Jam” was put out by Mad Decent, Red Bull Music picked up “Arc-Eyes” and last year he dropped “new age kwaito 2010” on his ace. Each release unique in sound and direction, each still coated with Sibot’s signature bass tones.
His latest project is an album he’s releasing as four EPs called “V.L.D.T”. The tracks on the EPs are numbered where they are on the album and once all four are out, you can piece them together as one body of work. It’s a unique way to put out a project and gives Sibot an opportunity to highlight the different aspects of the album before people get to hear it as a whole. The first was put out a few months ago, It’s called “V” and it’s mostly in the Arc-Eyes/Magnetic Jam sphere, we’re talking heavy beats broken up and smashed together, but his upcoming EP, “L”, is closer to “new age kwaito” and sees Sibot playing in the 4/4 realm as he flexes his techno and house skills.
The new EP, or the second part of the album, is notably different from what we’re used to from Sibot. Instead of flinging my body around the room and getting whiplash from whipping my hair back and forth, I find myself swaying from side to side, head bopping and shoulders shrugging to the hypnotic beats. “L” feels like a futuristic throwback that reminds me of sliding around club dancefloors in the mid-2000s. I’ve often prefered the heaviness and discombobulating beats behind Sibot’s music, but “L” is welcome relief to the usual chaos and an expertly crafted release that shows the production range the pioneer is capable of.
“L” comes out on the 11th of April and adds 3 dynamic tracks to any adventurous house/techno DJ’s arsenal. It’s certainly not what you’d expect, or at least, not what I expected, but by now we should know to expect the unexpected from the local legend. I’m intrigued to hear the next 2 releases after “L” and see how the whole album fits together once it’s all out there. We’re only half-way through it’s release but V.L.D.T is shaping up to be Sibot’s most dynamic and diverse project to date. If you’re looking for something different from one of SA’s stalwarts of electronic music, check out Sibot’s soundcloud on the 11th of April.
If you’re a South African musician, there’s quite a bit that you can learn from Muzi. The charismatic producer from Empangeni seems to have one of the most level heads out of anyone I’ve met in the music industry, although he claims he’s “still figuring things out”. So there’s the first thing you can learn from him: humility. Despite already having a career many would be jealous of- moving to Berlin off of one song, releasing an innovative, genre-bending debut album called ‘Boom Shaka’, and getting positive press from the likes of The Fader and Noisey– Muzi says of his success so far, “I’m just building and I’ll just continue to build. When I come back here there’s the thing that it almost feels like I’m starting over. But I know now that I’m actually starting from a higher spot, a new level, but it’s just hard to get traction again.”
Since Muzi returned home in November because “Fuck that winter, bruh”, his only gig has been a headlining slot an OkayAfrica gig in Kenya, which is cool in it’s own right, but it’s hella wack that the dude hasn’t been getting bookings in South Africa. I asked him why, “I’ve hit everyone up for gigs but it’s that thing, I understand what I’m trying to do and it doesn’t have a direct pocket that it fits in, even though it kinda does (laughs). People are scared man, a whole lot of promoters are really scared.” I find this strange because when local DJs play Muzi’s tracks, the dancefloor wilds out. Maybe promoters are averse to their audiences going buck, but that seems like a bad business model to me. Still, there’s a lesson to be learnt: To thine own self be true. Sure, Shakespeare said it first, but Muzi embodies it. Before he kicked it overseas, Muzi was facing similar problems, but stuck to his guns and it got him recognition beyond his hometown.
Will he ever truly get his props in South Africa? Probably. He plans to bounce between here and Berlin for 6 months at a time, chasing that eternal summer. He may be ahead of his time but that just means it’ll take some time for people to pick up on him. I don’t doubt Muzi will be more successful, whether it’s at home or on the global stage, because Muzi is tenacious. Which is another lesson to learn from Muzi and best exemplified by his story of how he got his manager, John Maclennan: ”The way I met my manager, I didn’t know I needed a manager until I met him. He was still managing Jax Panik and DJ High Tek and I wanted to make beats for Jax Panik, but then Jax Panik didn’t work out. So that’s how I met him but he didn’t want to do management anymore. I was like cool, “I’ll just send you stuff.” I just kept on sending him stuff for a whole year. “Will you be my manager?” Like, every day. He then finally gave in and we just started building this whole thing.” Oh yeah, I guess that’s the last lesson: Get a manager.
Cape Town based producer Thor Rixon has blessed us with an eclectic mix, filled-to-the-brim with deep melodic gems and beautifully textured soundscapes, all his own original productions. The mix was originally performed live at Churn Festival where Thor performed alongside other local and international acts pushing the boundaries of electronic music.
Thor revealed that most of the music that made it on this mix was produced earlier this year when he spent a few months living in Berlin and according to him the rich concentration of great electronic music coming out of Berlin was a huge influence to both his live performance and his production.
Keep and eye out for Thor Rixon’s upcoming album set to be released in December but for now listen to this exclusive mix and acquaint yourself with the direction his ever expanding sound is taking.
Raw X studios is where the magic happens, where pH has produced and recorded some seminal South African works. The esteemed producer dropped his solo effort, From Giyani with Love last year to astounding success. I sat down with him to review his recording career, and delve into the world of a brilliant beatmaker.
My first interaction with pH was the rapper launching his album at Koolin Out, the city’s premier live hip hop event and showcase. The magic of this moment was palpable in the presentation of his debut. And the performance was incredibly special, offering insight into the rapper’s journey while delivering live energy and raw lyricism.
From Giyani with Love proved to be a really successful project, with features from Yanga, Reason, Thandiswa and AKA the album offered a range of sounds and stories to connect too. The rapper provided a fresh perspective for hip hop in the country and through identifying himself as Shangaan, from Giyani and using the language in his work, pH made a contribution to cultural pride in his community, a necessary contribution in a country where much ignorance and insecurity abounds around Tsonga people. The album is an excellent introduction into the expansive beats and languid lyricism from this artist. And a follow up is already on the way; D2 is to be dropped sometime this year, and he’s is excited about the progress he’s made as a rapper, finally feeling himself in the medium. pH details the tricky process of finding his voice as a rapper, the dedication and preparation that goes into being able to express yourself in rhythm and poetry.
Lost in Time, is as much a Khuli Chana album as it is a pH production. The two made the album together and through the special musical connection they shared, they made a classic, critically acclaimed album. It produced the hits Tswa Daar, Hape pt 1 and Hazzadaz Move. It went on to be the first hip hop album to win the SAMA for Album of the Year and it projected its protagonists, Khuli and pH into the upper echelons of the music industry. It also introduces pH as a rapper, on Chillin’ the world got to know the voice behind the beats and the confidence from the album pushed him to begin work on his solo effort.
‘Once you can create, you should be doing that everyday’, the words of a committed creative, a person consistently pushing their craft and career. A sound connoisseur working to expand the boundaries of urban African sounds. pH’s love of music, pride in his cultural heritage and pure talent comes together in the music that provides references from the continent whilst understanding the universal appeal of homegrown sounds. An artist to watch and appreciate as he continues to create music that holds the tension between the urban and the traditional; a beautiful balancing act.
House music’s misanthropist is beginning the year in spectacular form, with plans to release new music each week. 2016 is already more fun.
Big Hate FKA Big Space is blessing us with more bangers! His Houze Nigga EP was dropped at the beginning of the summer and now electro’s most evil engineer is planning to release a remix a week as part of his #remix52 series. The first remix is of Slyza Tsotsi, which was without doubt one of last year’s most fun songs. You can listen to Big Hate’s remix below.
