Thievery Corporation’s Eric Hilton unveils instrumental gem ‘Midnight Milan’

Jan 26, 2024 | New Release, Music

Co-founder of the influential group Thievery Corporation, Eric Hilton unveils instrumental gem ‘Midnight Milan’, the first single taken from his forthcoming album Sound Vagabond, a 14-track sonic travelogue created by one of the fathers of downtempo electronic music.

As co-founder of the influential group Thievery Corporation, Hilton has spent decades merging diverse global genres into a singular music vision. Sound Vagabond is perhaps the ultimate iteration of this ethos, each track an audio picture postcard of a place real or imagined. “Some memories of the places I’ve been are very clear; others are distant, nostalgic echoes,” says Hilton. “This record started modestly, with some basic ideas, but after writing the first 8 tracks I knew I had a travelogue.”

Hilton, who has used sampling in his music since the early days of Thievery Corporation, didn’t go digging into crates to create crunchy 12-bit vinyl samples for this record, but instead turned to public domain sample libraries. Saying, “This record is like a sound collage, with 60% samples and 40% live instruments. Sampling off old vinyl records is great, but there are obvious licensing and clearance headaches. Public sample libraries are a fantastic resource; you dig through a lot of hilarious garbage, but I’m astounded by the nuggets you can find. You can find specific instruments in any given key, and then the challenge is chopping them up, recontextualizing and integrating them with the track you’re making.” The end result is music where the samples don’t call attention to themselves or distract from the carefully curated mood in any way.

A perfect way to ease into 2024, “Midnight Milan” brings to mind a late night assignation, breathy promises and a doomed kiss.

Listen to ‘Midnight Milan’ HERE 

Press release courtesy of Only Good Stuff

DJ Lag & Mr Nation Thingz release viral TikTok song ‘Hade Boss’

Jan 26, 2024 | New Release, Music

Mr Nation Thingz originally teased ‘Hade Boss’ on TikTok in December – a collaboration he’d been working on with 2023 SAMA Best Gqom Album winner, DJ Lag. What they didn’t anticipate was how much the song would blow up on TikTok and champion its own dance challenge, long before it was finalised or had a release date pinned down. Thousands of fans will be pleased to know that ‘Hade Boss’ is now officially available on all streaming platforms.

According to Mr Nation Thingz, “‘Hade Boss’ is about talking to his boss, telling him that he wants his annual bonus now that it’s December because he wants to go party and have fun. He wants to experience the summertime, and play with the other kids.” Essentially an anthem for pens down and vibes up.
Mr Nation Thingz may sound unfamiliar to some, but he’s amassed nearly half a million followers on Instagram and regularly draws large crowds at his performances. He broke onto the South African music scene in 2021, but his first major hit ‘Tholakele’ became a national success in 2023. When he began working on ‘Hade Boss’ his first instinct was to send a direct message to DJLag on Instagram to collaborate on the track, and the rest is history.

DJ Lag x Mr Nation Thingz x Hade Boss Single Cover

Also featured on the track is KC Driller, a DJ, producer and songwriter who has previously collaborated with DJ Lag on their joint hit ‘Shululu’, featuring Loki.
 DJ Lag is no stranger to releasing national hits, with his most recent collaboration with Blxckie becoming a local sensation.Starting 2024 with a banger, ‘Hade Boss’ is set to become the anthem for this year’s summer.

Listen to ‘Hade Boss’ HERE

Connect with DJ Lag:
X (formerly Twitter): @RealDJLag
Instagram: @realdjlag
Facebook: @realdjlag
Tik Tok: @realdjlag
YouTube: @DJLAG

SA Producer MrMilkDee releases new single titled ‘2 Positions’ ft. Jill Rock Jones, Remixed by Sean McCabe

Jan 26, 2024 | New Release, Music

Foliage Records presents its first release for 2024 with a welcome return for US singer songwriter Jill Rock Jones, who has teamed up with upcoming South African producer MrMilkDee for the single ‘2 Positions’. Adding weight to the package is multi-talented UK producer and remixer Sean McCabe.

Atlanta native Jill Rock Jones keeps it raw & digs deep with another stirring demonstration of soulful flavour whilst Sean McCabe provides layers of deep synths & jazztronic piano over those rolling percussive afro beats. Matsobane Lucasta Teffo, aka MrMilkDee, hails from Polokwane and is one of the latest emerging deep house DJ/Producers to rise to prominence in South Africa. This is Jill’s third collaboration on Foliage after previous releases ‘Tell The Story’ with Daz-I-Kue and also ‘I Don’t Like It’ Jill with The Realm.

Having released his first tracks in 2003 at the tender age of 17, Bristol-based producer Sean McCabe has had plenty of time to develop & fine-tune his sound, a trademark sound that is effortlessly soulful. McCabe has remixed the likes of Dennis Ferrer, Evelyn ‘Champagne King and Blaze whilst amassing an impressive discography of nearly 100 releases for labels like Local Talk, Strictly Rhythm, Vega Records, King Street, Tribe Records, Quantize and Dave Lee’s Z Records.

MrMilkDee & Jill Rock Jones

Listen to ‘2 positions’ HERE

Press release courtesy of Only Good Stuff

The Sanctuary of Amy Ayanda’s Music

Jan 25, 2024 | Interviews, Music

Though music has always been in Amy Ayanda’s experience, the life force within her artistry is indistinct from her journey of becoming a mother; at just twenty two years old. The creative energy required to call in a song or to grow life might seem far apart; yet, the feminine source of this principle remains the same. Amy is both an artist and a musician; with the former being her everyday and the latter – an uncomplicated, comforting companion that she shares with her husband Dean Berger and their band. I  spoke to Amy ahead of a rare and special performance for Danilo Querios’ theatre series titled ‘Quiet Live’. The next one, featuring Amy Ayanda and Kozo Zwane, takes place at The Avalon Theatre District Six Homecoming Centre on 2nd February 2024 – the site of the old Fugard Theater venue. A seated venue, it is expected to be an intimate and significant affair. 

Amy’s relationship to music tracks a sequence of sonic time-capsules; with her decade-long journey releasing music serving as cathartic conduits for growth and grief alike – and today, the garment of music that she wears is a more straightforward site of playfulness. Amy explains that, “I always loved making music, but it was more like in my bedroom. I went up to quite high grades in piano and flute in high school, but then I stopped – it was too intense for me. I painted instead and did art as a subject, which I then went to university for. My brother taught me my first guitar chords, but It was only in my fourth year at Michaelis that I released a song; I had played something I’d written a long time ago, for my friend Thor and we then developed it and put it out. The song was called ‘La Llorna’ and it did very well. It was so random – it was even picked up by Noisey Magazine.” This track captures a very specific moment in Cape Town’s music culture; with Amy’s soft vocals encompassed by poetic and pronounced lyrics – accompanied further by Thor Rixon’s signatured, textured production. It is indie-informed electro; poetic, robust and precise. As Amy notes, the music video was recorded in Thor’s room. Amy would go onto release an EP on SoundCloud that year (to have a pre-streaming age SoundCloud footprint should tell you something about Amy’s sonic path; a veteran.)

