Tracka de Day: Bon Iver ‘Skinny Love’ (Das Kapital Remix)

January 4, 2012 1 Comment

I’ve been looking for some solid remixes of Bon Iver to DJ out and was happy to be handed this one of 20 year old South African producer and DJ Das Kapital. With ‘Skinny Love’, a proper jam for this time of year, Kapital maintains the tune’s original integrity and loops some of its best instrumental parts while adding a clubby stomp, hard snare, and choppy vocals. Let this track be an introduction to the crunch that is Das Kapital.

Bon Iver – Skinny Love (Das Kapital Rerub) [DL LINK IN COMMENTS] by Das Kapital

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Tracka de Day: Fool’s Gold ‘Surprise Hotel’

January 3, 2012 Leave a comment

Self-described as “if Congotronics were fronted by Morrissey,” Los Angeles Afro-Global noise makers Fool’s Gold collective can reach up to 16 members — all playing African inspired rhythms over contemporary pop composition. The group was formed when Luke Top and lead guitarist Lewis Pesacov, “set out to explore their shared love of various forms of African music (specifically Congolese, Ethiopan, Eritrean and Malian), Krautrock, and 80s dance influenced pop music.” ‘Surprise Hotel’ is an ultra twangy  sun-drenched  jam with wild dance beat, and a fitting video. Check it out for yourself above.

 

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Tracka de Day: Soul Keita ‘Dusties n 808s’

December 23, 2011 Leave a comment

The Addis Ababa-based kissar player Soul Keita was 17 when Democracy EP dropped in 2009. His tracks, along with others found on the Clown and Sunset label, are largely influenced by Ethio-Jazz father, Mulatu Astatke. If you’re a fan of Astatke’s beautifully haunting key rifts, it’s truly amazing to hear where Soul Keita and new friend Nicholas Jaar takes the vibe. Check out “Dusties n 808s” from 2010′s Ines LP below.

CS004 ∆ Soul Keita – Dusties N 808s by Clown & Sunset

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Tracka De Day: Giving Thanks “Shukuru”

November 25, 2011 Leave a comment

OKA contributor Kate Bomz put us on to this newish video for the song “I Don’t Wanna Be Alone (Shukuru)” by Tanzanian rapper AY and Kenyan afro-pop band Sauti Sol. “Shukuru” means “thank you,” or “gratitude” in Swahili so we thought it a fitting match for this season of thanks in the United States.

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Tracka De Day: Ally B ft. Size 8 ‘Silali’

November 15, 2011 Leave a comment

“Mombasa’s finest” Ally B is smitten by Nairobi-based crooner Size 8 in this romantic-woes clip for their collaborative single “Silali.” It’s sparkly-fine Kenyan pop, crafted by Homeboyz, and possibly named after a sleeping volcano.

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Tracka De Day: Yaa Pono ‘Good Morning ft. Efya’

October 20, 2011 Leave a comment

Tema freestyle heavyweight Yaa Pono teams up with Ghanaian soulstress Efya for the spotless head-nodder “Good Morning.” The acoustic guitar beat is recycled from/sampled by this equally smooth Terry Urban mix featuring Kanye and Biggie. What more ‘ya need? Track starts at the 1-minute mark.

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Tracka De Day: Tinariwen “Tenere Taqqim Tossam (Four Tet Remix)”

September 28, 2011 Leave a comment

We’ve been championing Tinariwen‘s Northern Mali nomad blues for some time now. In this near 7-minute remix of their TV On The Radio-featured single “Tenere Taqqim Tossam,” London beatsmith (and Thom Yorke BFF) Four Tet gradually crafts the original’s laidback vocal grooves into hypnotical loops which, with added percussion and deep bass strokes, reach dance floor BPMs.

Tinariwen – Tenere taqqim tossam (Four Tet remix) by Four Tet

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Tracka De Day: Layori “DaDa”

September 21, 2011 Leave a comment

Nigerian songstress Layori conquers the staccato melody of “DaDa” with mesmerizing ease and comfort — a trait that’s earned her comparisons to the likes of Tracy Chapman and Sade. This Saharan desert clip is proof that the Yoruba singer’s gentle-yet-commanding voice and presence would lure many into submission. Watch the video above, “DaDa” can be found on Layori’s debut LP Origin.

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Video: PepeSoup “Pump Tire”

September 9, 2011 Leave a comment

Pumping tire is a punishment dished out to misbehaving Liberian kids which PepeSoup equate to “jumping up and down like kangaroo” ’til your parents think you’ve learned your lesson. In this track, Italian producer Cukiman and Liberian born Miss Annie deliver a bumping Afro-house ode to the disciplinary act. The accompanying clip features an array of candidate dance moves for the official ” the pump tire” tag. Moustapha Mbengue, who was featured in “PepeSoup Skank,” jumps in near the end to spit some Senegalese dopeness. Grab “Pump Tire” and other PepeSoup joints over at their imprint Soupu Music.

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Tracka De Day: Owiny Sigoma Band’s “Hera” (Sun Araw Remix)

August 22, 2011 Leave a comment



The original “Hera” is a tribal affair – full of folky Kenyan drumbeats and a chanted, repeating chorus – but when Sun Araw, the woozy one-man psychedelic outfit, gets on the Owiny Sigoma Band’s track for a remix, he transports it to outer space. Sun Araw said of the original and the remix, “inspiring rhythms, sort of just went voyaging on them.”  The inspiration seems mutual.  Jesse Hackett, who plays keys for Owiny Sigoma and the Gorillaz, talks about Sun Araw’s remix:

I was lucky to meet with Cameron (aka Sun Araw) last year and had an immediate musical connection. I had found his music online and immediately loved it. Its warm soulful tones, deep spiritual intensity, and amazing sound struck me straight away. When I met Cameron, I found he was a total music specialist, articulate, and open minded and very specific in his tastes. Sun Araw’s Beach Head EP was the soundtrack to my first visit to LA and I was lucky to go jam with him and some friends one evening. I love his music and it’s a great honor that he did a mix for our group. I hope to do more collaborations with him very soon.

Check it out right here:
Owiny Sigoma Band – “Hera” (Sun Araw Remix) by noraritchie

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