What has the response been like to your invitation to musicians and producers to submit tracks, how many have you received?
The response so far has been amazing. I actually stopped counting after the first few days, when we hit about 50 submissions. By now, we’re easily on double that, which is incredible.
What do you look for in a track, how do you decide what will make the cut and what won’t?
I am fluent in different kinds of music, so I’m never restricting when it comes to style. I try to understand where people are coming from when I listen to their music.
I treat each track as a personal representation of the artist, and in that sense, I look for records that “click” – stuff that you can tell truly resonates as something more than just a collection of sounds.
I know I’m going to be helping improve a lot of the music from newcomers, but I’m not looking for polish – I’m looking for authenticity.
Ruth Cooper 8 Sep 2016
Will the style of the album be fairly consistent or are you looking for a diverse dance sound?
The album is going to be a broad slice of South African club culture, with a focus on regional niches and sonic nuances. The consistency in the album is the theme – no frills dance music. We want the release to be as diverse and representative as possible, but all the music is going to be something you can dance to, whether you like tracks that smash at 1am on a Saturday night, or tracks that gently get your hips swaying at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon.
Photography by Jono FerreiraWhat new and upcoming local artists and producers are you currently excited about?
There are too many to name, and a lot of them are already billed to be on the album. I can say that I love what’s coming out of East London via the Umgido crew. It’s a fresh spin on the already fresh Gqom sound coming out of Durban. I love watching micro-scenes burst out of the underground, because it’s where you find real innovation and excitement happening all the time.
Otherwise, my favourite South African producer at the moment is D_Know, who is equally a part of the Do Work Records, and a blazing force off on his own journey. He makes unapologetic, raw Techno, runs his own label Knowledge Recordings, and is currently South Africa’s most prolific and well-supported Techno artist for that reason, in my eyes.
What would you like to see change in the South African music industry?
South Africa needs to stop waiting until after our artists make an impact overseas before they begin supporting at home.
We have so much talent here, and the global scene is starting to take notice before we do. I’ve heard more SA club records on UK or US specialist shows than I hear on our own. I am actively trying to fix that on my own shows, but the change needs to be backed by listeners.
As a footnote, we NEED to better educate young musicians in this country about their rights as creators, how to make themselves heard, how to improve their output, and how to establish their brand. I see and hear of a lot of big names in major labels in this country sitting back and decrying the culture, and the practises that come with it, without offering a solution that can help the young South Africans that have no way of knowing better. I feel it’s cruel and telling, that a lot of the comfortable types are the ones laughing when the people on the ground fail, when there’s little avenue for them to succeed at the moment. That change, eductation and growth is something I am fighting for until I’m buried.
What advice would you give to artists struggling to break into the local music scene?
Spend as much time as you can honing your craft.
Keep sending people music, even if they don’t reply, and get used to the fact that not everyone operates the same. As much as your new finished track is the most important thing to you in the world right now, other people have other priorities, and that’s okay.
Find the people that support your music and treat them well. Build those relationships and they will go further than a play on radio here or there, or a repost online. Those are the people that matter.
Also, submit music to this album. That’s what this record is for. Equally, it’s about some bigger artists doing their thing, as it’s about giving the next generation of South African producers the platform to make their voice heard. Even if you don’t make it onto the album, don’t stop sending us your music. We’re always looking for something new and exciting, whether it’s the crossover hit of the century, or the darkest, headiest club record ever to come out your speakers.
What’s your favourite emoji?
The ‘rock on’ hands one. Y’know the one.
Tracks can be submitted via email to in MP3 format by no later than 04 August 2017. Each submission must be original, and needs to be accompanied by the producer’s full name, DJ name as well as a contact number. No DataFileHost links will be accepted, and private downloadable SoundCloud links are preferred. Samples that have not been cleared, remixed, or tracks previously featured or released on streaming sites, will not be eligible.
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