Then, something surreal would take place following this initial release and its success. Amy recalls, “I went overseas to Berlin after university, so I was around 22 years old – and I found out I was six weeks pregnant. It was a very big shock, but I had this feeling that ‘I was having this child.’ – I just knew it. Termination just did not arise as an option, even though I looked into it. Everything in me was telling me to have this baba.” As she reflects, now well into motherhood, there is a matter-of-factness that Amy expresses when sharing this part of her life. Though, one could imagine how difficult this moment might have been; as a young woman, at the beginning of their adulthood journey. At this time, Amy’s mom was very sick; so, when her mom found out via video call, Amy knew that destiny had made the decision for her. As Amy says,“My dad is an Anglican priest and I was terrified of getting in big trouble, being unmarried and pregnant. His response was just, ‘I can’t believe your mom got a picture of the scan first and I didn’t!’ He was just so happy that my mom was going to see her grandchild.” 

Music was Amy’s catalyst for moving through the many threads of change, grief and love occuring all at once in her life. As she says, when she came home to Cape Town (very pregnant) she was asked to play mainstage at Rocking The Daisies. As Amy says, “I was seven months pregnant at the point. I had no band and no idea how to perform. My partner Dean was like, ‘I will make you a band!’ – and so he got his best friends involved, with Dean on drums, Jesse Gilles as our guitarist and Daniel  Breiter who is also a guitarist and producer, and Glein Stein, on bass. They digitised the songs, so it was this mixture of electronic sounds with live instruments. I was just pregnant; really pregnant, growing this baby and performing our hearts out, with me holding my back with one hand and the mic in the other. It wasn’t difficult, it was so much fun.”

The transformative act of giving birth signalled a new beginning; and Amy’s earlier work is completely tied to becoming a young mother, noting that she’s not sure many people realise just quite how personal her earlier work is. Amy says, “I had quite a spiritual way of looking at life when I was younger. I had an intrinsic pull towards nature and going to electronic festivals that took me to other realms. I think you can see that in my work to this day, but I’m not actually that way so much any more. One of the EP’s I named ‘Ab Ovo’, which means ‘from the egg’. I started writing it when I was sitting in the clinic in Berlin, seeing young parents with children – and realising that it was so normal to have children and to incorporate them into your life. The song is me kind of talking to Dean about us doing this. The EP started then, with that song, and was finished and released when our daughter Frankie was one. At the end of the EP, there’s an appraisal and if you listen very carefully, you can hear Frankie’s voice singing in the background.” Walking between the worlds of life and death is rarely so intensely experienced by most people, with Amy saying that “at the time that I put that song out, my mom was very ill; she had cancer for 22 years, and by the time I was pregnant with Frances, it had become extremely severe. Being between that boundary of life and death was profoundly beautiful and incredibly difficult. Back then, music was very much a way to process the grief that I was experiencing.”

I ask Amy whether being an artist and a musician requires a boundary between the two? When a concept arises – how is it sorted, visually from sonically? On how her expression emerges, Amy says that “I have always had a boundary between my music and art. In retrospect, my art is about loss – and belonging, letting go of things – and tender moments that you can’t otherwise hold onto. I think my art still speaks a lot about those things. Music, on the other hand, has remained something that works in and around my life, as it happens. I have kids – and a lot going on – so sometimes I’ll sit down and just write, and then the actual recording only happens a year later. Music is this feature of how I deal with stress, it’s an outlet for how I release stored up energy. With music, I don’t have a self-imposed direction around it and that has been very, very liberating.” 

While Amy doesn’t get to perform or make music as much as she’d like, music remains a portal that is precious and necessary for her. Ahead of her Quiet Life performance, Amy notes that this is a rare moment, saying that “we get asked to play shows often but it’s just not humanly possible for Dean and I – with childcare, rehearsals, preparation – so when we do perform, it’s very much the right space and context for us.” As for the performance itself and without giving too much away, Amy notes that the first song is especially picked by her and the band for Danilo, Quiet Life’s founder; “the set is going to start with one of my favourite songs from an EP called ‘Young’, from when I was pregnant with the twins. The song is called ‘Frank’ which is my daughter’s name, and it features an ad-lib; a sound that we stumbled onto by mistake, almost secretly encoded into the track. Dean had this really weird machine at the music school that we used to produce at – and it was broken, which made this terrible sound. We realised that if we could turn it lower and compress it a bit more, it would make this really beautiful hum. So the song starts with this long note, which adds so much length. It’s Danilo’s favourite song – so we are starting with that one. We will also be doing a lot of new songs, too.”

As for the future of Amy’s music? Well, it’s a constantly evolving space. Having transmuted seismic portions of grief, Amy’s next release is her self-described favourite style; “I love sad music. I just wanna write sad shit – it’s comforting.” With a decade-long discography and transient musical career, I am left feeling the rarity of Amy’s music – a very unique space in which her music works for her, as part of her whole life. Amy Ayanda is, beyond labels and job descriptions, an embodiment of how many strands there can be for an artist to weave. 

Listen to Amy Ayanda HERE

TICKETS ARE NOW SOLD OUT for ‘Quiet Live 003’ featuring Amy Ayanda and Kozo Zwane’
Friday, 2nd February 
19h00 to 23h00
The Avalon Theatre, Homecoming Centre

Portraiture photographed by Jesse Navarre Vos

Written by: Holly Beaton

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

‘New Year, New Me’ – A realistic guide on resolutions and what’s in and out for 2024

Jan 24, 2024 | Lifestyle

Somehow, we are already approaching the end of January; the start of 2024 is racing by at unprecedented speed. Schools are up and running and corporate cubicles have already drained their occupants of all the festive joy that they had clutched to, while gyms around the country are both overcrowded and simultaneously sneering at the sheer amount of people who will have to pay penalties for cancelling their memberships early. 

New Year’s resolutions rarely stick. A Time Magazine article claims that a staggering 80% of people fail to keep to their resolutions by February and only around 8% stick with them throughout the year. I am guilty of this myself, going from a dedicated two hours of studying Korean daily to a quick toilet lesson to keep my stupid little streak alive (oh, the shame). So, instead of hanging your head in shame, think of the new year as an opportunity to pick up some new things and rethink your routine. Let’s not try and completely reinvent ourselves when we can rather take more overarching steps that benefit us and those around us.

