Feiertag release the final track on their EP, “ON/OFF”

Jun 21, 2024 | New Release, Music

Feiertag’s brand new “ON/OFF” EP brings together four seemingly diverse and disparate pieces of electronica that amalgamate to represent all corners of his sonic palette. As always, Joris creates new challenges for himself by finding that special place where his music can flourish, this time focusing on how his music will translate in a club setting.

“My goal was to have a kind of simple sounding hypnotic groove where you can discover subtle elements along the way. I’ve tested it multiple times on stage now and I have to say that I’m happy with the response I got so far! I’m glad to share this one with you.”

The title track ON/OFF is an intense, 140ish BPM banger complete with swirling synths, ethereal vocals, next level drum programming and a dash of spoken word that sees this prolific producer re-writing the rule book.

As always, Joris creates new challenges for himself by finding that special place where his music can flourish.

Listen to “ON/OFF” Here

Press release courtesy of Only Good Stuff

Elvis27 releases his album “Music Over Genre”

Jun 21, 2024 | New Release, Music

From Mtubatuba (South Africa) to the world, Elvis27 makes his debut on Antidote Music with an eclectic release titled “Music Over Genre”. The release features three tracks with infusions of afro house, deep and soulful house, each paying homage to the beauty in variety of house and electronic music.

Listen to “Music Over Genre” Here

Press release courtesy of Antidote Music

FiNE and Bukeka release ‘Alpha Omega’ their latest track

Jun 21, 2024 | New Release, Music

FiNE and their label Sippy Time unleashes “Alpha Omega” with Bukeka from Cape Town. With its undeniable commercial appeal and catchy refrain of “Alpha Omega”, this track will no doubt be the biggest FiNE release to date.

At the heart of “Alpha Omega” lies its iconic groove, a hypnotic rhythm that commands attention as the unexpected first drop propels the energy to dizzying heights. FiNE’s production shines brightly, seamlessly blending tradition with innovation to deliver a timeless anthem that is set to be a song for the summer to come.

Listen to “Alpha Omega” Here

Press release courtesy of Sippy Time

PJ Morton Releases his album “Cape Town to Cairo”

Jun 21, 2024 | New Release, Music

With the release of an album unlike anything he has ever done before, PJ Morton takes listeners on a trip from Cape Town to Cairo. Out now via Morton Records/EMPIRE, the unprecedented project is to Morton what Graceland was to Paul Simon, except that the 5x GRAMMY-winner fully created his new LP during a 30-day journey across Africa. With no music, lyrics or preconceptions, he stepped foot onto the continent last autumn with only the dream to make a record in a month, and a mission to immerse himself in as many different cultures, stories and communities as he could. Reflecting on his travels – from Cape Town and Johannesburg to Lagos (Nigeria), Accra (Ghana), Cairo (Egypt) and back down to South Africa again, most of which he was visiting for the very first time – PJ Morton says:

“I wanted to capture the emotions I felt while I was on the continent, so I made a promise that I wouldn’t write anything before I arrived in Africa, and I wouldn’t write anything after I left – I ended up recording all my vocals before I left too. It really was an experiment in trusting my instincts. I have the ability to overthink as many of us do, so I wanted to spark something that had real stakes. What ended up happening was that all of my raw thoughts and influences came out all at once. There’s of course R&B and soul, but there’s also gospel in songs like ‘Simunye,’ pop in ‘Count On Me,’ jazz on ‘All The Dreamers,’ all combined with the inspiration of Africa. We didn’t have the luxury of time to police which genres would fit where, and the origins of all this music started in Africa anyway. Cape Town to Cairo is the diaspora in music form, done my way.”

Find the latest dates for the Cape Town to Cairo Tour below, and tickets on-sale here

Listen to “Cape Town to Cairo” Here

Press release courtesy of Sheila Afari

Deji Dada and Matthew Edwards launch ‘Waste-to-Wear’ with Heineken, creating beauty from discarded bottles

Jun 20, 2024 | Creatives, Community

Joburg-based creatives Deji Dada and Matthew Edwards have collaborated on a sustainable design initiative, the ‘Waste-to-Wear’ project. Now gaining international traction, this initiative backed by Heineken South Africa is significant for making a dent in the landscape of glass recycling and sustainable design.

