Civilised Disobedience

Top 50 Albums of 2011

2012-01-12T16:25:00.001+02:00

1. Nicolas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise

2. The Weeknd - Thursday / House Of Balloons

3. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

4. Radiohead - The King Of Limbs

5. Kate Bush - 50 Words for Snow

6. Pursuit Grooves - Frantically Hopeful

7. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact

8. LV & Joshua Idehen - Routes

9. Gil Scott-Heron + Jamie xx - We're New Here

10. Little Dragon - Ritual Union

11. Clams Casino - Clams Casino Inst. Mixtape

12. Morphosis - What Have We Learned

13. Modeselektor - Monkeytown

14. SBTRKT - SBTRKT

15. James Blake - James Blake

16. Robag Wruhme - Thora Vukk

17. tUnE-yArDs - W H O K I L L

18. Andy Stott - Passed Me By

19. Bjork - Boiphilia

20. Art Department - The Drawing Board

21. Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi - Rome

22. Machinedrum - Room(s)

23. Zomby - Dedication (+ Nothing EP)

24. King Midas Sound - Without You

25. Hype Williams - One Nation

26. Martyn - Ghost People

27. Battles - Gloss Drop

28. Instra:Mental - Resolution 653

29. Sepalcure - Sepalcure

30. Shlohmo - Bad Vibes

31. The Caretaker - An Empty Bliss Beyond This World

32. The Roots - Undun

33. Matthew Herbert - One Pig

34. Tyler, The Creator - Goblin

35. Deniz Kurtel - Music Watching Over Me

36. FaltyDL - You Stand Uncertain

37. Eric Lau - Quadrivium

38. Guti - Patio de Juegos

39. Toro Y Moi - Underneath The Pine

40. Drake - Take Care

41. Emika - Emika

42. Kryptic Minds - Can't Sleep

43. Africa HiTech - 93 Million Miles

44. Culoe De Song - Elevation

45. Boxcutter - The Dissolve

46. Saul Williams - Volcanic Sunlight

47. L-Vis 1990 - Neon Dreams

48. Ricardo Villalobos & Max Loderbauer - Re ECM 1

49. Bombé & Mr. Caribbean - James-Drake Mixtape

50. Washed Out - Within and Without

Hitting Refresh

2011-08-11T21:19:00.001+02:00

DJ Dexterity (that's me) on Hit Refresh, 5 August 2010.

Includes tracks from Soul Clap, Spoek Mathambo, Solomun, Afefe Iku, Trickski, Benoit & Sergio and more...

Watch live streaming video from dontlookdown at livestream.com

C.9ine - Wonder

2011-06-01T19:43:00.000+02:00

See this now - See U Later...

8-Hour House Party Mix (via my year of mixtapes)

2011-05-10T16:25:00.000+02:00

Kate's New Cut

2011-04-04T22:29:00.008+02:00

Kate Bush releases are increasingly rare, so news of a new one is always welcome - especially after I bought Under The Ivy: The Story of Kate Bush last night and even if Director's Cut is a collection of reworked catalogue songs.

The first song to surface is a reworking of "Deeper Understanding", and whilst it's awash in Autotune, unsurprisingly she uses it rather cleverly to scramble lyrics about finding intimacy with her "friendly computer".

Stream it at Disco Naivete.

Dexterity Hits Refresh

2011-02-22T01:19:00.004+02:00

Check out my hour-and-a-half set for Friday (18 Feb) night's edition of the Hit Refresh TV show (on the Vuzu channel, DStv 123).

From future Afro-funk through to deeper (and deadlier) floor fare, the tracklist features C.9ine, Soul Clap, Hercules & Love Affair, Maya Jane Coles, Black Coffee, Jumping Back Slash, T. Williams, Jimpster and many more...

Watch live streaming video from dontlookdown at livestream.com

Top 50 Tracks of 2010

2011-01-01T22:46:00.006+02:00

You've gotta love the end-of-year list - or in this case, a "beginning-of-year" list of last year's most significant singles.

Here are the fifty "songs" (even the "tracks" here are more than just "funk-tional") that lit up my life and sparked my senses in 2010 (my Top 50 albums will be up soon).

1. Jamie Woon - Night Air

2. Balam Acab - See Birds (Moon)

3. Ramadanman - Tempest

4. The Roots - Radio Daze (ft. Blu, PORN, Dice Raw)

5. James Blake - CMYK

6. Tensnake - Coma Cat

7. Drake - Fireworks (Deadboy Re-Edit)

8. Nicolas Jaar - A Time For Us

9. Hackman - More Than Ever

10. Moody - It's 2 Late 4 U And Me

11. Four Tet - Sing

12. Erdbeerschnitzel - To An End

13. Toro Y Moi - Missya

14. LCD Soundsystem - Get Yrself Clean

15. Axel Boman - Purple Drank

16. Joy Orbison - BRKLN CLLN (Michna's Brooklyn Bridge Remix)

17. FaltyDL - All In The Place

18. C.9ine - Wonder (See U Later)

19. Floating Points - People's Potential

20. Sinden & SBTRKT - Kind of Familiar

21. Hype Williams - The Throning

22. OoOOo - Burnout Eyess

23. Pantha Du Prince - Stick To My Side

24. Birds & Souls - Birds & Souls

25. Jam City - Arpjam

26. Findling & Lihab - Stay Down

27. Gonjasufi - Ancestors

28. Kingdom - Seven Chirp

29. The Groovers - Chicken Noodle (Sad Ghost Remix)

30. Andre Lodemann - The Light

31. Mark E - Nobody Else

32. Jamie xx - Far Nearer

33. Caribou - Leave House (Motor City Drum Ensemble Remix)

34. Altered Natives - The Bitch

35. Pursuit Grooves - Pressure

36. Gonzales - I Am Europe (Claude VonStroke Take A Trip Mix)

37. Hot Chip ft. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - I Feel Bonnie (Club Version)

38. Egyptrixx - Drive U Crazy

39. T.Williams - Anthem

40. Teengirl Fantasy - Cheaters

41. TOKiMONSTA - Gamble

42. Becoming Real - Fast Motion

43. Pearson Sound - Blanked

44. Actress - Purrple Splazsh

45. Jimmy Edgar - Hot Raw Sex (Instra:Mental Mix)

46. Girl Unit - Wut

47. Spoek Mathambo - Mshini Wam (Canblaster Remix)

48. Jumping Back Slash - Kwaai Sneakers

49. DJ Roc - I Can't Let Go

50. Harvey presents Locussolus - Gunship

And to borrow a disclaimer from the radical Sonic Router: "This list is not definitive. Tomorrow it would most likely be different..."

Black, Strong...

2010-10-06T20:06:00.005+02:00

I’ve been fortunate enough to chat to a few of the planet's most influential house music practitioners in the past couple of days - Abicah Soul, Quentin Harris, Ralf Gum - and when I ask them about South African music, the first name on every one's lips is Black Coffee...

More on Coffee in my latest (and possibly last, for a while) post for Generation Bass.

Afro Beats From Outer Space

2010-09-20T23:08:00.002+02:00

The Pan African Space Station is a fascinating project currently happening in Cape Town. Inspired by Sun Ra’s aphorism, “There are other worlds out there they never told you about,” PASS is “a cross-cultural and cyber-spatial exploration bringing together diverse pan-African sounds, from ancient techno to future roots.”