After Hours by Shauna Summers, via DTS

IN:

Therapy as a form of self-care: This is precisely what I mean when I refer to a more overarching approach because self-care will look different for every person. It’s not all about facemasks and candles and meditating or getting to the gym. You might be the most active person with their diet absolutely dialled in, but that has led to an unhealthy and unbalanced approach to daily life. Self-care can be as simple as getting out of the house, keeping active even if that activity level is minimal and prioritising activities and actions that bring a sense of fulfilment but the one bit of self-care I’d recommend to everyone is therapy. Fuck, get everyone you can on that. Friends, family and lovers alike . Learning to understand and manage our triggers is one of the most sane and valuable things we can do for ourselves. Let’s be honest; we have no chance to look at our own lives and experiences objectively. It’s important for every human, at some point, to speak to a professional about what they’re going through, have been through and to evaluate areas of self that need healing and addressing. It doesn’t always have to be a long dramatic endeavour, for some it might be simpler than for others but check in, evaluate and evolve. It will do wonders for your personal, professional and romantic lives.  I’d also like to include in this self-care segment, physical health; getting enough sleep (guys, we’re ageing) – or, even the most banal forms of self-care like getting that mole checked out or actually going for blood tests to see if you are in fact, gluten intolerant- hell, even start on some supplements. Why shouldn’t we feel our best?

Sort of digital detoxes: Now, hold up, don’t go on that digital detox just yet. I need you to read this article for me to get paid. However, this is an important issue that I think we often hear about without truly internalising its reality. Most of us are utterly addicted to the very device you’re reading this on. We are wasting away our lives on pure screen time alone. South Africans actually average the most screen time per day globally (around 9h 27m); not that I’m surprised – I see way too many people literally scrolling through TikTok while driving on the highway. Being online is an essential aspect of modern society. It is a treasure trove of information, but once again, if you’re consuming TikTok on the highway or spending more of your day on Instagram than you are in real life, you’re getting robbed of reality. Get outdoors, give yourself a buffer in the morning before doom scrolling and set up times that devices aren’t allowed so that you can be present and, I mean, fully present for those important people around you.

All things adulting: This is most certainly the hardest of all of the in’s because, well, even at the best of times, adulting is a fucking nightmare. Taxes, rent, saving for holidays, being able to save at all in a crippling cost of living crisis while my disdain for my medical aid provider grows by the second as they increase my monthly payment every three months? All of it is too much, but unfortunately, we have to do it.. I’m trying to save up for my wedding in Korea, all while feeling like I’m in an inescapable chokehold of monthly expenses when my debit orders do catastrophic damage to my bank balance. Frankly, I’m failing, but fortunately, that is all also part of the ebb and flow of adulting. I’d like to recommend a book by Sam Beckbessinger, ‘How to Manage Your Money like a Fucking Grownup: The Best Money Advice You Never Got’. Also, do your taxes. 

Being Politically Active as a South African: This is not the time and place for an at-length discussion about politics and certainly not with regards to the complexities thereof on a global and domestic scale, but given that it is an election year and given that this election plays a significant role in determining the trajectory of our country for at least a 5-year cycle I can no longer sit by as people complain about shortcomings in SA all while silently observing from the outside. The global geopolitical chaos of 2023 illuminated the need for political participation on both a global and particularly local level. Let’s not forget that decades of oppression and discrimination were fought against for a chance at democracy, for the right for all South Africans over 18 of all races and gender identities to choose who they want to represent them. I get that we feel let down, that it feels somewhat hopeless, that it feels like nothing much will change. That is certainly true when the youth’s fate is predominantly left to those who don’t represent our interests. Around 63.3% of South Africa’s population are people in the 15 to 34 age category, according to Statistics South Africa in 2020, but we have always been vastly outnumbered at the polls. There are, however, promising signs as 78.31% (445 089) of newly registered voters from November last year formed part of this demographic. So, this is more of a call to action. I know it can be depressing and overwhelming to be constantly bombarded with just how fragile our world is. Still, whether you participate privately or publicly, we simply have to participate. See you at the polls.

Photographed by Sora Shimazaki, via Pexels

Photographed by Sarah Chai, via Pexels

OUT:

Self-doubt: We can all be our best selves all the time. Creeping doubts are a normal part of day-to-day life. Channelled correctly, these doubts can be impactful precursors to immense growth as they tend to be reflective periods in which we can really hunker down and see what we want to keep and what we’d like to scrap. I am, however, referring more to the absolutely debilitating levels of self-doubt that feel paralysing—imposter syndrome on a professional and personal level. Let’s get this straight absolutely no one has it all figured out. No one knows what the fuck their doing, and that’s sort of the beauty of it all. There’s no need to feel left behind or embarrassed and certainly no reason to be inauthentic because, frankly, we’re all just moths flying endlessly from light to light, trying to figure shit out.

Self-destruction: I more than most often advocate for some level of hedonism, often adopting a “why the hell not” attitude and seeing where the chips fall. Unfortunately for me, that usually means a spiral into a deep depressive episode that takes weeks, if not months, to get out of, so in 2024, we are leaving all that shit behind. Look, I’m not saying don’t enjoy yourself. I, for one, am still going to indulge in my hedonistic tendencies, but the keyword here has to be balance. No more binges, body banging off the wall benders or breaking yourself down in self-pity. 

Over time/thinking/consumption: We are leaving many “overs”  this year. First and foremost is overtime. Granted, sometimes it has to be done, whether you’re an employee or self employed but once again guys, balance is key. You’re not good professionally if you’re burnt out.. Secondly, this year, we really need to leave overthinking behind. Imagine we are playing out whole scenarios before they even happen based on what assumptions, at best fucking miss me with that. I feel like I already have a million things to think of on a day-to-day basis, and simply put, I will try not to allow myself to spend a lot of that time fixated on fantasy. Last but not least, overconsumption. There simply is too much of a good thing, and wastage across the board is insane. We throw away an absolutely ridiculous amount of food, trends die, and items end up in landfills. The sheer demand for things means we are burning through crucial resources faster than they would ever be able to be replenished. So, this is a call to be more mindful. Buy smaller shopping carts and make sure you use everything, eat your leftovers, curate small but functional wardrobes, buy quality over quantity, and, most of all, be conscious of every consumer action you take. 

Not being present for yourself and others: I may have touched on this in the digital detox segment, but I mean it differently within this context. At the core of it, life is fundamentally one big game of time management. It’s finite and inevitably ends for all of us, so your job, above all else, is to choose how you will spend it. This brings me to my point: spend it wisely. Drop the “I’ll do it tomorrow” attitude because you’re only stealing your time and consuming that invaluable resource. Similarly, this also extends to respecting other people’s time. Fuck fashionably late, be there when you agreed on and be present. Time is the most valuable asset, so don’t neglect it.

Photographed by Ron Lach, via Pexels

Let me level with you. I’m not surprised that the failure rate of New Year’s resolutions is that high. Frankly, I don’t think people are all that desperate to change. We are a collection of flaws and frailties of self-loathing and doubt. We are acutely aware of all our shortcomings, but at the end of the day, they make us who we are. I don’t expect anyone ever to completely turn their life around and become a gym freak, a raw vegan health nut who never does anything wrong. Hopefully this is a guide on how you and I can be even more likeable to ourselves and those around us.