Their brief, in light of Heineken’s 2023 campaign for their new returnable 650ml bottle, was to utilise Heineken’s localised waste stream to create homeware and accessories from discarded bottles. Heineken South Africa identified a pressing issue with non-returnable beer bottles being broken and abandoned in fields, particularly in low-income communities. These discarded bottles created unsafe and inaccessible spaces for residents. To address this, Heineken SA launched a campaign to clean up these broken glass ‘hotspots’, transforming them into green zones under the tagline ‘Fields green with grass, not glass.’

Due to the limited access to smaller-scale glass recycling facilities in South Africa, Dada and Edwards collaborated with Ngwenya Glass, a renowned factory near Mbabane in Eswatini. This partnership was pivotal, combining Ngwenya’s expertise in artisanal glass products with innovative design concepts to create items Ngwenya Glass had never produced before (such as the pendant light).

The collection includes 3000 rings and 3000 medallions for Heineken South Africa employees, as well as a smaller range of homeware items, including vases, dinner sets, and a hops-inspired pendant light. Each product is handmade, highlighting the unique quality of glassmaking where every piece is a one-of-a-kind creation.

Through the Waste-to-Wear project, Dada and Edwards have successfully recycled close to 800kgs of glass. This initiative not only addresses environmental issues but also showcases the potential of sustainable design. By creating meaningful and beautiful products, Waste-to-Wear aims to raise awareness for glass recycling and inspire further innovation in sustainable practices.

As previously mentioned, the project’s success has been recognised internationally, winning Bronze at the New York Festivals Advertising Awards 2024. This showcases local design taking a global stage with a socially responsible and sustainable core.

More details about this award can be found here.

Press release courtesy of Deji Dada

 

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Surrender – and Other Lessons Of Imperfection with Zizipho Poswa

Jun 18, 2024 | Interviews, Art

Zizipho Poswa is committed to a process of surrender in her work. As an artist for whom clay is her primary medium – a substance that itself is as direct from the earth as one could have to work with – Zizipho knows, no matter the scale or intention of the work at hand, there is a point at which the guidance of her hand begins and ends; afterwhich the fire and clay become intertwined together. Their dance is an elemental convergence and Zizipho’s ability to allow this unfolding is central to her work. Ruptures and explosions, cracks and crevices may emerge; yet, this all necessary in a process as substantive as sculpture and ceramic. 

For Connect Everything Collective’s June 2024 Cover, Zizipho Poswa becomes an embodiment of her process and sculptures, in a self-referential array of images, collaboratively initiated between the CEC Media’s Editor-in-Chief, Zizipho and her long-time stylist Onesimo, along with the Imiso Studio team, led by Gisela Gold and brand architect Del Mar.

Zizipho Poswa photographed by Kitso Kgori
On an autumn Friday, the solar-lit studio became a canva – a set – and a scene, all in service to the expression of Zizipho as a sartorial incarnation of finding grace and surrender as an artist, captured by photographer Kitso Kgori. For Candice Erasmus, our publication’s founder and Editor in Chief, the creative direction of this cover was first sparked by the awe-inspiring body of work ‘uBuhle boKhokho (the beauty of our ancestors)’, a collection of Zizipho’s seismic sculptural works inspired by the artistic hairstyling traditions of Black women across the African continent and diaspora. As Candice explains, “the direction of the cover was inspired by the structure and form of Zizi’s sculptures – her use of texture and height. I wanted the images to be self-referential to her own bodies of work and the way that she creates these larger than life sculptures. Zizipho’s personal style is part of her collaboration with Onesimo, and we wanted her stature and presence to be central.”
Zizipho Poswa photographed by Kitso Kgori
The development of the cover became a fluid and dynamic space of reciprocity, with Zizipho’s stylist Onemiso curating the wardrobe, and Imiso’s (Zizipho Poswa and Andile Dylvane’s shared studio) Brand Architect, Del Mar, lending his art directive vision to initiate a conversation of the imperfect aspect involved in creation, a side that’s not often spoken about in the artistic process. As Del Mar explains, “the pieces that fall apart are something that Zizipho is quite familiar with in her process – she likes the work to create itself. Zizipho views the work very much like her child, and is open to taking risks that can either rupture or embed a new texture or layer. This process of not knowing is a very matriarchal, mother process that Zizipho has had to go through herself, to understand that you hold this item for a while but ultimately must be let go.” Del Mar crafted the ceremonial circle, in which Zizipho becomes the clay itself; surrounded by artefacts from Imiso, and reflective of the studio’s continued focus on ceremonial work, as the passages of time, successes and blessings move through their hands. 

