Nyege Nyege Tapes announces retrospective of gqom group Phelimuncasi
The trio, which comprises vocalists Malathon and twins Makan Nana and Khera, formed in Durban, South Africa, in 2012 and began working with producers DJ MP3 and DJ Scoturn, two early innovators of the gqom genre. The label describes their sound as combining conversational-style vocals with obscure, brooding beats, saying that the music is inspired by a “storytelling tradition that harks back to Southern African toyi-toyi: a powerful dance of protest and struggle accompanied by rhythmic singing that was used during anti-apartheid demonstration to intimidate police and security forces.”
The nine-track Phelimuncasi: 2013—2019 catalogues music from across their career, from early tracks with DJ MP3 and DJ Scoturn to a set of four new cuts recorded with local producer Menzi during a joint residency at Nyege Studios in 2019.
Watch the video for “Private Party,” and check out the LP on Bandcamp.
Tracklist
01. Ngavele Ngagaxela prod. DJ Scoturn
02. Umahlalela prod. DJ Scoturn
03. Private Party prod. Menzi
04. South Beach eWHEE feat. 004 Da Artist, prod. DJ Scoturn
05. I Roof prod. Menzi
06. Sesi Gora prod. DJ MP3
07. GQOM Venus Cemetrary prod. Menzi
08. Umgido prod. Menzi
09. Ungabom Themba Umunutu prod. DJ Scoturn
Nyege Nyege Tapes will release Phelimuncasi: 2013—2019 on September 27th, 2020.