Written by: Casey Delport

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

Smalltown Beat’s stripped back and pristine experience

Jan 23, 2024 | Music, Community

Festival culture is intrinsic to the human experience. It seems that beyond the more mundane requirements for survival; people share a common, instinctual pull towards gathering, connecting and dancing – bathed in auditory waveforms, in the pursuit of freedom. In the last three decades, South Africa has developed a richly embedded and diverse festival culture; from the smallest, unknown parties to the biggest meetings of genres and sonic disciplines, held across the country’s surreal array of landscapes. While the genesis of crafted and curated festival, Smalltown Beat, by co-founders Brendan Rodgers, Luke Hunter and James de Beer, is an offering towards South Africa’s festival lineage; it is also decidedly something new; stripped back and pristinely intended, as a festival focused on how soundscape and landscape can intertwine, uninterrupted. 

Smalltown Beat was founded in 2018 with the view to interrupt the seemingly selected, exclusive nature of the electronic music scene; the way in which certain artists break in, while others remain outliers until their moment (hopefully) comes. For the Smalltown Beat founders, there was simply to much profundity and complexity arising out of South Africa’s music scene for this seeming imbalance to go unchecked – as Brendan explains, “James and I met at university – despite being in the same class, we actually only met and became friends on the dancefloor at a club – we went onto run events together, later joined by our other co-founder, Luke. We managed Kinky Disco together and when that came to an end, we saw a need in the electronic music scene and festival space in Cape Town, specifically for a platform for younger, less known artists who weren’t able to break into the circles of the bigger festivals and line-ups. Smalltown Beat was created to fill this niche. Our first edition hosted 15 collectives, across three dancefloors and there was a feeling that this was definitely something special.”

 

Sandrien Spotlight No Text

Smalltown Beat, 2022.

This is why, perhaps, since its founding; Smalltown has emerged to hold a cult-like following – your favourite producer’s favourite festival, as it were.  Brendan mentions the cessation experienced (by most) due to the ‘lost years’ of the COVID19 pandemic, saying that “in our second year, we grew quite a bit and doubled our attendance, which allowed us to upgrade the festival and refine production. Then the pandemic hit and we couldn’t do anything for close to three years.”

When Smalltown Beat returned in November 2022, their vision had been transformed; perhaps this was from the restraint of the pandemic, in which the concept of ‘less is more’ became a guiding principle for the founders. The shift for Smalltown Beat is that it is now presented in a minimalistic aesthetic. In the kaleidoscopic terrain of festival culture; this pared back, bare-bones approach is a defining feature of Smalltown’s offering and commitment to simplicity, executed exceptionally. As Brendan reflects, “a lot had changed when we returned. Our entire view on festivals and how they should operate somehow changed – so Smalltown’s entire aesthetic started to shift, as a result. After the pandemic, we lost our venue and that was a very difficult hurdle to overcome. I ended up reaching out to our friends, the organisers of Search, to ask if we could use their venue as an interim stop, as we look for our own home. They were very kind in letting us do this.”

In anticipation for their next edition – over three days commencing on 9 February – Smalltown Beat will be consecrating their new, permanent home. The mystical landscape of the Overberg (a favourite region of South Africa’s festival scene) sees Brendan, James and Luke inaugurating Smalltown’s future at Vadersberg Farm. Finding Vadersberg Farm has unlocked a new, temporal outlook for the festival – as Brendan says, “it’s this beautiful spot between Caledon and Napier, sitting just on a hilltop between a pine forest, with amazing green pastures. The owners have been incredible; it’s so rare to find venue owners who are willing and open to work with you on a long-term plan, especially around making permanent alterations to the land that ultimately benefit both of us. We have more than enough space to grow.”

 

Ogazon

Off The Meds

ItaloJohnson

While there are many, many factors involved with creating a festival; Smalltown Beat’s essence hinges on their sonic offering. Despite being a young festival, their roster and relationships with international and local artists alike have provided them with incredible repute. Notably, Brendan explains that “we have an amazing bill of artists this year. We have Ogazón – who I can’t call a rising star anymore, after the year she had in 2023. Ogazòn made numerous appearances at many of Europe’s top venues and festivals in 2023 along with regular appearances at venues such as Berghain, which is a testament to her skill and a clear indication of consistency.  As good a DJ as she is, she’s an even better person. Ogazón actually played at Smalltown Beat in 2022 and we are really excited to welcome her back in 2024.” Then, the Saturday evening will prove to be a full-circle moment for Smalltown, as Brendan notes that “we have ItaloJohnson playing, who are a legendary act in underground circles across the world. They were completely anonymous for about ten years, no one knew who they were – in every single interview, they never gave their names – all the pictures were the back of their heads. ItaloJohnson actually influenced a lot of my view on electronic music culture, because for them it really is about the music. So, to book them after listening to them after eight years is a dream come true. I think when they start playing on Saturday, I’m going to start crying.”

The Smalltown sonic manifesto is simple, “we’ve put a lot of emphasis on the curation of the music. We really try to make it as cohesive as possible, but with a good sense of dynamism and a wide variety. The attention to detail and quality of production is our primary focus – so that our array of artists can perform to the best of their ability.” Smalltown Beat 2024 will spread across two dancefloors. On the first floor, Brendan describes the space as ‘the lighter side of things’ – with live acts such as iconic jazz collective Kujenga, Swedish and South African experimental, electronic DJ/rap group Off The Meds, as well as DJs and producers offering house, disco and so on. As is Smalltown Beat tradition, the Saturday night will be held by Cape Town collectives, Slow Down and Atom, in a seance-style long-form set, playing from 2am to around 9am , as Brendan says, “they get the entire dancefloor under their spell, its trance inducing – Slow Down and Atom are an integral part of Smalltown.” On the ‘darker’ side, the second floor is set in the pine forest; a forest-floor encompassed by electro, techno, house and other genres – sometimes blended together within each set, focused on club-style and higher-energy sounds during the Saturday evening.

Smalltown Beat 2024, Line Up

Sandrien Spotlight No Text 

Limited to 2000 to 2500 people, Brendon notes that “we’re very aware that festivals are a financial luxury. Not a lot of people who enjoy electronic music have the opportunity to attend, so we have created subsidised tickets.” For food and drinks; Smalltown has invited an array of incredible vendors; some familiar to the festival, and others new. In collaboration with One Park’s newest venture, low-intervention wine bar Jazz Pony, the festival will be offering a selection of natural wines as a smooth accompaniment to the weekend; a new offering beyond our beloved papsak culture. This drive towards refinement leaves Smalltown Beat as forging a path for a local offering that has legs to become a continued cult-favourite; perhaps whispered in passing between vanguards of music across the planet – “have you heard of this forest festival that erupts down in South Africa, every year?”. 

Limited but not exclusive; intimate and purposeful, with no less force of bounce than the biggest dancefloors across the world. Magic. 

