Mxshi Mo takes us on a frightening journey all the way to Durban, South Africa with his new EP Somewhere On Earth. PAM offers you an exclusive premiere of his track “Mount Nowhere”.
Mxshi Mo produces music against all odds. Based in Pietermaritzburg, a few miles away from gqom’s birthplace of Durban, the musical all-rounder could have been exposed to more crime and violence than sounds and rhythms. Furthermore, having his night vision impaired by retinal pigmentation, the producer isn’t able to perform in club settings. Nonetheless, Mxshi Mo taught himself the ways of production through hours spent exploring the depth of softwares, YouTube and the infinite catalogs of kwaito, techno, deep house and afro-tech. Now his music, which he describes as “mutant gqom”, perfectly encapsulates the eerie and pulsating atmosphere of the gqom scene.
Mxshi Mo is quite the prolific act, releasing short tapes and EPs randomly, like the wicked From PMB to the World tape in 2020, or the lighter MORETIME EP in 2019. More recently, he even took a trap turn with the Me, My Beats & I album, blending hip-hop with his electronic influences on 9 instrumental tracks. His work also includes collaborations with South African and international staples, with the likes of grime/gqom wizard Scratcha DVA, British-Pakistani electro savant Ahadadream or Bermudian adventurer Obeka. However his newest release, Somewhere on Earth, his a solo exploration of both experimental gqom and his place in the world, it’s fifteen minutes of sound serving as eternal proof of his passage. The track “Jungle Fever” sets the scenery, with its ceremonial drums and animal noises urging you to run for cover, or get swallowed by the hypnotic sound. “Rebirth” is smoother but still scary, like seeing the light at the edge of the forest, but not being quite out yet.
In between the two, PAM presents “Mount Nowhere”. Probably the scariest portion, the song is heavy bassy and menacing, showcasing gqom at its finest: dark, full of tension and chilling. You’ve been warned. Proceed with caution and listen at your own risk.