This year’s programme includes amazing musos like Dr. Philip ‘Malombo’ Tabane, Thandiswa Mazwai and Camerounian drummer Brice Wassy, and a back-to-back DJ master class featuring Theo Parrish and Sowetan cutmaster Mbuso T.

Also emanating into the ethernet as part of the festival is an amazingly eclectic radio stream broadcast from Long Street. Get more info on the Shook site.

South African Music Goes "Boom"!

2010-09-04T19:01:00.004+02:00

From Shangaan Electro and Spoek Mathambo (that's him above on the cover of the latest Fader mag) through to DJs Mujava and Cleo being spun by UK bass heavyweights like Kode9, South African music is invading planet earth's dancefloors. Check my recent round-up on Generation Bass, and enjoy the below, out now on Kode9's Hyperdub label: a collaboration between the UK's LV and SA's Okmalumkoolkat (who looks suspiciously like Spoek Mathambo):

20 For The 2000s

2010-08-20T09:53:00.009+02:00

Up now on the Red Bull Studio ZA blog and SoundCloud, a mix put together with my mate and partner-in-rhythm, Offbeat under our Unsound System moniker, entitled '20 For The 2000s'. It features twenty of our fave, for-the-floor tunes from the first decade of the 21st Century. Here's the tracklist:

01. Junior Boys – Like A Child (Carl Craig Remix)

02. Justin Martin – The Sad Piano (Charles Webster Remix)

03. Metro Area – Miura

04. Loco Dice – El Gallo Negro

05. Justus Köhncke – Timecode

06. Kerrier District – Let's Dance And Freak

07. Akufen – Deck The House

08. Recloose – Cardiology (Isolée Mix)

09. The Juan MacLean – Happy House

10. Rodamaal – Insomnia (Âme Remix)

11. Luciano And Quenum – Orange Mistake

12. Matthew Dear – Dog Days

13. Radical Majik – Dub Rider

14. Laven And MSO (Featuring Malte) – Reach

15. Hot Chip – And I Was A Boy From School (Erol Alkan's Extended Re-Work)

16. Björk – Pagan Poetry (Ripperton Remix)

17. Metro Area – Orange Alert (DFA Remix)

18. Cobblestone Jazz – Dump Truck

19. Hercules And Love Affair – Blind (Frankie Knuckles Remix)

20. Baxendale – I Built This City (Michael Mayer Mix)

Also check out my weekly submissions to Generation Bass, including a recent post on the wildly-talented Mr Sakitumi here.

New Generation...

2010-04-29T00:05:00.007+02:00

This blog may end up on ice for a time while its author a) works to pay the bills and b) lends some insight on (and supplies free samples of) the most happening music in South Africa for brilliant Berlin-based blog Generation Bass. So look out for the best in local electronica, dagga-infused dubstep and deep house and miscellaneous grooves of every variety every Wednesday.

You can also read my bimonthly reviews of all sorts of interesting new sonics in online mag Chew - forthcoming are appraisals of new albums from LCD Soundsystem, Matthew Herbert, Caribou, Nosaj Thing and Erykah Badu.

See you on the other side...

Braamfontein Beat Pharmacy

2010-03-19T10:17:00.007+02:00

An event worthy of being the subject of this year's first post: presented by Kitchener's (Juta St. Braamfontein) and Broaden A New Sound, Brendon Moeller is a South African who's been making waves internationally with his dubby techno trips since the mid-90's, and he spins at Kitchener's this Saturday night (20 March) - get all the event details on Facebook here.

Recording using his own name and under the aliases Beat Pharmacy and Echologist, New York-based Moeller has released records on esteemed imprints like Francois K's Deep Space Media, Japan's Mule Musiq, Third Ear, Rekids, Eskimo and more, and has garnered support from underground icons like Hawtin and Garnier.

Employing a minimal sub-bass thump as a canvas, Moeller dabbles in - and daubs magically with - dub, jazz, Afrobeat and psychedelia, and has collaborated with a raft of great reggae vocalists to concoct singular sound pictures that echo in the mind and excite the muscles.

Make sure you catch a dub-wise DJ set from the first local lad to really make good in international dance music circles this Saturday, and check out an interview and DJ set from our man Moeller here.

Dexterity's Albums Of The Decade

2009-12-29T16:14:00.012+02:00

The only time I'm any good at making lists (or updating this blog) is year-end, when I get to reflect on the past 365 days in music. Because it's also the end of the decade it's also given me a great excuse to occupy time reflecting on ten year's worth of music.

So here's a list of what I thought were the greatest, the most significant or plainly the most leave-on-repeat records of the past decade. I haven't included DJ mixes (bar the one Charles Webster, which is the best summation of this super producer's output under various aliases), or reissues of any music released pre-1990 (bar the Koos, which was unavailable on CD or vinyl for way too long - and because the noises this SA band banged out still sound vital - plus a few other noughties-released 'best of' collections of vital artists like Carl Craig and Aaliyah).

As always I reserve the right to make additions and corrections at any time... Enjoy.

1. Bjork - Vespertine
2. Felix Laband - Dark Days Exit
3. Isolee - We Are Monster
4. PJ Harvey - Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
5. Matthew Herbert - Bodily Functions
6. Burial - Burial
7. Phoenix - Alphabetical
8. MIA - Arular
9. Metro Area - Metro Area
10. Common - Like Water For Chocolate
11. LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
12. Kate Bush - Aerial
13. Hot Chip - Coming On Strong
14. Junior Boys - Last Exit
15. Radiohead - Amnesiac
16. Hercules & Love Affair - Hercules & Love Affair
17. Yeah Yeah Yeah's - Fever To Tell
18. The xx - The xx
19. Grace Jones - Hurricane
20. The Roots - Phrenology

A few others well worth listening to:

