Two of our all-out favorite dudes link up in this remix of — top LP of 2k11 choice — From Africa With Fury: Rise closer track “The Good Leaf.” South African afrofuturist Spoek Mathambo takes Seun Kuti‘s tune on a trip down south from its Nigerian origins. The afrobeat horns and feel remain, but Spoek pumps up the rhythm and adds a layer of delayed haze over the whole thing. Check out Seun Kuti & Egypt 80′s upcoming US tour dates and preview Spoek’s upcoming Father Creeper LP. Stream and download “The Good Leaf (Spoek Mathambo Remix)” below.
Spoek Mathambo talks about “putting a strong [untraditional] South African stamp” on his new album Father Creeper. He goes behind the making of albums cuts like “Put Some Red On It,” which was originally a song his wife sang around the house, the 60s referencing “Let Them Talk,” and speaks of producing beats with a childhood friend. Father Creeper is out March 13 on Sub Pop, you can pre-order it now.
Spoek Mathambo takes a bit of a left-turn with “Let Them Talk.” Unlike previous joints off Father Creeper, the track explores janky-guitar riffs and post-punk tendencies with vocal aid from Yolanda. Stick through to the end where Spoek revisits his verse off — track of the year — “Ask For (Africa Remix).” Father Creeper is out March 13 via Sub Pop.
It’s tough to sum up a year, let alone a year in music. For our top 11 tracks of 2011 we opted to stick to songs that had been featured on Okayafrica in the past 12 months. Love the choices? Hate ‘em? Let us know in the comments. Browse our top tracks of 2011 below, check out our top music videos and top side-eye moments of the year, and stay tuned for top 11 LPs!
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Soulstress Nneka featuring The Roots‘ own Black Thought.
It’s been a great freshman year for us at Okayafrica. To culminate it, we’re highlighting our choice content from the past 12 months. Browse our top 11 music videos of 2011 below and stay tuned for top 11 LPs, songs, and side-eyes lists!
Just last week, Spoek Mathambo announced that he’d be releasing collection of classic covers from his native South Africa. “Melodi,” the first of those tunes, features Spoek and production crew Nombolo One (Theo ‘Mthezo’ Tuge, Ayanda ‘Ayobah’ Sithole) reimagining mbaqanga supergroup Mahlathini & Mahotella Queens with vocal help from The Frown. Stream and grab it for FREE!
South African afro-futurist Spoek Mathambo has announced the release of his sophomore album Father Creeper. He hints that the new work — recorded in South Africa, USA, and Sweden — will feature “bigger arrangements, [plus himself] getting hand-on with the production, and delivering a more personal album.” Look for it March 13 from Sub Pop Records!
In other news, Spoek will soon release a covers collection of ”South African classics form the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s.” It will feature vocals from SA acts The Frown, Dirty Paraffin, Syntax and BFG. Stream and download Father Creeper‘s first single “Put Some Red On It,” produced by CHLLNGR and penned by Gnucci Banana, below.
TRACKLIST
1. Manifesto
2. Tonight – Popskarr (South Africa)
3. Fire Dance – Seun Kuti (Nigeria)
4. Mikono Kwenya Hewa (version fiesta) – Muthoni The Drummer Queen (Kenya)
5. Beauty Shop – Thabile Rasa (South Africa)
6. Vem Rebola – Gregor Salto (Brazil)
7. Windeck – Cabo Snoop (Angola)
8. Ratanang – Das Kapital (South Africa)
9. Dope Girl – Zakee (Senegal)
10. Pop Models – Big Fkn Gun (South Africa)
11. Ubusuku – Jumping Back Slash (South Africa)
12. Afreeka (King Armatelo) – Art Melody (Burkina Faso)
13. The Rise – Zakee (Senegal)
14. Flight of The Robin – Das Kapital (South Africa)
15. Gwababa (DJ Mpula remix) – Spoek Mathambo feat. Avuyile and Yolanda (South Africa)
16. Beog Kamba – Art Melody (Burkina Faso)
17. Jol Vol (wavy x chopped edit) – Isaak Mutant (South Africa)
18. Filaw – Chief Boima (Sierra Leone)
19. City Staccs remix – Lamin Fofana (Sierra Leone)
20. Venison Collection Squad – Nicolaas Van Reenen (South Africa)
21. Whoop That Ass! – Nombolo#1 (South Africa)
22. 808 – Iyadede (Rwanda)
23. Makhathini – Nombolo#1 (South Africa)
24. Burning Bush Everybody – Nneka (Nigeria)
25. Ndekha (remix) – The Very Best & Moroka feat. Thandiswa Mazwai, Spoek Mathambo, Mo Laudi (Malawi/Sweden/South Africa)
26. Tout Ceci Ne Vous Rendre Pas Le Congo – Baloji (Democratic Republic of Congo)
27. Boogly Woogly – The Brother Moves On (South Africa)
28. Tselane – Blk Jks (South Africa)
29. Dog To Bone – Spoek Mathambo (South Africa)
30. Dreamer’s Soundtrack – Just a Band (Kenya)
31. Mara Hio Hio – Sauti Sol feat. General Pype & Sasha (Kenya)
This Sunday night we peeped South African artist Athi-Patra Ruga‘s much-talked-about synchronized swimming performance. Ruga worked with Spoek Mathambo to create the soundtrack for the project. ‘Ilulwane‘ is Ruga’s first performance in NYC and was “inspired by Alvin Baltrop‘s 1970s and 80s photographs. It reflects on the passage of time in both New York and in the artist’s own Xhosa culture, drawing on themes of Xhosa initiation ceremonies, the AIDS crisis, and challenging definitions of masculinity.”
The lighting was ominous and the air was thick with the smell of chlorine. Click here for a thorough description of the show. Check out our photos by OKA contributor Ardavon Fatehi and imagine Mathambo’s electronic drones soothing you into a dark state of mind.
Here’s a two-fold from our favorite ghetto-futurist South African Spoek Mathambo. In the clip above, Spoek holds down the chorus for swedish rapper Adam Tensta‘s “The Monkey” — a club ready Ed Bang-ing synth jam. Below, stream the 52-minute Pero Spicey mixtape Spoek and significant other Gnucci Banana crafted for Nike Sportswear Sweden, it features all the sci-fi afro/electro sounds we imagine regularly haunt the Mathambo/Banana household.
The CIA might have to investigate the possibility of South African time-travel technology, because Spoek Mathambo is almost certainly from the future. The 25 year old rapper, DJ, graphic artist, and illustrator is taking the South African music scene on a cosmic sonic journey that can only be described as Afro-Futurism and glam-rap. This style-savvy artist from Soweto has become a major purveyor of South African club music, and just might be The Rainbow Nation’s rhythmic equivalent of Andy Warhol.
Audio: Seun Kuti x Spoek Mathambo ‘The Good Leaf’
Two of our all-out favorite dudes link up in this remix of — top LP of 2k11 choice — From Africa With Fury: Rise closer track “The Good Leaf.” South African afrofuturist Spoek Mathambo takes Seun Kuti‘s tune on a trip down south from its Nigerian origins. The afrobeat horns and feel remain, but Spoek pumps up the rhythm and adds a layer of delayed haze over the whole thing. Check out Seun Kuti & Egypt 80′s upcoming US tour dates and preview Spoek’s upcoming Father Creeper LP. Stream and download “The Good Leaf (Spoek Mathambo Remix)” below.
Seun Kuti, “The Good Leaf” (Spoek Mothambo Remix) by The FADER
(via Fader)