Tickets are limited, purchase HERE 

Smalltown Beat 4th Edition 
9 – 12 February, 2024
Vadersberg Farm, Napier, Western Cape

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

‘EXHIBITING FRESHNESS’ – WOOLWORTHS PRESENTS #STYLEBYSA WITH OLIVER ‘SCUMBOY’ POHORILLE

Jan 22, 2024 | Fashion, Community

In 2014, South African retailer Woolworths (affectionately known as Woolies) launched StyleBySA, a groundbreaking competition showcasing how style and fashion is represented in South Africa; ten winners were selected to showcase their own edits, through their own lens. This series, #STYLEBYSA, continues as a celebration of this legacy thereafter into 2024 (check out the Spring Summer 2017 iteration, here).

So, when we talk about a synergistic relationship between brands and the creative wayshowers of South Africa; Woolies were among the first to be fully, locally focused. In 2024, #STYLEBYSA is back, with Woolworths revisiting their focus on a new generation of creatives as embodiments of the curated essentials and sartorial elevation for which the brand is so known and loved. 

Through a personal campaign featuring (and created by) 3D designer and creative director, Oliver ‘Scumboy’ Pohorille, Woolworths signal the call to step into 2024 armed in the cosy comforts & clean sophistication of their New In menswear drop. This campaign series is Woolworths’ love-letter to creatives – rooted in a commitment to showcasing their creative autonomy and ingenuity. For Oliver’s campaign, this meant free-reign to situate his New In edit in his ever-evolving, digital universe; a universe so magnanimous, Oliver was recognized in 2022 as part of Dazed Magazine’s Top 100 creatives in the world, and has worked with global brands such MTV, Nike, Puma and Paco Rabanne.

In a digital, visual artwork layout, Oliver’s edit exhibits how fashion has the potential to be integrated into the digital age, specifically through his technological medium and groundbreaking artistic skillset. Oliver describes what informed the development of the campaign, “I am able to create worlds with the software that I use – and I was specifically drawn to the idea of ‘newness’ and this being launched in the new year. Something that I really love is taking nature as a guide for my work. Nature has this beautiful way of exhibiting freshness, especially in the coming and going, and waxing and waning of life. I based this piece around natural environments that you might see on another planet. I’m always looking to juxtapose nature with urban environments; so cinder blocks and nature intertwine. Kind of like Cape Town, actually, where nature and cityscapes live so closely together.” 

Oliver’s edit is the essential Back to Work, Back to Life sartorial roadmap that we need; a mix of athleisure and smarter pieces that prioritises comfort, with an edge that can mix and match; basically, the perfect uniform for creatives. 

Oliver explains that he has “failed and succeeded a lot in my life – more failures than not, but those failures have taught me to be who I am and have led to where I am now.” and going into the future for 2024, Oliver shares his vision for the country, saying “my hope is for unity. We work better when we’re together, there’s no place like South Africa, we have so many creative and intuitive ideas that are unique to us – if we can sort out the widespread issue that we face, our potential is unlimited.” 

With the energy of this campaign defined by ‘newness’, we see this spirit as the dynamic pursuit of experiences and ideas; let 2024 be full of newness, freshness and innovation. As Woolworth continues their path of constant reinvention and evolution, we welcome the return of #STYLEBYSA  – and the creatives who are shaping the sartorial language of South Africa.

SHOP OLIVER’S #STYLEBYSA EDIT HERE 

Written by: Holly Beaton

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

The Rise of the Sober Curious Movement

Jan 18, 2024 | Lifestyle, Community

I was at a lunch over the weekend in which I experienced the most exceptional array of non-alcoholic cocktails, paired with a tasting menu. As a sober person, this is a rarity; traditionally, non-alcoholic beverages have erred on the side of either non-existence or mediocrity. Today, this is not so. With the rise of non-alcoholic beers, spritzers, wines – even spirits – it is easier than ever to mindfully socialise, still with a cute and yummy drink in hand. This is the essence of the ‘Sober Curious’ movement, a term popularised by author and speaker Ruby Warrington in her book, “Sober Curious: The Blissful Sleep, Greater Focus, Limitless Presence, and Deep Connection Awaiting Us All on the Other Side of Alcohol.” After an intensely festive holiday season, many are undertaking the yearly ritual of ‘Dry January’; itself a kind of sober curious practice, in which not drinking alcohol is the perfect new year reset. 

I must preface this piece by stating that I am not intending to address addiction or alcoholism; though, I am sober because I am an addict. My sobriety is not out of curiosity or specific ‘choice’ per se; when I pick up a drink or drug, all bets are off and my life becomes a series of volcanic eruptions, with me as the veritable lava creating chaos in my path. Believe me, I have years of experience with this. So, though I wouldn’t consider myself part of the sober curious movement, I do have some pretty direct lived experience as a fully sober person; I hope it gives me some kind of legitimacy to walk you through a life beyond alcohol.

Photographed by Caldo, courtesy of DTS

Alcohol is considered the most socially accepted mind-altering substance in the world and despite my own journey, I strongly believe that any consenting adult should be able to clearly choose how they alter their minds and with what, providing it does not impede on their wellness or the wellness of others. The pervasiveness of alcohol consumption in the 21st century is founded in a variety of factors; some ancient, some modern. From the brewing and fermenting cultures of Mesopotamia in 4000 BCE, we see some of the earliest indications of beer production in The “Hymn to Ninkasi,” a Sumerian poem that serves as both a religious ode to the goddess of beer, Ninkasi, and a practical guide to brewing. Alcohol consumption has had a firm position as one of most socially and ritually rooted acts as human beings. Mix this with the economic impact of alcohol today and the fact that it’s a really, really great social lubricant; it’s easy to see how alcohol’s influence on society has seemed unshakable. 

Last year, the World Health Organisation declared that studies have found that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for human health. Now without any fear-mongering, what this means is that alcohol is a risk no matter how or what you consume – not even the ‘glass of red’ typically associated with Mediterranean diets, that was once purported to enhance cardiovascular health. This does not suggest to people that they should stop drinking, as the benefit that alcohol can yield is more ‘quality of life oriented’; such as the social experience, or the deep interest held by wine or whiskey connoisseurs alike. It is just worth noting that alcohol is risky, and with any risky behaviour, mindfulness is the best space from which to make any decisions. 

Our relationship with alcohol should be a mindful one and this is what the sober curious movement focuses on. Without any shame or guilt, choosing to explore varying forms of sobriety is asserted by awareness of our body, mind and what we want our lives to look and feel like. I am a big advocate for any and everyone to evaluate their relationship with alcohol; is it possible to find deeper connection to ourselves and others, without alcohol, or at least with less alcohol? How much of the drinking that we do, is out of conscious choice and how much of it out of  habit or social normativity? The sober curious pathway hinges on the words ‘curiosity’ – an open-ended exploration that is inquisitive and sensitive in nature, without any requirement to choose and maintain any particular decision. This sense of self-determination is what can make choosing to weave sobriety (whether specific days, periods or overall) into one’s life so empowering.