69 - The Legendary Adventures Of A Filter King
Aaliyah - I Care 4 U
Akufen - My Way
Aphex Twin - 26 Mixes For Cash
Apparat - Walls
Arcade Fire - Funeral
The Avalanches - Since I Left You
Erykah Badu - Worldwide Underground
Erykah Badu - New Ameryykah: Part One (4th World War)
Basement Jaxx - Rooty
Benga - Diary Of An Afro-Warrior
Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow
Boards Of Canada - Geogaddi
The Books - Thought For Food
The Books - The Lemon Of Pink
Brooks - You, Me & Us
The Bug - London Zoo
Bullion - Pet Sounds: In The Key Of Dee
Burial - Untrue
Cobblestone Jazz - 23 Seconds
Common - Electric Circus
Chromatics - Night Drive
Circlesquare - Songs About Dancing And Drugs
Carl Craig & Moritz von Oswald - ReComposed
Dangermouse - The Grey Album
Matthew Dear - Asa Breed
DJ/rupture - Special Gunpowder
DJ Harvey - Black Cock Edits
DJ Koze - Reincarnations: The Remix Chapter 2001 - 2009
Dusk & Blackdown - Margins Music
Missy Elliott - Miss E: So Addictive
Fennesz - Endless Summer
The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
Fink - Biscuits For Breakfast
Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
Forss - Soulhack
Four Tet - Rounds
Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dympha
Jose Gonzalez - Veneer
Gorillaz - Gorillaz
Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts - Face L'Est
PJ Harvey - Uh Huh Her
Richie Hawtin - DE9
Hot Chip - The Warning
Hot Chip - Made In The Dark
Hudson Mohawke - Polyfolk Dance
Hudson Mohawke - Butter
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
Isolee - Rest
Jay-Z - The Blueprint
Jay Dee - J Dilla Remixes
Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye
Junior Boys - Begone Dull Care
Jamie Lidell - Multiply
Jamie Lidell - Jim
Kerrier District - Kerrier District
Kid Koala - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
The Knife - Silent Shout
Kode9 & The Spaceape - Memories Of The Future
Koos - The Black Tape
Felix Laband - Thin Shoes In June
Felix Laband - 4/4 Down The Stairs
Neil Landstrumm - Lord For £39
LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver
Losoul - Belong
Luciano - Tribute To The Sun
Lukid - Foma
Luomo - Vocalcity
Luomo - Convivial
Massive Attack - 100th Window
Masters At Work - Strictly MAW
The Matthew Herbert Big Band - Goodbye Swingtime
MIA - Kala
MIA vs Diplo - Piracy Funds Terrorism
Milanese - Lockout
Mocky - Saskamodie
Moderat - Moderat
Morgan Geist - Double Night Time
Mos Def - The Ecstatic
Mr. Scruff - Keep It Unreal
Murcof - Martes
My My - Songs For The Gentle
NERD - In Search Of...
Omar-S - FXHE Collected
Outkast - Stankonia
Erlend Oye - DJ Kicks
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Kelley Polar - I Need You To Hold On While The Sky Is Falling
Pole - 3
Portishead - Third
Prefuse 73 - Vocal Studies & Uprock Narratives
Q-Tip - The Renaissance
Radiohead - Kid A
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Radiohead - Hail To The Thief
The Rapture - Echoes
The Real Estate Agents - Marcus Wormstorm & Sibot Are...
The Roots - The Tipping Point
Roots Manuva - Run Come Save Me
Royksopp - Melody AM
Sade - Lovers Rock
Henrik Schwarz - Live
Shed - Shedding The Past
Dani Siciliano - Likes...
The Soft Pink Truth - Do You Party?
Spank Rock - YoYoYoYoYo
Super_Collider - Head On
Swayzak - Dirty Dancing
David Sylvian - Blemish
John Tejada - Logic Memory Centre
Jimi Tenor - Out Of Nowhere
Terranova - Hitchhiking Nonstop With No Particular Destination
Justin Timberlake - Justified
Trentemoller - The Last Resort
Tricky - Knowle West Boy
Trus'Me - Working Nights
TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Villalobos - Alcachofa
Wagon Christ - Musipal
Charles Webster - Born On The 24th Of July
Charles Webster - Defected presents...
Kanye West - The College Dropout
Paul Weller - 22 Dreams
Saul Williams - Saul Williams
Yeah Yeah Yeah's - It's Blitz!
Zomby - Where Were You In '92?

Well Red

2009-12-29T15:57:00.005+02:00

In the Red Issue of super Chew Magazine, now out, yours truly weighs in on albums by The xx, Dear Reader, Basement Jaxx, ProVerb, Bride Reunion and Hudson Mohawke.

Well worth a look...

Mujava Gets MOBO Nomination

2009-10-09T17:21:00.005+02:00

South African house music hero DJ Mujava was recently nominated for a Music Of Black Origin (MOBO) Award.

The annual ceremony took place in Glasgow on 30 September and while the Tshwane-reared Mujava - real name Elvis Maswanganyi - didn't win in the Best African category, he was up against some class opposition: fellow South African Lira, Mali's Oumou Sangare and Salif Keita, and Nigeria's Eldee, and Nneka, who took the award.

The recognition follows the massive splash Mujava made last year with the track 'Township Funk' (featured on Civilised Disobedience here). After that 8-bit instrumental kwaito jam was 'discovered' on YouTube, it was licensed to Warp Records in the UK and became one of THE dance anthems of 2008. It was also remixed by electronic dons like Ashley Beedle, Mark Pritchard and Matias Aguayo.

From the township streets to the top of the beat pile.

On Song

2009-09-21T16:20:00.004+02:00

From Durban and still just a teenager, Culoe De Song is taking genuine Afro-house out of the local taverns and onto the planet’s dancefloors.

After impressing as SA’s representative at 2008’s Red Bull Music Academy, Culolethu Zulu - as he’s known to the authorities stamping an increasingly busy passport: trips to Sonar in Spain and DJing jaunts in Italy, Germany, Belgium and Holland among them - caught the attention of some of the world’s most renowned house music operations.

Esteemed electronic music hub Resident Advisor invited him to contribute to their renowned weekly Podcast series, as did beat-portal Bodytonic. Then the German label helmed by Âme, Innervisions, released his brilliant ‘The Bright Forest / African Subway’ on 12”, and the A-side made its way into the sets of the international house cognoscenti.

The latest development in the Black Coffee protégé’s burgeoning career comes via MIO: he’s due to release an EP on Japan’s Mule Musiq, titled ‘The Fallen Shiren’, on September 28. This radical label has previously released breathtaking beats from fellow South African Brendan Moeller (aka Beat Pharmacy), DJ Sprinkles (aka Terre Thaemlitz), Isolee and Minilogue.
Eighteen-years old and already all-conquering, the sun’s certainly shining brightly for Culoe De Song.

Chew On This

2009-08-20T18:52:00.004+02:00

Dexterity reviews Circlesquare, Mocky, Fink, N.A.S.A., Milanese and Bodycode - the latter two the work of, or featuring, South Africans - in the Futuristic issue of good-looking online publication Chew Magazine.

Another Experiment

2009-07-01T14:36:00.003+02:00

Jo'burg's most exciting new (and second oldest) venue, Kitchener's Carvery Bar, hosts three of the most respected, experienced and generally just kick-ass DJ's in the city - including yours truly - this Friday night (3 July).

Joining Dexterity (who's on at half-past midnight) are Kid Fonque and Ben Montressor. More info here.

Entry is free before 10pm and R30 after.

Shrine On, Or Over?

2009-06-13T05:15:00.015+02:00

Disturbing news disseminated by Nikki Lucas, who hosts the excellent Future Fusion Global Warning show on various platforms. It's particularly concerning news for me, as I'm in Nigeria on business at the moment and want nothing more than to make it to Afrobeat's Mecca, the New Afrika Shrine...

Lucas writes:

"Throughout Africa today there are many western-style theatres, mainly built by the Chinese, Africa’s latest colonizers-in-waiting. But only rarely are they administered and operated as cultural centres, open and accessible to anyone other than the bourgeois minority in their SUV’s and Mercedes limos. A notable exception to this rule existed in Lagos Nigeria until last week, that is, when it was forcibly closed by the authorities giving less than 24 hours notice and claiming “noise nuisance, illegal street trading, indiscriminate parking, blocking of access roads and obstruction of traffic” as their justification.

The New Afrika Shrine was built and operated by Femi and Yeni Anikulapo Kuti, the eldest son and daughter of cultural icon, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, who built the original Shrine in the seventies, which endured until shortly after his death in 1997 when it, too, was forcibly closed by the Nigerian authorities. Both the old and new Shrines were much more than just music venues. They were a refuge for the homeless and dispossessed, acted as a focal point for dissent and were consequently a thorn in the flesh of the ruling elite. Fela used the stage to launch eloquently savage diatribes against the corruption and mismanagement that was rife in Nigeria, one of the world’s leading oil producing countries, and was a hero to millions for the biting, non-compromising social commentary contained within his lyrics.