On the wardrobe, Onesimo comments that “it was important to bring in the element of craft. There’s this idea of imperfection that is threaded through this editorial, so we wanted to make everything very sculptural. Most of the pieces were custom made for Zizipho. There is also a beautiful set by Lesiba Mabitsela, which was actually the only piece we sourced.” Lesiba’s design philosophy is rooted in a deconstruction and re-imagining of pattern-making and form, as a part of a decolonial sartorial practice. Xola Makoba, hair and make-up master, led the process of configuring Zizipho’s hair as sculptural homages to ‘uBuhle boKhokho (the beauty of our ancestors)’, and the make-up as its own reflection of the artistic process.

Zizipho Poswa photographed by Kitso Kgori
On the call of imperfection, Zizipho shares that, “there is so much beauty in imperfection, especially in the creative process. I just allow it to be what it is. You can’t erase, clay has memory, and there are so many surprises that can unfold – from handbuilding to the  application of glazes, and  the clay itself , these nuances will only be revealed once the clay has undergone the firing process. They’re like birthmarks and they’re so special. I choose to leave them as they are’’. This cover is a consequence of collaboration as a method for realising dreams, and Zizipho echoes that, “I am inspired first and foremost by my community. There is so much I have to honour in the process of making – from naming the piece itself, I acknowledge the people that have played an important role in my life, so wherever the piece ends up it carries the names of the people who have had an impact in my life. I work with a team that is so amazing and that understands what I am trying to say. It is never just me, and we are a team that is twenty years in the making, we need each other.”

Lastly, Connect Everything Collective’s team notes that the synergistic collaboration behind the June 2024 cover is a road-map for the publication’s vision. In sharing gratitude for the collaborative effort, “working with Onesimo was an important part of this process as he and Zizipho already have a long standing collaboration and he really understands her through her own sartorial lens. Xola Makoba is an incredibly talented creative who has worked with Onesimo and Zizipho before, so we knew that would create a lot of confidence and comfort when it came to shooting. It was an honour to have Gisela and Del Mar, who are part of Imiso’s team, support this project and how Zizi was being represented, and Del for his art direction and development of the ceremonial circle; with artefacts that reflect the energetic process that exists at Imiso, translated onto set and then through these images. Then of course, working with photographer and friend of the publication, Kitso Kgori – we have wanted to create something beautiful together for a long time, seeing how she works and shoots so meticulously is a culmination of conversations and connection.”

Zizipho became CEC’s cover choice after our beautiful interview with her last year. As such a prolific artist who is doing such extraordinary work both locally and abroad, these images are exaltations between the boundaries of art and fashion, embodiment and identity. We are truly and irrevocably honoured. 

Zizipho Poswa photographed by Kitso Kgori

Credits

Talent: Zizipho Poswa
Photographer: Kitso Kgori
EIC & Creative Direction: Candice Erasmus 
Production Assistant & Art Direction: Grace Crooks
Stylist & Art Direction: Onesimo
Styling Assistant: Lindani Khawunjika
HMUA: Xola Makoba
Brand Architects: Gisela Gold and Del Mar of Imiso Ceramics
Studio: Hero Daylight Studio
Retouching: Jay Ry Co

Written by: Holly Beaton 
For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

NTS x Diesel Tracks SA Presents DORMANTYOUTH

Jun 14, 2024 | Music, Community

The exploration of music & club culture continues as NTS x Diesel TRACKS arrives in SA to showcase local emerging DJs. Rooted in the connectivity of music and nightlife, TRACKS brings together a mix of progressive musical talent from around the globe to promote the universal language of club culture, connection, and party, and now the spotlight is on South Africa to showcase local emerging DJs that fly the flag for SA’s distinctive music scene and nightlife culture. Every last Friday of the month, NTS x Diesel TRACKS SA will be championing local upcoming talents and allowing listeners to discover new sounds spanning GQOM, House, Amapiano, Techno, Club, Experimental, and Drum & Bass.

For this month’s iteration, Diesel have collaborated with local legend DORMANTYOUTH – explore the sounds hidden between the walls, structures and designs that come together, building the urban party culture that is Joburg, with their mix. 