Cutting down on booze can lead to notable improvements in physical health, such as enhanced sleep quality, increased energy levels and greater physical resilience (especially when pursuing fitness or health goals). We also know that alcohol is classed as a central nervous system depressant, meaning that alcohol slows down the activity of the brain and nervous system, leading to an overall reduction in brain activity. So, a result of more time spent sober is very likely to lead to improved mental well-being, clearer thinking, heightened cognitive function and emotional stability – and if there’s one thing I do not miss about drinking, it is the next-day-anxiety or hangover demons.

Mindful Mess photographed by Shauna Summers, courtesy of DTS

Our culture seems to be pursuing health and wellness as cornerstones of living a good life; with increased focus on quality and longevity. It also seems that sober curiosity is forming part of an exciting new wave in the beverage industry; with ‘mixology’ taking new heights as explorations of taste, scent and health-benefits. I think of Bella Hadid’s Kin Europhics brand, self-described as ‘non-alcoholic, functional beverages’ which include adaptogenic, nootropic and botanical ingredients to assist with stress management, brain function and sensory pleasure. How cool? 

Sober curiosity as a conversation has been a hot topic at trend analytic giant WGSN’ – their Create Tomorrow podcast released an episode last year titled ‘Low & No Alcohol – The Sober-Curious Movement’, featuring a really interesting conversation between Executive Editorial Director Bethan Ryder, Director of Food & Drink Jennifer Creevy and Food & Drink Strategists Rachel Tan and Millie Diamond. Rachel Tan noted that in their analysis of consumer and brand trends, “when people are thinking about low-and-no drinks, they mostly think of dealcoholised beer or de-alcoholised wine, non-alcoholic versions of classic cocktails. But what we’re forecasting is the premiumisation of this category and the rise of new non-alcoholic classics that can stand on their own two feet, so more sophisticated options offering complex flavours, mature drinking experiences, but without alcohol and without imitating alcohol.” 

Additionally, Millie Diamond spoke to the ‘Kin Europhics’ effects, in which people are using non-alcoholic drinks as a sophisticated method to explore functional ingredients like mushrooms and CBD, noting that “another quick thing that we called out in terms of premiumisation is functional ingredients. So different varieties of mushroom like reishi to reduce stress, or cordyceps for an energy boost. Kava, CBD and cannabis are also being used as mood boosters. So replacing the alcohol content with ingredients that add multiple different benefits, particularly for mental health.” When exploring your sober options, it’s important to note that non-alcoholic drinks contain no alcohol (0.0%) while dealcoholized drinks, on the other hand, undergo a process to significantly reduce alcohol content (typically <0.5%) from original alcoholic beverages like beer or wine. The terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but non-alcoholic implies an absence of alcohol, while de-alcoholized suggests a reduction in alcohol content.

Locally, there are myriad of options emerging in the alcohol-free space; whether its my favourite beer, Devil’s Peak Hero, or a yummy Kombucha by Culture Lab (they even did a functional mushroom collab with Aether Apothecary last year) while spaces like Drink Nil, a one-stop shop for local non-alcoholic beverages – encourage a sensory curiosity beyond your favourite booze. Then, there is a CEC favourite DOPE, a CBD-infused spring water drinks; and brands like Seedlip,  your answer to non-alcoholic spirits and bitters – as well as The Duchess, the best non-alcoholic G&T you could fathom. The practice of mindful drinking has never been more exciting or consumer-led; so get creative, get mixing and wake up after a night out, feeling better than ever. We love to see it.

Photographed by Ivan Resnik, courtesy of DTS

Disclaimer: 
This article is intended for informational and exploratory purposes only. It does not aim to provide guidance or support for individuals dealing with substance use disorders or alcohol addiction. If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol-related issues or substance abuse, we strongly encourage seeking professional help from qualified healthcare providers, counsellors, or addiction specialists. 

This article does not replace professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and the content is not designed to address specific personal circumstances. The focus is on the cultural and social aspects of sober curiosity, promoting a mindful approach to alcohol consumption without intending to minimise the seriousness of addiction. Always consult with appropriate professionals for personalised guidance and support related to substance use disorder.

 If you feel you might have a problem, please refer to the following resources:
Alcoholics Anonymous South Africa’s helpline 
Narcotics Anonymous South Africa’s helpline 
South African Depression and Anxiety Group helplines

Written by: Holly Beaton

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

All the pictures and notes you need to see from last night’s Louis Vuitton Men’s FW24 show

Jan 17, 2024 | News, Fashion

LOUIS VUITTON MEN’S FALL-WINTER 2024
Men’s Collection by Pharrell Williams

PARIS TO VA / The Fall-Winter 2024 Men’s Collection
The Louis Vuitton Fall-Winter 2024 Men’s Collection illuminates the roots of the American Western wardrobe. Travel – the Maison’s core instinct and eternal expander of the mind – takes centre stage in an exploration of the origins of workwear through the savoir-faire of Louis Vuitton. Employing the finest craftsmanship – from precious gems to hand-painting and expert embroidery techniques – the collection shines light on the iconography of American Western dress. The vision includes creative exchanges with artists from the Dakota and Lakota nations across sound, staging and elements of the collection, as well as the American bootmaker Timberland. It is a quest founded in the LVERS community, which is perpetually at the heart of the Maison men’s practice.
 
THE LVERS’ VISION / An artistic ecosystem
From idea to execution, clothing is conceived within an ecosystem of creativity reflected within our most familiar wardrobe staples. Every garment and accessory embodies a cross-pollination of minds and skills. Nurtured by water and sunlight, seeds become roots and turn into flowers. This synthesis is mirrored in the contemporary mechanics of the Louis Vuitton Studio Prêt-à-Porter Homme, its ateliers and collaborators where humans of different backgrounds work together on a shared LVERS vision. It is a state of mind founded on warmth, wellbeing and welcome-ness, which echoes the view of a global community connected by an appreciation for the core values of the Maison: discernment, savoir-faire and travel as an eternal source of vitality.

THE FIRST COWBOY / Workwear
Savoir-faire honours the workwear intrinsic to the American Western wardrobe. Denim is iced with pearl-and-sequin floral embroideries, gunmetal-washed and adorned with sunbeam and rain beading, or printed with Western floral motifs. Chaps manifest in denim or fringed leather studded or embroidered with Monogram and florals, while leather jackets and trousers mimic the embossing of saddles. Plaid morphs with Damier in a Buffalo Check interpreted in brushed flannel, tweed, sequins and shearling intarsia across coats, jackets and shirts. Blanket coats and gilets are emblazoned with cowboy Monogram, pyjamas are crafted in cowboy lace,  and a tweed jacket appears in cowboy-infused ‘horsetooth’. Original cowboy paintings are adapted into jacquard tapestry employed in raincoats, dry canvases used in a rope-embroidered jacket, or prints on garments aged as if eroded by the prairie sun.