In the seventies and eighties people flocked to the Shrine to hear Fela’s latest harangue of the country’s leaders and marvel at the powerful music and spectacle produced by his singers, dancers and musicians. Millions, not just in Nigeria but across the African continent, bought his albums and his tours in Europe and America attracted huge audiences.

Fela paid the price for his brutally frank and widely publicized condemnations of the government and his fierce defense of human rights by being constantly harassed, arrested (more than 200 times) and often savagely beaten, none of which ever diminished the continuing force of his attacks.

Following his death and the forced closure of his beloved Shrine, Femi and Yeni resolved to re-build an even bigger venue on a nearby site and used their share of income from the global sale of Fela’s albums with which to do so. They were determined to maintain their Father’s legacy and considered the heritage of shelter, support and advocacy as being the most valuable contributions they could make towards the development and creation of a united and democratic African republic.

Against all the odds, and despite constant harassment from the authorities, they have successfully continued to the Shrine open for almost a decade and have developed a large and faithful following, as well as providing an effective refuge for disaffected youth and the dissemination of preventive information in defense against the Aids pandemic. Femi and his band, The Positive Force, have graced the stage and kept alive the spirit of dissent and social commentary as the backbone of his work. He and Yeni have acted as host to the ever-increasing number of world-renowned artists who have made the pilgrimage to the Shrine and participated in the Felabrations which take place each year on the anniversary of Fela’s birthday. Despite the global recognition of the Kuti family (a musical about Fela is about open on Broadway and a Hollywood film is being made of Fela’s life and work) and their work as three generations of social reformers, the authorities have maintained their opposition and have taken every opportunity to obstruct the continued operation of The Shrine. This has included countless raids, often in the middle of the night, including beatings and harassment of the many homeless youth who seek shelter there, now once again exposed to the elements.

Now, of course, The Shrine is closed, according to the authorities, permanently. However, after making this pronouncement in writing just a few days ago, they have this morning stated that it may re-open tomorrow. This can, alas, not be viewed as any kind of victory. On the contrary, that a ‘permanent’ closure can be turned around in less than a week only shows that their decision-making process is completely arbitrary. This cat and mouse game, which has been going on for almost four decades must come to an end. When Fela died, the upper echelons of Nigerian government sent letters to the family that were not simply expressions of condolence but were eloquent testimonials to a great man. The present authorities must finally admit that Fela Anikulapo Kuti is Nigeria’s best loved son and accept the earnest request made by the Executors of Fela’s Estate, Yeni, Femi and Kunle Anikulapo Kuti, to:

1. Once and for all end hostilities and harassment.

2. Permanently re-open the Shrine

3. Create the necessary decree to establish and maintain The New Afrika Shrine as a National Heritage Site in recognition of the invaluable contribution made by the Kuti family to the cultural life of the nation.

To assist this process and make clear to the Nigerian authorities that the Kutis, for almost a century have enjoyed the respect and admiration of not just Nigerians or even Africans, but people of conscience around the world, please add your signature to the petition in support of this proposal, to be forwarded to the Governor of Lagos and to Nigeria’s Minister of Justice."

So please do us all - and Fela-obsessed me, in particular! - a favour by signing the petition here. [Update - this link appeared to be down when I posted this originally, and I now believe from contacts here that The Shrine is indeed still open. But sign the petition anyway: Nigerian authorities are a law unto themselves.]

And in case you're unclear about why I'm so eager to get to The Shrine (I spent a Friday afternoon there last year but couldn't make it back for the real deal), the house band it Femi Kuti's Positive Force, and you can grab a taste of the Kuti Jnr.'s melancholy Afrobeat amazingness over at the excellent RCRD LBL, where 'Eh-Oh' is available, gratis.

Energy + Thing = Everything

2009-06-02T23:35:00.007+02:00

It's South Africa's sexiest and slickest online mag by a long way. It's called Chew and issue 6 is out now and available for download here.

In between all the immaculate design, there are some stunning fashion shoots (well, Emily Freeman is just stunning, while Chris Saunders' township shoot is out of this world), as well as features on dirty disco rockers The Beams and the brilliant, world-conquering Blk Jks.

If you aren't sold yet, check out my reviews of albums by PJ Harvey, Phoenix, DJ Koze, Bloc Party & Grace Jones on page 90...

A Dex-periment

2009-05-13T13:50:00.005+02:00

Jozi residents should come on down to - and get down at - Kitchener's Carvery Bar in Braamfontein on Friday night where I'll be deejaying in tandem with Offbeat.

Not only will we be dropping beats of the most deliciously dexterous order (from disco and techno to tech house and 'stepno') but the This Is An Experiment soiree happens in what is apparently Johannesburg's second oldest pub (after The Radium).

Also on the DJ bill are Data Takashi, Sound Sensible, andrw and Yoji, and the door charge is equivalent to a pack of cigs. Smokin'...

Bjork Or Kate Bush?

2009-04-26T12:41:00.003+02:00

Bat For Lashes shamelessly flaunts her influences on Later With Jools Holland.

Beat Frequencies

2009-04-15T10:04:00.003+02:00

Get down heads up: the keyed-in crew at Locksmith Beats Radio have featured one of my sets in their latest Podcast, so head on over and subscribe to their beat stream.

You can also catch me on Beatsradio.net on Tuesdays at 22:00 and Thursdays at 20:00.

The tracklist for Locksmith #007 is:

1. Friendly Fires - Paris (Aeroplane Remix)
2. Stimming - Una Pena
3. Force Of Nature - Sequencer (Stefan Goldmann Remix)
4. Daso - Meine (Lucio Aquilina Mix)
5. Mark E - R&B Drunkie
6. Worthy - Crack-El (Justin Martin Remix)
7. Justin Martin - My Angelic Demons
8. Kid Cudi - Day N Nite (Crookers Remix)
9. Hot Chip - Touch Too Much (Fake Blood Remix)
10. Kraak & Smaak ft. Ben Westbeech - Squeeze Me (Trevor Loveys Remix)
11. Sei A - Smile For Me (Chaim Remix)
12. Cari Lekebusch - Shaded (Compuphonik & Kolombo Remix)

Pulp Rhythms

2009-04-07T08:57:00.013+02:00

Whatever happened to drum 'n' bass?

Earlier in the new millennium it was all anyone remotely interested in dance music could speak about, and double bass-driven rhythmic exploits from the likes of Roni Size's Reprazent scooped critical acclaim and awards including the coveted Mercury Prize. Then the minimal and mechanical techstep animals of Ed Rush, Andy C and co. took over the farm and ruined all the fun...

I have acquaintances who still think the form is alive and kickin' and it still sells by the truckload in the UK, but every time I've been on a drum 'n' bass floor in past six or seven years, I've been bored beyond belief.

The one exception was when Hospital Records' Tony Colman (aka London Elektricity) played a storming set, high in melodic hijinx and variety, to a near empty club in Johannesburg in 2003. That a DJ who exemplifies how wide-ranging, colourful and complex drum 'n' bass can be was ignored by the so-called 'heads' spoke volumes. I haven't bought a drum 'n' bass track since.