DORMANTYOUTH, anon-binary architect, inspired by the spontaneity, wildness, constant flux, the method in all the madness and fast-paced energy found in every corner of the city, to create their own pockets of stillness for the queer community. This was all a research method to complete their master’s dissertation. Don’t be confused, their stillness is merely a space, where they craft sets that blend electro, techno, hard bass, and abrasive sounds with soothing melodies, to offer a reimagined approach to the urban club culture for queer communities while opening it up for those who simply want to lose themselves in intentionally designed sounds.

As they continue to study, master, and craft a specific blend where architecture meets DJing, DORMANTYOUTH, is just getting started as the DJ whose sets’ offer a thesis into the urban culture that is the City of Gold – one to be studied by the rest of the world.

Visit the Diesel website to listen to the DORMANTYOUTH mix Here

Or visit the global website Here

The exploration of music & club culture continues as NTS x Diesel TRACKS arrives in SA to showcase local emerging DJs. Diesel is proud to announce that NTS x Diesel TRACKS, which launched globally last year, has landed in South Africa for the first time. Rooted in the connectivity of music and nightlife, TRACKS brings together a mix of progressive musical talent from around the globe to promote the universal language of club culture, connection, and party, and now the spotlight is on South Africa to showcase local emerging DJs that fly the flag for SA’s distinctive music scene and nightlife culture. Every last Friday of the month, NTS x Diesel TRACKS SA will be championing local upcoming talents and allowing listeners to discover new sounds spanning GQOM, House, Amapiano, Techno, Club, Experimental, and Drum & Bass, just to name a few.

ABOUT NTS RADIO

NTS is a global music platform and radio station, broadcasting from over fifty cities every month. It started as a DIY passion project in Hackney in 2011, with the aim of creating an alternative to stagnant mainstream radio. Since then, NTS has expanded with permanent studios in Los Angeles, Manchester, and Shanghai. The platform has over 600 resident hosts, composed of a mix of musicians, DJs, artists, and everything in between. 

Consistently championing the underground scene and a leading voice in alternative culture, over half the music played on NTS isn’t available on Spotify or Apple Music. With a growing global audience of 2.8 million monthly listeners, NTS is broadcasting the best in underground music on a mass scale – completely free of charge and without on-air advertising.

 

Press release courtesy of Moxi

 

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

John Gómez and Nick the Record present their compilation ‘TANGENT’

Jun 14, 2024 | New Release, Music

To celebrate 10 years of one of London’s most loved underground club nights, Tangent, Mr Bongo have launched this new compilation series. Crafted by its two residents, John Gómez and Nick the Record, it aims to transmit a taste of Tangent’s spirit. A party rooted in inclusivity and open-mindedness, whose name captures the spontaneous switches in musical direction that are a defining element of their nights. For the compilation, the pair have cherry-picked a selection of their prized, rare and dancefloor-ready tracks from around the globe, that have soundtracked the past decade of parties.

Friends for close to 20 years, music lovers, record obsessives and internationally renowned DJs in their own right, John and Nick have two lifetimes worth of musical knowledge to draw from. John is a long-standing NTS Radio resident and compiler for Music From Memory. Nick is one of the UK’s go-to record dealers, resident DJ since the ‘90s at one of Japan’s pioneering parties, Life Force, and co-captain / co-edit-expert of Record Mission with Dan Tyler (Idjut Boys).

In 2014, the pair decided to bring some of Life Force’s grassroots principles to the UK, whilst channeling underground clubbing institution Plastic People’s meticulous attitude to sound. Tangent grew from being a small gathering of friends, to an established fixture in London’s nightlife, whilst always maintaining a strict no guest DJ policy. “As London’s clubs have become increasingly reliant on international guests, we wanted to emphasize the importance of a club night growing through its residents”, John and Nick reflect. With 10 years of the duo at the helm, an intimate connection between DJ and dancefloor has been built, allowing for freedom of expression on both sides of the decks.

Tangent reaches around the globe and across different eras to make connections that stimulate emotional reverberations in the unfamiliar. Where the blissfully Balearic ‘Laberinto’ by Miguel Perikás, goes hand-in-hand with the Cameroonian hip-house of King B.’s ‘Love is Crazy’. The thundering ‘Amek Amek’ by L’Innovateur Djoe Ahmed et le Zoukabyle, rubs shoulders with the soulful Caribbean-influenced touch of Champagn’s ‘Bel Ti Négress’. And Pellegrin El Kady’s afro-cosmic ‘Seiva de Carnaval’, crosses paths with Kajou’s Kompa disco anthem ‘Tet Chajé’.