THE AMERICAN DANDY / Tailoring and shirting
The Louis Vuitton dandy evolves through the American Western tradition of dressing up. Approached through a country lens, suits and shirts are chain-stitched with the cacti, bucrania and bolos of Western imagery. Workwear silhouettes transform into tailoring in vaquero jackets with hand-embroidered metallic cuivre florals, work jackets with multi-colour sunbeam beading, and suits with pinstripes or Damier chequers created through metal-studding or turquoise embellishment. Dungarees – the jewel in the workwear crown – are celebrated in fine tailoring fabric. Western shirts amplify the yokes, rivets and floral embroideries inherent to the genre, while others appear in cowboy Monogram jacquard, cowboy lace, Western prints, or garlanded with soutache embroidery on chambray.

TIMBERLAND / Collaboration
In a collaboration with Timberland, a series of American work boots are interpreted through the creative lens of Louis Vuitton and the savoir-faire of its Italian factories. A classic industrial boot is proposed in wheat-coloured or black waterproof scrivante nubuck lightly embossed with the Maison’s Monogram, also echoed on the back of the tongue. The boot likewise appears in pebble nubuck and super-grained buffalo nubuck versions. The same expression expands into a silhouette fifteen percent larger than the classic. Finally, a highly limited-edition of the design is crafted with eyelets and tongue pendants featuring the LV Monogram in genuine gold, and carried in Monogram canvas and plexiglass shoe trunks. The collaboration features three pull-on boots set on XL soles in wheat or black scrivante nubuck or pebble nubuck with Louis Vuitton bag pullers or brown leather ankle cuffs. A hook-laced work boot is set on an XL sole and adorned with a Monogram ankle cuff and a side zip.

DAKOTA AND LAKOTA / A creative exchange
The collection features collaborations with artists from the Dakota and Lakota nations across accessories and the staging of the show and its soundtrack. Led by the creative director Dee Jay Two Bears of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe – whose practice covers design, film, music, dance and activism – the artistic exchange builds on a decade-long relationship between Pharrell Williams and the Dakota and Lakota nations. A Speedy bag, messenger bag and travel tote are embroidered with a Dakota Flower motif symbolising beautiful roots of nature. Three Keepall bags hand-painted with parfleche motifs and imagery informed by the artworks of the bags traditionally used to carry the structures of tipis carry the Topa cross signifying the four winds of the Earth. Charms in the shape of beaded brass tassels are plumed with horse hair.

TRUNKS / Bags
The collection debuts a new heat-moulded handle bag conceived by Pharrell Williams. The Speedy appears in gem nuances and in new forms: as a studded saddle bag along with the Saumur; in Damier Navette Studs along with the Steamer; and in shades of Cowboy Boots Patchwork along with the Pochette Accessoires XL. The Steamer is re-introduced in three sizes including a large-scale 65-cm silhouette. A Damier-infused Buffalo Check Canvas features across silhouettes with cowboy hardware. Bags in Aged Monogram Canvas, Brushed Monogram and faded Denim Damier appear eroded by the prairie sun. The Damoflage pattern evolve in orange and eclipse nuances, and in a bovine Cowmooflage Canvas also interpreted in cow hair. Carved Leather bags adapt the mouldings of saddles. Special editions include book and tool bags, and Speedy and Steamer bags in hand-painted silver Monogram crocodile, ostrich Monogram, and nubuck croc.

FOOTPRINTS / Shoes
Shoes take inspiration from the work boots of the American West. Created alongside the expert Western bootmaker Goodyear in Texas, the LV Texan is an authentic cowboy boot whose stitch and appliqué decorations blend Louis Vuitton’s iconography with that of the American West. The LV Rodeo cowboy shoe materialises as a harnessed lace-up and a cowboy-belt buckle monk shoe. A streamlined round-toe Western boot, the LV Rider appears in croc, python, ostrich, suede and cow hair. The LV Footprint slipper with its paw-embossed sole takes on a new furry manifestation. The materials of the collections are applied to high and low versions of the LV Snow boot and the LV Maxi Trainer. The collection debuts a new technical rubber boot in the Damoflage pattern with a chequered sole.

GEAR / Accessories
Parfleche blankets and Dakota Flower scarves are created with artists and artisans of the Dakota and Lakota nations. Cowboy hats appear in leather with belt-buckle hat bands, Cowboy Boot Patchwork leather or python, straw with braided leather cords and turquoise adornment, and wool with turquoise studding. Leather caps adapt the buckles and stitching of cowboy boots, turquoise-embellished denim caps are eroded as if bleached by the prairie sun, and cowboy boot toe tips grace the visors of cow hair caps. Leather gloves are printed with American Western tattoo motifs, turquoise-studded cow hair gloves nod at dandy dressing, and suede work gloves are decorated with workwear labels.
GEMS / Jewellery
Informed by 19th century parures, the collection’s jewellery proposal is constructed in genuine turquoise. A necklace in turquoise and zircons – with a matching ring and earrings – is echoed in the construction of a cowboy bolo. In turn, bolos transform into necklaces with antique finishes and turquoise cabochons, and also materialise in braided leather. Hand-crafted logos and lasso brooches appear in zircons and enamel. The Louis Vuitton rope chain evolved in new ringlet construction on bracelets set with turquoise, and are also incorporated into pearl necklaces. Saluting the cowboy, rope motifs further feature as engravings on silver rings and in the texture of earrings with turquoise settings. A new fine silver link chain inspired by rope makes its debut in supersized dimension.

CHROMOTHERAPY / Sunglasses
The Millionaires sunglasses first created for Louis Vuitton by Pharrell Williams and Nigo in 2004 are adapted in three new editions. Proposed in a carbon fibre version, the 3.0 Millionaires are created in a timeless pilot silhouette with colour-tinted lenses created for chromotherapeutic purposes. The limited-edition 3.0 Millionaires Diamond are set with genuine diamonds and crafted in white gold, enhanced by the lightness of carbon fibre. The 1.0 Millionaires appear in a variety of nuances with antique gold or silves lines along the frames. Adorned with turquoise, rivets and studs, leather sunglasses salute the signatures of cowboys. The collection features a number of singular metal-framed sunglasses with frame adornments and turquoise- or sand-coloured double- lenses, inspired by the iconography of the American West.

RON HUSBAND / Filmic prelude
The Louis Vuitton Fall-Winter 2024 Men’s Show opens with a filmic prelude directed by Bafic. Capturing Ron Husband at work, it illuminates the American character animator as he sketches his vision of the first cowboy – a subject central to the collection – and reflects on themes of human relations, cultural impact and the American West. Born in California in 1950, Ron Husband worked for Walt Disney Animation Studios for 38 years and counts characters from The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King among his accomplishments. He is considered one of the most influential artists of the genre.

WINTER COUNT / The performers’ wardrobe
The Louis Vuitton Fall-Winter 2024 Men’s Show features a performance by the Native Voices of Resistance, a powwow group comprised of singers from Native American nations across North America. Created in collaboration with artists and artisans from the Dakota and Lakota nations – from designs conceived by Dee Jay Two Bears of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe – the garments worn by the performers are adorned with modern-day winter count motifs tracing the story of the collaboration and the creation of the collection through the visual language of glyphs.