But I still love listening to the often magical rhythmic escapades that were ubiquitous when drum 'n' bass at its peak - "Brown Paper Bag", "Pulp Fiction", London Elektricity's 'Pull The Plug' album - and when I received a request recently for soundtrack-ready music that was Tarantino-esque, sleek and swift, I realised how cinematic, soulful and noir a lot of the best drum 'n' bass is.

I sent these classics on and thought I'd share them here too - if anyone can recommend newer drum 'n' bass that's anywhere near as compelling, please post them in the comments section.

Alex Reece - Pulp Fiction
EZ Rollers - Walk This Land (Vinyl rip)
London Elektricity - Pull The Plug
Roni Size - Hi-Potent

Get Simon Reynolds' thoughts on jungle and drum 'n' bass and how they figure in his 'hardcore continuum' - as well as their relationship with garage, grime, dubstep and funky - in a long but revealing talk hosted by FACT in association with the Wire Magazine HERE.

Songs In The Key Of Life

2009-04-02T11:07:00.007+02:00

"Don't you ever wonder how the hell does Stevie Wonder see things?" - Hot Chip, "Keep Fallin'"

OK, the man may make a few too many appearances in inappropriate places (most notably lately: on stage at the Grammys with Jonas Brothers), but there's no denying that pop music would not be anywhere near where it is without the efforts of one Stevland Hardaway Judkins, aka Stevie Wonder.

Lately I've had plenty cause to dive deep into into his twinkling well of righteously original tunes, having been booked to DJ at an 80s-themed birthday party as well as at a shop launch where the brief is disco. Stevie works er, wonders in both contexts.

Prepping for these events over the past weekend, I dropped the needle onto my vinyl copies of 'Songs In The Key Of Life' and 'Hotter Than July', and bathed my soul in the glorious heart-tug of tracks like "Master Blaster (Jammin')", "Sir Duke" and "All I Do". I highly recommend this to everyone on a Saturday afternoon.

Having won an incredible 22 Grammy Awards (the most ever by a solo artist), one might expect this legend to just slink off into the shadows, but he's still relatively busy and has collaborated with far cooler cats than Jonas Brothers in recent years.

In 2006 he hooked up with British soul singer Omar on the 'Sing (If You Want It)' album, and their "I'm Feeling You" recently turned up remixed by Henrik Schwarz. If I wasn't convinced already that German producer Schwarz makes the most golden dance music on the face of the earth, I'm beyond sold after listening to this reworking.

Enjoy a Stevie classic and what for me is, by far and away, the song of the year so far...

Stevie Wonder - All I Do
Omar ft. Stevie Wonder - I'm Feeling You (Henrik Schwarz Remix) [Excerpt]

The Art Of Noise

2009-03-25T10:27:00.003+02:00

The brilliant Saul Williams posted a bunch of Youtube links from his Twitter yesterday, including songs by Sade, Miles Davis, Gary Numan and Loose Joints. All were awesome, but the one that resonated to the point of getting me to post was this beyond lovely Art Of Noise tune.

Assembled in Trevor Horn's ZTT hit factory, "Moments In Love" has been a fave of mine for a while (and recently became one for Diplo too) and along with a lot of AON's catalogue, it's been the unwilling subject of some of my early production efforts (file somewhere between re-edits and unlistenable, going-nowhere, loop experiments).

Nonetheless I tried a far simpler thing with the 'Daft Slow' version of the tune in order to slot its beauty into DJ sets: sped it up (whilst keeping the pitch the same).

Also well worth downloading is the surprisingly restrained Caspa remix (which you'll find over at These Rocks Pop), which basically tacks a dubstep drum rhythm underneath the original, proving how far ahead of the curve Horn and company were.

The Art Of Noise - Moments In Love (Dexterity's Daft Faster Version)

"We've Gotta Keep on Keepin' On"

2009-03-23T20:56:00.005+02:00

"House music will never die..."
- Kerri Chandler in Johannesburg, 21-03-2009

Mr. Lawrence

2009-03-17T12:26:00.008+02:00

I ended up in serious gridlock this morning, but listening to the instrumental version of the very first piece of music I posted on this blog - the theme from the only film David Bowie is in that's actually worth watching (please correct me if I'm wrong), 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence' - certainly eased the tension.

Serendipitously, the first thing I listened to when I got to my desk was by German alt-techno producer Lawrence: a new EP out on Ghostly International's sister label Spectral. And whilst it's nowhere near as dramatic as Sakamoto's massive string-steeped sweeps (Lawrence specialises in subtle and understated electronics), 'Anna Forever' elicited a similar goosebumps-all-over moment. Deeeeeeply enjoyable...

Lawrence - 'Anna Forever ' (MediaFire)

What We're Gonna Do Right Here Is Go Back...

2009-03-12T11:09:00.009+02:00

Way back. Well, not really: to 2007 with a little mix and put together for a rather large radio station...

DJ Dexterity's half-hour excursion features Phoenix, Prince, Ark, Hot Chip, Henrik Schwarz, Depeche Mode and Booka Shade and was designed to be eclectic but accessible, move-worthy and headphone-ready - I hope you like it.

Imma really gonna try keep this blog better tended to but it's difficult when Twitter's so much easier!

Mediafire Link (30Min, 30Mb)

Taking CTRL

2009-02-10T14:38:00.003+02:00

Another night of outerdimensional sonic transmissions at Hotel Sunningdales under the command of the Loud Clear Collective...

Taking control of the crowd, selectors Chris Keys and Dexterity hook up with the city's most versatile supplier of avant sound, Kid Fonque; together they'll steer the soundtrack through an array of beats: from disjointed to disco, midtempo to techno, sub bass-heavy to house.

This super audio assault will be complimented by a souped-up sound-rig and Sunningdales' improved interior. An unmatched underground congregation that's ecstasy on the senses and easy on the pocket.

Are you feeling lucky?

FWD (Fast)

2009-01-20T15:05:00.004+02:00

This Friday (23 Jan) in Johannesburg: a one-off night showcasing choice finds from the outskirts of the dance music universe, immaculately mixed up by DJs Chris Keys, James (aka Robot Boy), Offbeat and Dexterity.

Playlists will accommodate house, techno, disco, dubstep and other dancefloor oddities that defy description - basically beats you're not going to hear anywhere else.

Open-minded partygoers should apply at Hotel Sunningdales (88 Corlett Drive, Birnam) on Friday 23 Jan - door charge is a paltry, credit crunch-conscious R20.

DJ Dexterity’s Favourite Albums of 2008

2009-01-14T22:06:00.018+02:00

It's been interesting how much consensus there’s been on year-end best music lists. A handful of albums have been cropping up consistently across the blogosphere and on sites like Pitchfork: Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Cut Copy, Kings of Leon and the album in my top spot seemingly rubbed many people the right way in 2008. But barring Hercules And Love Affair's self-titled debut - a remarkable transposition of disco tropes into modern shapes that transformed Antony Hegarty into a torch singer every bit as worthy as Marc Almond or Chaka Khan - I thought these touted albums were effective (and affective) rather than radical.

