Natoxie – Left/Right
Already present in our July selection, Natoxie strikes again with “Left/Right”, a new shatta and dancehall riddim hot as embers. The Martiniquan is accompanied by his acolytes Le Jemss, Not Nice, Ranger Rouge and Ti Couby on these 2 minutes of pure debauchery!
DJ Tobzy – Human Being is a Chameleon Beat (feat. Dragon Beatz & DJ Ozzytee)
On the eve of the release of a first album by Nyege Nyege Tapes, DJ Tobzy releases in parallel this track on his YouTube channel. As usual, the Nigerian illustrates himself with the frenetic collage between gqom, afrobeats, baile funk and techno that has already made him the ambassador of this underground scene of Lagos called Cruise or Freebeat. On the menu, uptempo beats, nonchalant lyrics and old-school synths, all pumped up with adrenaline!
Lady Leshurr – Tabasco
With “Tabasco”, the rapper Lady Leshurr has undoubtedly signed one of the afro-club anthems of this summer. Drawing its roots from the small island of St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean, the British MC unleashes the dogs to deliver a frantic dancehall turbine that promises to draw a few liters of sweat.
>Mbulelo – Kalibre
After a passage on the prestigious label Transmat from pioneer Derrick May, the South African Mbulelo logically arrives at Hakuna Kulala with a new EP, at the crossroads of gqom and Detroit techno. Among these 4 tracks, “Kalibre” raises the tension up a notch with its hypnotic polyrhythms and its minimalist techno loops.
Mina & Bryte – Abeka Bugatti (Banga remix)
One year after the success of their EP Abeka Bugatti, the British producer Mina and the Ghanaian MC Bryte entrust their 5 tracks to amapiano, batida and gqom remixers. The eponymous track, a spontaneous mix between London club culture and African electronic music, is reworked here by Franco-Gabonese Banga, who adds her melodic and percussive signature!
Utility, DJ Plead – Flooot (DJ Plead rework)
Australian DJ and producer DJ Plead gives a new dimension to “Flooot” from Nexus Destiny, a collection of 60 arpeggios made entirely with software synthesizers. He uses the basic melody as a base for a new track that oscillates between breakbeat and batida atmospheres.
DJ Mariio – Pink Light
DJ Mariio is the rookie on The Gqom Trilogy compilation, which tracks the innovations of the Durban scene through three producers. In this 26-track collection about to be released by Hakuna Kulala, the 20-year-old producer offers the single “Pink Light” in a saturated, almost spooky style that torments the basics of gqom.
Karen Nyame KG – Taboo
After an EP like Sensei II, the return of the British artist KG was more than expected. At the same time in the voice and in the production, she comes back in force with the single “Taboo”, where she speaks about desire and sexuality in a sensual soul atmosphere as Sade, doped with amapiano basses. A treat of modern electronic music.
Professional Beat – Are You Playing?
A new example of cruise – a Nigerian style also known as “freebeat” – with Professional Beat, another rising star of the genre. Uptempo beats that reach 140 bpm, catchy gimmicks and heady melodies make this track a DIY gem. The Nigerian offers here a hit as spontaneous as it is artisanal!
DJ Katapila – Fadidi
Heading to Accra, where DJ Katapila draws on the origins of house music, Detroit techno and traditional Ghanaian rhythms to create a singular style, catalyzed by his Twi flow. “Fadidi” is just a sample of the old-school techno delirium that the MC and producer offers us on the singular Techno Africa EP released by Club Yeke.
Magugu – Stay One side
Born in Lagos, Magugu now lives in London where he shaped his sharp rap in pidgin, amplified by the UK bass fog that hangs over the club planet. At the rate of a track per month minimum, the rapper releases his productions in the shade and regale us once again with his serious and charismatic flow on “Stay One Side” which surfs on the energy of grime. Boiling.
DJ Lycox – Ve So
Who says afro club says batida, and who says batida says DJ Lycox, a real hit machine from Lisbon who never stops releasing killers on his Soundcloud page. Percussions, arrogant melody and dirty lyrics make “Ve So” a pure product of the ghetto. Legend has it that this track is a precursor to an upcoming album…
RS Produções – YAH
A few blocks away, the crew RS Produções launches the alert with a dangerous batida track from their EP Dar é Dar. In a more sticky formula, the team led by DJ Narciso explores the depths of batida on “YAH”, with a recipe as unhealthy as groovy.
Lijay – Hotline fuck
In the wake of Natoxie, the other Martinican, Lijay, produces the most pornographic track of this list. With Jeskobeat’s slowed down shatta prod, Lijay displays his nymphomaniac mood on this completely obsessive “Hotline Fuck”.
Florentino x BAMBII x KD One – Constrictor
From the Mancunian underground, Florentino delivers a reggaeton-soaked dembow single on the big house XL Recordings. Soaked in the atmosphere of the streets of Bogotá and Barcelona clubs, Florentino summons Bambii and KD One on a “Constrictor” as sexy as grimey.
Slikback – XP44
With more than one EP per month on average – always free on Bandcamp – Slikback combines abundance and generosity without ever releasing the tension. With the powerful “XP44”, the Kenyan takes control of his machines to release almost gory sounds and propel gqom into orbit. Definitely the king of African experimental music.
Bun Xapa – Amsterdam
DJ Satelite grows wings with this afro-tech anthem that begins his latest EP GAS GAS GAS. With its trance melody and its strong percussion, the hypnotic “Amsterdam” confirms the rise of the South African Bun Xapa within the reference label Seres Produções.