LOVE / Soundtrack
The soundtrack features four original pieces: The Spirit of Saturday Night Live by the Native Voices of Resistance x Pharrell Williams (composed by Lakota “Hokie” Clairmont and Pharrell Williams); Good People by Mumford & Sons x Pharrell Williams; Shotgun Wedding by Pharrell Williams x Jelly Roll; and Doctor by Pharrell Williams x Miley Cyrus.

Imagery courtesy of LOUIS VUITTON MEN’S FALL-WINTER 2024 © Louis Vuitton – All rights reserved

Press release courtesy of avenue

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

Themba Mbuyisa on Why Creating is a Lifelong Act of Learning

Jan 17, 2024 | Interviews, Creatives

Themba Mbuyisa is one of South Africa’s most decorated young photographers – with a decade long career and a variety of accolades and residencies to his name. Though, Themba is the first to tell you that he’s still figuring it out. Figuring out one’s artistic point of view tends to impress upon us that we indeed should have it all understood; before the work even begins. Over the last ten years, Themba has walked between the worlds of highly stylised, editorial works and a personal affinity (or rather, calling) to use his lens for documentarian, archival purposes. This speaks to a commitment of deep learning and trust; that for Themba, he didn’t need to know why he was drawn to image-making. He simply had to create. 

Themba’s accolades include being a Sasol New Signatures 2016 finalist, the ELLE Magazine Style Reporter 2016 award winner, recognised as by Mail and Guardian 200 young South Africans to watch list in 2016, a 3rd place National Award from the World Photography Organisation at the Sony Photography Awards in March 2015 – and participation in the Rural.Scapes – Arts Residency in São Paulo, Brazil, to name a few.  Then, Themba made history as the first African photographer to reach the finals at the 32nd Villa Noailles Fashion and Photography festival in Hyeres, France, in 2017. All throughout this, Themba’s edification as a photographer was underway; with each moment building upon a point of view that led him to redefine the purpose of his work. More on this, later. 

‘young men’ by Themba Mbuyisa.

Mpho Sebeng by Themba Mbuyisa.

Photographed by Themba Mbuyisa.

In 2012, Themba left a degree in BSc Mathematics, explaining that “I found photography through fashion. This was about a decade ago – I was surrounded by people who were into fashion, mostly students. I had just dropped out of Wits after a really difficult second year, so I started hanging out on the streets and connecting with interesting people. My friend, who was a fashion designer, and I went to an exhibition at a photographic school. I remember being so impressed by the energy there; in that moment, I knew I could fit in.” Without any direct professional photographers within his proximity, Themba knew that he had to figure out this pathway with neither guidance nor idols to look up to; though, he was inspired by his childhood memories, saying that “the only reference of photographers that I had were the guys that sat by the mall and used to photograph us as kids, and we’d pay them for the prints – or, those guys that walk around the township with their cameras and they’d come into family events and bring us small copies of the photos. I knew that there was something about photography that connected people and that told stories of people’s lives.”

I used the term ‘calling’ earlier and while we tend to refrain from allowing the merit or depth of someone’s work to be defined by the accolades they receive; it is remarkable that in just two years, the ripple effect of Themba’s work had spun outward – across the world. This is certainly a calling – a kind destiny, articulated by Themba’s curiosity to simply see this intriguing artform through. As Themba notes, “going from a BSc in Mathematics to pursuing photography was an act of bravery, I see that now. All I did was do the work; it sounds simple, but showing up and doing the work is what led to my work being seen by wider audiences here and around the world. I had to trust that this was a pathway to make a living and to be creatively fulfilled, at the same time. I took it a day at a time, a week at a time – and now, it’s been over ten years.” 

Refiloe by Themba Mbuyisa.

Amen Concepts 2022.

For Themba, there was a dichotomy in his artistic development; a pull in two directions that seemed to exist in opposition, with Themba describing that “I had two views for a long time. I saw fashion editorials and campaigns as one thing and then portraiture and documentary story-telling as another thing. That has been my battle, I think. In the beginning stages of my career, I did a lot of self-portraiture which led to a lot of awards and residencies. Locally, this kind of documentarian theme wasn’t financially sustaining, so I balanced it with fashion and lifestyle photography, particularly through my relationship with Elle Magazine. In the beginning, I didn’t do a lot of personal work – rather, it was instant bodies of work that would be published. I think a lot of creatives start this way, and find themselves pursuing longer, developed personal works further down the line.”

One of Themba’s most recent bodies of work, Colours in Soweto, can be seen here and is  a sartorial and architectural symphony – celebrating the iconic neighbourhood of Soweto and African dress sensibilities – by photographer Themba Mbuyisa and stylist Mpume Mdunge.⁠ Themna explains that “Colours in Soweto is a synthesis of this ‘battle’. Its fashion, but with the backdrop of Soweto – it focuses on the Black community in many different ways – the images are trendy and current, but it has the power to spark conversation around history and culture. I see now that the two views can merge to be powerful stories.” I ask Themba how, after ten years, when most people start to feel like ‘veterans’ in their industries; is he able to connect with what more he can do? Themba answers, saying that “I am always learning. Photography in the personal work space deals a lot with research and the ability to reflect on that research; and then, creating something from there. The minute you think that you’ve figured it out, you immediately put yourself in a space where you are going to miss out.” It is only through reflection that Themba has been able to get to this point in which more of his vision has started to reveal itself; “the work that I’ve been doing over the years has been threaded with one thread. I can see that I have been getting better and so now, I’ve taken some time off to step back and see the whole view of what I’ve been working on subconsciously as a larger body of work. I am asking, at the moment, that in these ten years – what have I been creating and asking? How can I go forward sharing this with my community?”

Alkebulan Maxhosa AWSS22 by Themba Mbuyisa.

Themba Mbuyisa Self Portrait Nov 2023.

When asking Themba about his relationship to warmth and colour – two instinct features of his works – he shares a story that blows me away. On the privilege of being born African and pursuing photography in this life, Themba says “I went to a photography festival as a finalist and this moment happened that I will always, always reflect on. This was in 2017 and I went as one of ten finalists. I was the first African photographer to ever be selected. One of the judges was Tim Walker – he was looking at the portfolio I had brought, which was mostly my editorial, fashion work. Though, that wasn’t the work I had initially submitted. I was nervous when I was selected – and thought I had to bring some professional work, rather than the documentarian, personal style that I had submitted for the 32nd Villa Noailles Fashion and Photography Festival. Tim said to me, ‘you have the most beautiful light in Africa. You have the privilege of waking up to the light that falls on the continent, everyday. You should use that and focus on that’. I realised I had made a big mistake, I had brought in studio work – and not the work that I applied with, which used light to tell stories of young men. I understood then that yes, being African is a privilege and my work can reflect that.”

Written by: Holly Beaton

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