In 2008, I located listening joy in the retro-future flights of fancy taken by Erykah Badu, Raphael Saadiq and Jamie Lidell; in the body-punching drums and sparkling rhymes of Q-Tip (as well as the wheezier and sleazier but highly questionable slant supplied by Lil Wayne); in brilliance from Bristol: the highly-anticipated returns - and returns to dirty, dazzling heights - of Portishead and Tricky; in acts like Foals, Vampire Weekend and Esau Mwamwaya, who turned their attention to Africa and found fresh avenues for alternative music here; in subsonic explorers like Benga, Zomby and Flying Lotus, who ensured that 'bass' music (which has been somewhat annoyingly broken up into a multitude of mini-genres, like dubstep, grime, wonky and aquacrunk) still does damage to dancers’ internal organs; in the strange and unlikely 'pop' music that Gang Gang Dance and Nôze stumbled across; in the audacious bootlegging of Pocketknife and Cousin Cole, who managed to make main floor fodder out of rock and folk oldies like Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen…

It wasn't a great year for electronic/dance albums (it rarely is), but promising emissions - 'wonky' ways forward, if you'll forgive the totally unnecessary use of this year's most shockingly-named genre - emerged from the aforementioned sub-bass operators, and I suspect that the likes of Joker, Headhunter, Rustie, TRG etc. will pull off similar feats in 2009.

There are some also-rans (or nearly theres) that deserve a mention: '808s & Heartbreak', a solid, slightly different issue from Kanye West that might have made the list had T-Pain not already smashed the Autotune to within an inch of its life; the psychedelic kiss that was MGMT's 'Oracular Spectacular', which was officially released in 2007; the so so clever and super-cheeky, but often cheesily cloying, Girl Talk album; Beck's 'Modern Guilt', which was just too flimsy and flyweight in places; and the head-spinning 'Dear Painter, Paint Me' from M_Nus man Heartthrob, which was a little too specialised (but had some of the most exciting moments of any album from last year). Add to these decent but not-too-daring records from Jay Haze, Bauhaus, Bloc Party and Osborne. And as always, because of the daunting mass of music released, I didn't/couldn't get around to listening to records from The Roots, Roots Manuva, Matthew Herbert, Neil Landstrumm, Morgan Geist, Mr. Scruff and Shed.

Here though are 25 albums that I did get around to listening to (most more than once!) and that I thought most effectively grasped the sonic possibilities available in 2008; albums that had my pleasure centres and synapses (and often limbs too) operating overtime…

25. Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III
24. Esau Mwamawaya & Radioclit – The Very Best
23. The Bug - London Zoo
22. Nôze - Songs On The Rocks
21. Hot Chip - Made In The Dark
20. TV On The Radio - Dear Science
19. AmpLive - Rainydayz
18. Radiohead - The Best Of
17. Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
16. Loco Dice - 7 Dunham Place
15. Theo Parrish – Sound Sculptures
14. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
13. Zomby – Where Were U In '92?
12. Foals - Antidotes
11. Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It
10. Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna
9. Q-Tip - The Renaissance
8. Benga – Diary Of An Afro-Warrior
7. Pocketknife & Cousin Cole - Tambourine Dream
6. Prosumer & Murat Tepeli – Serenity
5. Tricky - Knowle West Boy
4. Jamie Lidell - Jim
3. Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Part One: 4th World War
2. Portishead – Third
1. Hercules & Love Affair – Hercules & Love Affair

Hercules & Love Affair - Blind (Frankie Knuckles Dub)
(not on the album - buy it!)

Top House & Techno Tracks of 2008

2009-01-09T17:34:00.006+02:00

Another list for the mass of year-end (or beginning, as the case may be) lists, but I feel I've got to post something (plus I got Friday afternoon off work)...

This may be followed by a list of tunes I liked last year that weren't house or techno, and maybe even a Best Albums list... But don't hold your breath.

These tracks made me excited to still be deejaying in 2008 - a big thanks to Tim Sweeney for opening my ears to the epic in top spot. See if you can spot me in the pic, which was taken at his gig at Carfax last May - for my money (and alongside ?uestlove in the same venue), the party of last year.

But that's a whole other list...

50. Invisible Conga People - Cable Dazed
49. Photonz - Trembler (Discodeine Remix)
48. Syclops - Monkey Puss
47. Trickski - Move Me (Phonique Remix)
46. Henrik Schwarz & Amampondo - I Exist Because Of You (Live Mix)
45. Mlle Caro - Dead Souls (Radio Slave Remix)
44. Booka Shade - Planetary
43. Joris Voorn - The Deep (Jimpster Remix)
42. John Tejada - Torque
41. Prosumer & Murat Tepeli - Turn Around
40. Arto Mwambe - Une Seule Nuit (Mix De Danse)
39. Hot Chip - Hold On (Ewan Pearson Remix)
38. Fields - Song For The Fields (Ewan Pearson Remix)
37. Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit - Wena
36. Falko Brocksieper - Lament
35. Sunburst Band - Journey To the Sun (Dennis Ferrer Remix)
34. Yazoo - Situation [Hercules and Love Affair Remix]
33. Friendly Fires ft Au Revoir Simone - Paris (Aeroplane Remix)
32. DJ Koze - I Want To Sleep
31. Marco Bailey & Tom Hades - Saint Paul [Gregor Tresher Remix]
30. Turntablerocker - All Night (Original)
29. Force Of Nature - Sequencer [Stefan Goldmann Remix]
28. Ben Mono - Jesus Was a B-Boy (Shir Khan Remix)
27. Fan Death - Veronica's Veil [Erol Alkan's Extended Rework]
26. Kuniyuki - All These Things (Theo Parrish Remix Dub)
25. Simon Baker - Plastik (Todd Terje Turkatech Mix)
24. The Laughing Light Of Plenty - The Rose
23. Noze - Ethiopo
22. Radiohead - Videotape (Man Make Remix)
21. Culoe De Song - Bright Forest
20. Mike Dunn presents The MD X-Spress - Na Na Na (I Walk With God) [Mike Dunn Main Vocal Mix]
19. Afefe Iku - Mirror Dance
18. Morgan Geist - Detroit [c2RMX1 by Carl Craig]
17. Loco Dice - Pimp Jackson Is Talkin' Now
16. Matias Aguayo - Minimal (Markus Rossknecht Remix)
15. Foals - Olympic Airways (Ewan Pearson's Return To The Villa of Joy Remix)
14. Sis - Nesrib
13. Ben Watt - Guinea Pig (Vocal Variation Mix feat. Julia Biel)
12. Ane Brun - Headphone Silence (Henrik Schwarz Remix)
11. Jazzanova - Let Me Show Ya (Henrik Schwarz Remix)
10. Primal Scream - Uptown (Weatherall's Long After The Disco Is Over Remix 2)
9. Mark E - Slave 1
8. Lovelock - Don't Turn Away (From My Love)
7. dOP - Just A Man
6. Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts - Chilly Willy
5. NUfrequency ft. Shara Nelson - Go That Deep (Charles Webster Acid Version)
4. Panthers – Goblin City (Holy Ghost Extended Disco Dub)
3. Hot Chip - Hold On (Mock & Toof Remix)
2. Hercules And Love Affair - Blind (Frankie Knuckles Remix)
1. The Juan Maclean - Happy House

The Juan Maclean - Happy House (Trim The Fat Jeans Edit)
(this version crams all the high points into half the time, but isn't nearly as hypnotically thrilling as the original - which you should go buy!)

Here Comes The Sun

2008-10-01T14:22:00.005+02:00

The nearly never-got-there post...

And it's a short one - the lush house grooves attached are deep and long though.

Cape Town's Pierre-Estienne is not only one of the coolest people on the planet, but he's a damn fine DJ too and currently my favourite back-to-back collaborator - especially when we do 80's-heavy wedding sets!

