Vanyfox – Rave no Rio
The journey begins with the prince of batida who, whatever he does, definitely belongs in this section. Incredibly tribal and groovy, “Rave No Rio” is only one banger among others in his new EP Banzelo, a set of 6 personal tracks oscillating around 130 bpm, released on Moonshine. Reviewed here on PAM, this flawless record is a new jewel representative of the Lisbon sound.
Chrisman – Lupupu
As the first single foreshadowing a dark and aggressive experimental album, “Lupupu” (named after his late, supportive grandfather) is the new nightmare of Congolese Chrisman. On a resolutely gqom rhythmic base, the tension rises to a crescendo as in a slasher movie, making it a horror track that will forever embody the spirit of the Hakuna Kulala label.
Boddhi Satva & DJ Satelite – Sangra do Exagero (feat. Braga Havaiana)
Boddhi Satva’s new album Manifestation is undoubtedly the Afro-club event of June. Among the 31 tracks that make up this lengthy record, “Sangra do Exagero” stands out for its contagious energy borrowed from both Afro-house and kuduro, the Central African artist being supported here by Angolan DJ Satelite, one of the experts in the field!
K.O.D., DJ Satelite, LiloCox – Asakhile (feat. Mandisa)
Let’s linger on Satelite, who is behind another hit on his label Seres Produções, and who is joined here by two other key figures, Portuguese LiloCox and Zimbabwean K.O.D. Together, they sign an airy and sweet pop-infused Afro-house track, accompanied by Mandisa, also from Zimbabwe.
Azu Tiwaline – Into the Void
The Franco-Tunisian DJ and producer once again provides some dancing material with “Into the Void”, a hypnotic trip where its North African influences discreetly melt into a dub-techno fog. The track is taken from her EP Vesta, named after a meteorite fragment found in Morocco.
Raz & Afla – Wobaahi Hejoleman
The French crew Mawimbi invites the duo Raz & Afla for Mama Weja, a well done EP perfectly calibrated for the sunny fields of the festivals. On “Wobaahi Hejoleman”, Ghanaian musician Afla Sackey and Londoner Raz Olsher uphold their psychedelic vision of a Afro-house genre rooted in West African traditions!
DJ Black Low – Gijima (Vocal Mix)
On the amapiano side, June sees the return of South African DJ Black Low, author of a punchy album on Awesome Tapes From Africa last year. On this epilogue shaped EP, the young producer takes a detour from his acidic style with the unreleased “Gijima”, a track that seemingly escapes the genre’s usual mold, but which nevertheless conceals a depth and an undeniable hypnotic power.
Natoxie, Yozo, Ti Couby – Joncté
A nod to Martinican artist Natoxie who celebrates his birthday in July with a Parisian party that is guaranteed to be unforgettable. Surrounded by his buddies Yozo and Ti Couby, the shatta bandit sends “Joncté”, taken from the EP Koké Sal Riddim, an umpteenth Creole dancefloor killer that carries the scent of sex and sweat!
Lokowat – Sem Tempo
It’s hard to choose just one track from the Acanhado EP by Lokowat, a Lisbon-based producer who excels in the art of bringing traditional sounds into the clubs. By reconciling the waltz of forro-like melodies with the power of batida rhythms, Lokowat stands out on the heady “Sem Tempo”, which will easily find its place in the sets of the greatest DJs of the genre.
Moonchild Sanelly – Covivi
Phases is an album, the necessity of which was argued in a profile of the artist published a few weeks ago. In the middle of this colorful record, with moods and pleasures that vary throughout, the South African rebel drops “Covivi”, a deceptively minimalist post-Covid amapiano anthem, which surprises by the addictive quality of its chorus and the power of its bass, which hits hard and at the right time.
Kabza de Small – BathiniSanelly (feat. Young Stunna & Artwork Sounds)
The amapiano pioneer shows no signs of fatigue on his new album King Of Amapiano II part.1, featuring the excellent “Bathini”. His lo-fi house vibe and his luminous flow bring a breath of fresh air to this popular genre. Subverting expectations has become a real challenge. Here, alongside amapiano and deep-house heavyweights Young Stunna and Artwork Sounds, Kabza de Small still asserts himself as the king, not about to give up his crown, as explained in a recent article.
China Charmeleon & AndileAndy – Tunnel Vision (feat. Ziyon)
Let’s not forget that the contemporary sounds of South Africa also includes deep house. China Charmeleon has become one of the driving forces behind it, thanks to the elegance of his remixes and productions, notably released by Stay True Sounds. Together with AndileAndy, they craft a track as pleasant as a breeze in the middle of a heat wave, with a dreamy melody calibrated to accommodate Ziyon’s radiant vocals.
DéeRR – Senegal Bondeléne (Jersey Club mix)
The music video for “Senegal Bondelène” was undoubtedly one of our audiovisual hits of May. The Senegalese DJ and vocalist Baba Sly shakes up Senegalese youth by addressing the problems of the street on an intense and visceral track. The other half of the duo, German producer AIIOM, signs this powerful Jersey Club mix while keeping the essence and the madness of the original.