This compilation represents an ongoing dialogue between past and present, transporting listeners to the heart of a pure musical experience, where open minds and open hearts are eager to follow the tangent.

Preview “Tangent” for release on 12 July Here

Press release courtesy of Only Good Stuff

RAH and the Ruffcats release their latest LP “Orile to Berlin”

Jun 14, 2024 | New Release, Music

A contemporary Afrobeat album from Berlin’s RAH & The Ruffcats is here! It’s an LP steeped in Afrobeat and highlife, but with funk sensibilities and a hip hop attitude, titled “Orile to Berlin”.

As one of the most sought after and technically sublime working bands in the German live music scene, Berlin based Ruffcats are something of an institution. This eight-piece outfit made up of some of the country’s most revered session musicians, pool all of their diverse influences and come together as Ruffcats to create a unique take on the music they love.

Since forming in 2007, and via their live jams at Bohannon Soul Club in Berlin, Ruffcats have found themselves acting as the backing band for artists such as Georgia Anne Muldrow, Sweet Charles, Lady Alma, Jaguar Wright, Miles Bonny & many more. In and out of the studio, they have also worked continuously with German soul singer Flomega, and in 2013 the Ruffcats were the touring band for the first Voice of Germany winner Ivy Quainoo.

In the meantime, and for over a decade, Rapturous Apollo Helios, better known as RAH, has been making a name for himself as one of Berlins’ most outstanding rappers, songwriters and vocalists. Originally hailing from Lagos, Nigeria, RAH’s music has always been influenced by his environment as well as a rich history of black music from hip hop to soul and, of course, Afrobeat.

Since relocating to Berlin, RAH has made waves in the German capital with his weekly Swag Jam sessions. At these live events he has not only been able to show off his prowess as an exceptional MC and something of an improvisational genius, but also attract such luminaries as Erykah Badu and Bilal to join him on stage.

Having crowned his journey from Lagos to Berlin with the release of his debut album, How Far? in 2018, RAH began the next stage of his sonic adventure by hooking up with long-time friends, the Ruffcats band. Their first single together, the Curtis Mayfield influenced Shifting Sands, dropped the same year to huge acclaim, and it wasn’t long before both parties looked towards working on a larger project together. After a pause for the pandemic, their collaborative process really began to bear fruit, and following the release of the warmly received singles Agidi, MoonSun and Sorry, they now present their debut full length LP.

Preview “Orile to Berlin” for release on 12 July Here

Press release courtesy of Only Good Stuff

Robert PM of French Horn Rebellion releases ‘Speed of Light’ feat. Zeshan B

Jun 14, 2024 | New Release, Music

Robert PM, label head of toucan sounds, 1/2 of Indie Dance darling French Horn Rebellion, is here with his latest single, “Speed of Light” a burning hot collaboration with soul vocalist, Zeshan B.

In 2023, Robert PM’s label, toucan sounds was nominated ‘breakout label of the year,’ by DJ Mag North America. In the studio, he has credits with some of the most influential artists of our time, ranging from pop (Purple Disco Machine, Autograf), to underground house (Ron Trent, AceMo), to alternative (MGMT, Two Door Cinema Club). As a DJ, he has performed on 4 continents, headlining and sharing the stage across multiple genres – on the disco tip, (Breakbot, Felipe Gordon) – to house (Glenn Underground, Miss Kittin) – to indie dance (RAC, Digitalism) – and more.

Chicago native, Zeshan B’s breakout album “Vetted” was released in April 2017 to commercial and critical acclaim with the album debuting at #8 on Billboard’s Top 10 Albums (World Music) and peaking at #1 on iTunes’ World Music charts. Since then, he has toured with frequent appearances at Lincoln Center, Bonnaroo, Electric Forest Festival, House of Blues, Kennedy Center, the Blue Note, Riverside Church and the Canadian National Exhibition. He has performed for two US Presidents– Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama– with the latter performance taking place at the White House’s historic inaugural Eid Celebration in 2016.

Listen to “Speed of Light” feat. Zeshan B Here

Press Release courtesy of Only Good Stuff