We recently dropped two-hours of sun-kissed, mid-afternoon house bliss at the Awake Festival in Rustlers Valley, which is undoubtedly one of the best festival experiences around.

In this one-on-one, two-part showdown you'll hear the likes of FK, Still Going, Herbert, Hercules & Love Affair, Liquid People, Charles Webster, Daniel Wang, Black Cock and plenty more.

I hope you like it - and I hope it was worth the wait!

Pierre-Estienne & DJ Dexterity - At Awake, Rustlers 2008 (Pt. 1)
[MediaFire: 86Mb]

Pierre-Estienne & DJ Dexterity - At Awake, Rustlers 2008 (Pt. 2)
[MediaFire: 76Mb]

Angels Are Playing With My Heart

2008-08-04T14:45:00.031+02:00

Something special for a blue-tiful Monday...

"And I wept both night and day,

And he wip'd my tears away,

And I wept both day and night,

And hid from him my heart's delight."

- William Blake, 'The Angel'

I've recently realised that a large percentage of the songs that turn me on are about angels... Kate Bush's The Red Shoes LP has a permanent place within arms-length of my turntable, and I often listen to "Lily" (really loud) before heading off to work. If this track - which stars angels Raphael, Uriel, Michael and more - doesn't get you through the day, nothing will...

"Gabriel before me,
Raphael behind me,

Michael to my right,

Uriel on my left side

In the circle of fire."

- Kate Bush, 'Lily'

Last week I compiled a playlist for the launch of the awesome new Love Jozi T-shirt range and in the process rediscovered Lamb's "Gabriel", which was a fittingly heavenly accompaniment to the fabulous Ts and fantastic wallpaper. Probably the zenith of Lamb's should-have-been-more-illustrious career, it has been on repeat ever since.

"I can fly

But I want his wings,

I can shine even in the darkness
But I crave the light that he brings,
Revel in the songs that he sings:
My angel Gabriel."

- Lamb - 'Gabriel'

"Gabriel" also got me thinking about angelic conversations and holy connections - and then searching for angel-related records. After ditching Abba's "Angel Eyes" and some dubious business from the likes of Wang Chung, I was left with a selection of ten more-than-decent ditties with celestial overtones. And because I wanna give you devotion, I thought I'd share them all with you...

The Angel-ise folder available for download below contains acts whose divine output might best be described as "art pop": the aforementioned Kate Bush, Cocteau Twins, CocoRosie, Roxy Music, Massive Attack, St. Etienne...

It also features a pretty out-there collaboration between the late Jeff Buckley and Nymphs' vocalist Inger Lorre (from the Kicks Joy Darkness album, a tribute to Beat poet Jack Kerouac), and an easier-gliding collaboration between ace South African emcee Zubz and vocalist Ziza, who's the singer in Suplex (see the last post below).

DJ Dexterity - Angel-ise Playlist [61 Mbs]:

CocoRosie - Terrible Angels

Cocteau Twins - Oil Of Angels

Four Tet - My Angel Rocks Back and Forth

Inger Lorre & Jeff Buckley - Angel Mine

Kate Bush - Lily

Lamb - Gabriel

Massive Attack - Angel

Roxy Music - Angel Eyes

St. Etienne - Angel (Broadcast Remix)

Zubz ft. Ziza - Remember, Drunken Angels Don't Sing

DJ Dexterity's Angel-ise Playlist

*Tip: Use WinZip or WinRAR to unzip this little taste of heaven.

Super Perplex

2008-07-26T09:15:00.011+02:00

Anyone in or near Jozi next weekend should check out the Social Security party at the awesome Alexander Theatre. Kid Fonque will be dropping two hours of dubstep downstairs while Offbeat and Dexterity (that's me) will pick up the slack and drop beats of various persuasions on the main floor upstairs.
A special addition to the line-up for the third in this super-cool series of parties is a performance from "tone contortionists" Suplex: prodigiously talented Ziza on vox with Offbeat and Dexterity dropping the beats.

Get a taste of what's to come by grabbing the recording of their last set, at Newtown's Fuel Cafe in June, below.

Suplex - Fuel Cafe: 21 June 2008 (Pt. 1)

Suplex - Fuel Cafe: 21 June 2008 (Pt. 2)

Check out more mix-action from Dexterity on SA DJ showcase 'site Listenup.ZA.net.

Because Three's A Crowd

2008-07-17T22:13:00.014+02:00

Tshwane, aka Pretoria, is fast turning into the super-heated hub of local house music culture.

The nation's capital has always had a healthy club scene that's spread serious house fare in thick swathes, from hotbeds like Carnalita and Ellesse to modern dance dens like Musica Feliz, but now it seems to be spawning the spine-tingling music production talent too.

Per capita, this country has the biggest house music market on the planet – it's the kind of place (if any other exists) where you'll hear the likes of Larry Heard and Charles Webster on daytime radio: cuts like “The Sad Piano” are bona fide blockbuster attractions here.

But lately the local production fraternity are hijacking house floors back; bending some of kwaito's basic elements – low-tempo 4-square beats and township trim – into shapes that are not as specific as kwaito's vernac variations. They're Afro-flavoured but with with an ear-trained to international tastes. And they're hitting paydirt with house music lovers across the globe.

Recognition is in the rumour that consummate label for all things electronic (and not), Warp Records, have picked up the raw slice of twisted 'kasi' keys and tribal drums that is DJ Mujava's 'Township Funk' for release later this year.

DJ Mujava – Township Funk

In 2007, Blackwhole, ruled the airwaves - and lots of adventurous hips - with a tune that exemplifies the instrumental restraint that's dominated SA-sprung dance beats for a while, but that slowly lets loose: “1000 Seconds” unwinds with wide-screen keyboard reach and a nagging, relentless momentum that's hard to ignore – or not groove to.

Blackwhole – 1000 Seconds

Rhythmic Elements exemplify another aspect of Pretoria's impressively amassing pool of dance-inducing talent. Taking in more traditionally South African sounds, they've captured current imaginations and playlists with the infectious “2 By 2”.

Rhythmic Elements – 2 By 2

And while we're on the subject of excellent dance tunes with South African flavour, enjoy the sprawling meeting of Amampondo and Germany's coolest house cat, Henrik Schwarz...

Henrik Schwarz & Amampondo - Exist Because Of You (Henrik Schwarz Live Version)

Gettin' Chilly In Here

2008-07-04T14:58:00.014+02:00

Two tasty trips tonight: something old and something new...

These two records book-ended my midnight DJ set at the rather rocking Social Security party in Braamfontein's Alexander Theatre on Friday night.

For the opening salvo I fired off the mega-dramatic, 15-year old (and nearly 15-minute long!) pinnacle of progressive house, "Sugar Daddy", by Secret Knowledge (aka music journalist and producer Kris Needs and vocalist Wonder Schneider).

Like the undulating Rufus Wainwright number below, it features a rainstorm (pure coincidence, I promise) and it's fully-loaded with searing special effects. The difference between the tracks: "Sugar Daddy" is all sweat-soaked, brothel-tainted lust, with Wonder's provocative vocals bridging some inner ear-bending ground-fire hi-hats and bulldozing kick drums.