DJ Danifox – Long Way Talk (Reprise)
This time round, one of the flagship artists of the batida scene delivers a mid-tempo EP on Príncipe. Taken from Dia Não Mata Dia, the track ‘Long Way Talk (cover)’ stands out for its organic texture, its finely placed polyrhythms and its melancholic brass and flutes. An electro-acoustic set that proves once again that Danifox can sometimes deviate from the standard 130 bpm.
Sitos – Pasi Oyo
Sitos, focus of our latest Off the Map episode, is the ambassador of zagué, a new music made in Kinshasa born from the inner rage of local artists. A former gang member, Sitos is now a laborer by day and a singer by night. “Pasi Oyo” is his first futuristic and euphoric single, announcing an EP to come. Explosion imminent!
DJ Lycox – Deixa o Meu Best Viver
Batida definitely occupies an essential part of this selection. The unavoidable DJ Lycox remains true to himself on “Deixa o Meu Best Viver”: a vocal gimmick that drives one’s mad and a scalpel-cut rhythm in a ghetto atmosphere made for the densest of clubs. Note that the prolific producer has also released this month the single “Underwater”, in a more melodic and nostalgic style.
Deena Abdelwahed & Basile3 – Hyaluron
Both on the inFiné label, the Tunisian Deena Abdelwahed and the French Basile3 join forces in the time of an EP. “Hyaluron” is the result of the collision between Abdelwahed’s noise ambiences and Basile3’s ethereal sound. All in chiaroscuro, this superb track is reminiscent of the sound of Moderat, the German masters of electronica.
Ahadadream – Rain Fall (feat. Mxshi Mo)
British producer and DJ of Pakistani descent Ahadadream blends together the tablas with English club sounds on the frantic “Rain Fall”. On the occasion, he invited the South-African Mxshi Mo who lends his voice in a hybrid track between gqom, amapiano and UK funk.
Nick Leòn & Bitter Babe – Gøce (De Schuurman Remix)
Miami duo teams up once again on Delirio, a four-track EP which revisits the Colombian guarracha, the Venezualian raptor house and the Dutch bubbling music. On the matter of bubbling, it is only right that De Shuurman is the one behind this demented remix.
DJ Polo – Supermalt (feat. Ramzee & Mista Silva)
In Bristol, DJ Polo is one of those who imagines the future of English club music, often ahead of his time. Here he drops a strong tribute to the drink “Supermalt”, surrounded by the Anglo-Ghanaian MCs Ramzee and Mista Silva. A funky UK bomb not to be missed!
Tribal Brothers – Formation
In London, LR Groove and Razzlerman are wizards of the beat who produce dancefloor-killers on each release. This is the case on “Formation”, a track from the eponymous EP, which summons the dance cultures of England and Africa. An irresistible track completely ecstatic where you can hear elements of Afro-house, gqom and amapiano, all connected to a huge sound system.
Dj Tobzy Imole Giwa – Madira Beat (feat. Y Dollar & Oba Solomon)
Little is known about the Nigerian phenomenon DJ Tobzy. Somewhere between the balani show and the experimentations of DJ Diaki, the DJ piles up samples on this “Madira Beat”, a nonchalant collage made in Lagos that undeniably invites to dance.
Lorkestra – Virtuous Circle
The co-founder of the 99Ginger collective has launched his solo career this month with the luminous Virtuous Circle, an EP resolutely bathed in African influences. The eponymous track is a good example of the sunny style of the Parisian who is inspired here by the batida of the Lisbon ghettos, using the flute as the protagonist, in the manner of Pedro Da Linha.
Hagan & Aymos – Sise Ntweni
Always faithful to the heaviness of the English sound while honoring his African roots, the incredible Hagan unleashes a new salvo of percussive energy on “Sise Ntweni”. Accompanied by South African Aymos on vocals, the producer demonstrates how the music of Durban and Johannesburg are founding influences of his music.
Krys Kofi – Ballin’ Like Embiid (Nkom Bivoué Remix)
Rarely mentioned when talking about Afro-club music, Cameroon has some discreet ambassadors. In an almost Afrofuturist style, producer Nkom Bivoué remixes here another Cameroonian, rapper Krys Kofi, wrapping the MC’s flow in a positive and melodic production, in the same very personal Afro-house vein that made his album Zeun Ya Yop so exciting.
Gafacci – AbbA GG Edit
To say that Gafacci was hot in June would be an understatement. The unstoppable Ghanaian producer released no less than 3 singles on Bandcamp, including this daring and unlikely remix of the classic “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” by Abba. An original mix between asokpor and Swedish pop!
Desiree – Psilocybin
DJ and producer Desiree has released a successful debut EP on Zimbabwean singer Jackie Queens’ label, Bae Electronica. “Psilocybin” is a great example of the emotions and feelings the South African knows how to inject into her music, promising to push feminist messages through house music.
Find most of these tracks in our afro + club playlist.
