Mzansi Mondays #1

Happy Human Rights Day! Time to celebrate by expressing your right to listen to great local music. Mondays don't always have to be blue, they can be rainbow-coloured and groovy. And the Rainbow Nation can always provide a tasty techni-colourful selection of tunes, which leads us to Mzansi Mondays! Super kiff South African tunes to make Mondays go a little bit more nxa. Ek se.

Our Mzansi Mondays artist this week is Cape Town-based producer Maramza a.k.a Richard The Third. This guy is the man! A white guy who can make some of the coolest and most new age future kwaito beats. Maramza is inventing new genres that combine Mzansi-house, gqom and kwaito style influences with trap, bass and tech elements that retain a unique South African flavour. Chakalaka for your ears.

Please do yourself a favour and visit his Soundcloud page, where you can find plenty plenty original tracks and remixes of some of your favourite local hits. This generous witch doctor of beats provides us with so many exquisite sonic remedies, mahala even, so spread the love and show support. Preview some of his tracks below:











Listen to Maramza's latest EP, Low Magic, as well as some of his previous releases below:

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SHAYNE

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Thor Rixon - Fuk Bread

Holy smokes. This has to be one of the craziest music videos I've ever seen! That's dedication right there! Not only does Cape Town-based musician Thor Rixon want us to be healthy and change the world, he is also clearly very committed to his cause! This guy is like my new hero, how long was he growing that hair for? Yoh!  I wanna invite him over to my house for a sandwich. Oh wait...

Aside from a supremely epic music video, Fuk Bread itself is a brilliant funky little choon that contrasts between Rixon's mellow atmospheric socially conscious lyricism and cheeky eletronica dance breaks that allow for some sweet moves (as he demonstrates). After watching this video one usually lacks the words to express themselves immediately, but the message resonates doesn't it? Don't use the microwave. Use the oven instead!

Fuk Bread is the lead single from Thor Rixon's upcoming album, Songs From The Bath. Check him out on Soundcloud, as well as more kiff South African artists on the Naas music collective. And while we're talking about how kiff this guy his, check out this choon he produced for local Port Elizabeth MC, Push Push. This chick is mad dope, love her accent, authenticity, lyrical playfulness and attitude. She reminds me a bit of UK female MC Lady Sovereign, who has since faded into obscurity I think. Super duper fly, Jut Life is far from jut. Well, I don't like the chorus that much but besides that it's tasty mzansi flavour flave. Check out her Soundcloud page for more big tings!

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SHAYNE

Beauty & The Beats Vol. 1

Check out this awesome free compilation of super kiff and cool South African electronic sounds offered up by local label Drk&Lvly Records. Can you say "value for money"? How about value for no money! This excellent selection showcases some of the best sounds from Cape Town, Jozi and elsewhere in Mzansi, with talents such as Richard The Third a.k.a Maramza (check out his track Shambok, it skops hard), Phizisict, The Watermark High, Veranda Panda, Dank and more emerging local artists that will make you say "Yoh!". The beats contained herein range from super smooth chill-tronic to banging electronic trap and glitch to drum 'n bass, and this wide variety really showcases the talent that South Africa has to offer the world of electronica at the moment. And in true South African fashion, it's mahala! Thanks guys! Check it out:

Keep it kinky

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SHAYNE