This record first squinted its way into the light of day - mascara smudged and hair tousled - in 1992, the debut vinyl issue on Andrew Weatherall's Sabres Of Paradise label and one of the sharper offerings on the seminal 'Deep Cuts' collection, the long-lost label's debut CD emission.

Secret Knowledge - Sugar Daddy

For dessert, my parting shot was the tune of the year so far. "Chilly Willy" is almost as silly as its title suggests, but this wonky workout from Montreal's Guillaume Coutu Dumont, aka Guillame & The Coutu Dumonts, balances tomfoolery with an infectious groove, stuttered devotional voices and a battery of sparkling horns.

Trained in Latin and classical percussion, this strange Canadian spent some time playing with a jazz act in Senegal, and while there are traces of Afrobeat here, there are many more constituent elements too. The 'Trouser Jazz' of Mr. Scruff is probably this cool track's closest cousin, with multiple elements facing off over an easy-stepping skank.

Elsewhere, Guillame & The Coutu Dumonts' inviting techno experiments neatly parallel the queasy, greasy rhythms of fellow Canadian Akufen or Frankfurt's Isolee, and they are sublimely showcased on last year's 'Face À L’Est' album on Musique Risqueé. This label has also just blessed us with the 'Poco-A-Gogo' EP from Chic Miniature, Guillame's collaboration with Ernesto Ferreyra.

Guillame & The Coutu Dumonts - Chilly Willy

Something Outta South Africa

2008-06-21T18:56:00.010+02:00

The Real Estate Agents have ruled the South African electronic music scene from their Cape Town base for half-a-decade, and have made headway outside the borders, with various bytes and pieces appearing on international labels.

The duo – machinist Markus Wormstorm and turntablist Sibot – sizzle on stage and are brimming with bright ideas: so many ideas, in fact, that their last self-titled release spread their high-octane electronics over three CDs. Add to this that in the past couple of years they have busted out with various side and solo projects, including Markus's 'The Wormstorm EP' (on NY's avant-rap label Sound-Ink) and Sibot's excellent In With The Old long-player.

Two of these additional projects – both of which are in many ways more forward-thinking than the Prefuse vs Oizo template that the Real Estate Agents have down pat - happen in tandem with super talented emcee Spoek Mathambo. Alongside Markus it's Sweat.X, and the sound is a little like Jamie Lidell tweaked on “tik” (the South African name for crystal meth); their 2007 'Ebonyivorytron' EP on UK label Citinite is breathtakingly brilliant in places. Spoek + Sibot = Playdoe, and the latest project from a prolific and precocious crew has found a home on Lyon-based label, Jarring Effects.

“Hungry Waste Line” comes off their free label sampler JFX BITS 2, a 24-track trawl through jumped-up electronica, jungle dub and jagged breaks from a batch of producers you've probably never heard of, but who nevertheless impress in places. Playdoe's 7-track debut EP is available now through this French entity.

Also worth checking are Spoek's collabs with DJ Edjotronik (who I think is French – info is sketchy) available via The Fast Life, exclusive Sweat.X tune “Shut Up” on Discobelle, the loud and cool Sweat.X blog Throwing Shade, and The Fader's great article on X in their recent Africa issue.

Playdoe – Hungry Waste Line

Where The Wild Flowers Grow

2008-06-12T03:47:00.011+02:00

Coming on like the lovechild of Jeff Buckley and Kate Bush, Rufus Wainwright is a maverick who operates at an event horizon where jazz, rock, folk, classical, gospel and even opera converge. He labels his richly-layered output "Baroque Pop".

Like Jeff Buckley, Wainwright is the progeny of rock royalty - his parents are Loudon Wainwright III and folk singer Kate McGarrigle - and the two met a couple of times before Buckley's untimely death. Wainwright's "Memphis Skyline" is a tribute to Buckley and references "Hallelujah", the sweeping Leonard Cohen-penned number that is the late singer's best known song and that Wainwright regularly plays live (and actually recorded for the 'Shrek' soundtrack).

Thankfully the connections between the two end there. Wainwright made it through the mythical late 20s that are so often the end days for musicians, overcoming a crystal meth habit, temporary blindness and a vicious sexual assault to emerge mostly intact – and on a career path that's still yielding seductive results.

Wainwright at his most baroque: performing "Agnus Dei" off the 'Want Two' album, live in Central Park

Wainwright excels at reaching left of field and positioning the oddities he finds out there in between cosy pop cushioning. It's an MO that climaxes in captivating songs, critical commendation and, for the most part, mainstream obscurity. His half-a-dozen albums have met with high praise and low sales, but that hasn't deterred him from pursuing a unique trajectory that's included collaborations with the Pet Shop Boys, Burt Bacharach and Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons.

Long before the latter made a surprise cameo on the microphone for sublime DFA-signed disco evangelists Hercules and Love Affair (their self-titled debut may just be the best album of '08), Wainwright enlisted the services of playful dance music duo Supermayer to tear apart and stitch back up "Tiergarten" (off his most recent long-player, 'Release The Stars'). The unlikely get-together resulted in one of the finest dancefloor highs of last year. In fact, it's one of the most memorable techno moments of the millennium, period.

Written for his German boyfriend, "Tiergarten" takes its title from the massive Berlin park that houses the Reichstag and the Brandeburg Gate, and fittingly it gets re-fitted by the Berlin-based dream team of Superpitcher and Michael Mayer. As Supermayer, this odd couple unleashed the extraordinarily diverse "Save The World" album (on quintessential techno label Kompakt) in 2007.

As impure as it is impressive, that record flirts with indie, lounge, jazz and an array of strange instrumentation, strapping the disparate strands onto streamlined digital arpeggios and pile-driving bass pulses. The outcome: thrillingly animated anthems like 'Two Of Us' and 'The Art Of Letting Go'.

Supermayer go even further out on their remix of "Tiergarten". It's what might have been born out of a meeting between Burt Bacharach and Giorgio Moroder - if it was scripted by Steven Spielberg. Techno with a human heart, digital abstraction with feet firmly on terra firma: super-heroic sonics in the midst of the collosal rainstorm that is the track's centre-piece. I suggest you get wet...

Rufus Wainwright - "Tiergarten"

Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas

2008-06-09T15:53:00.009+02:00

For the inaugural entry in what I hope will be a long-running and reliable endeavour, I've decided to share what's been my favourite song for the past two decades - a tune that's unlikely to be eclipsed in the near or far future.

A melancholy meeting of two musicians who've successfully managed to move deftly between - and reconcile - the radical and the accessible for thirty-something years, "Forbidden Colours" couples Ryuichi Sakamoto's gravity-defying synth and string signals with David Sylvian's otherworldly vocals.

Released in 1983, this elegiac and angelic piece is essentially Sakamoto's main theme from Nagisa Oshima's movie 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence', with Sylvian's desert-swept narrative hovering over its sublime surface.

Sakamoto, the former Yellow Magic Orchestra magician, also stars in 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence' along with David Bowie, and despite minor flaws it's worth watching for the sublime score alone; it also happens to be one of Bowie's more successful cinematic turns.

The film's script was based on work by South African author Laurens van der Post, specifically 'The Seed and The Sower', which diarised his real-life ordeals as a Japanese POW in World War II.

There are a few versions of "Forbidden Colours" and the Sylvian-less 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence' main theme floating around, all well worth seeking out, but this beauty is the best - and an all-time favourite.

Ryuichi Sakamoto & David Sylvian - Forbidden Colours