South African beatmaker/MC, Spoek Mathambo has brought a soulful new texture to his afrofuturist vision of electronic music and Hip-Hop, with his 7th album AFRO JAZZ GIANTS 1: RATAU. The album is a lo-fi adventure, bravely traversing genres, powered by Mathambo’s orchestra of bits and bobs.
With AFRO JAZZ GIANTS 1: RATAU, multidisciplinary artist and musician, Nthato Mokgata aka Spoek Mathambo presents the first part of his Afro Jazz Giants series, conceived from his long standing love affairs with Hip-Hop and South African Jazz. Mathambo has created Afro Jazz Giants as a celebration and tribute project to explore the South African Jazz songbook while creating new conversations around "classics" and "standards", as well as introducing the wealth of African jazz and funk to first-time listeners worldwide through his crafty repurposing of classic motifs.
As the title suggests, RATAU is a tribute to the late genius, South African saxophonist and composer, Mike “Ratau” Makhalemele. Alexandra born, Ratau Mike Makhalemele joined the group The Drive in the '70's, alongside Khaya Mahlangu and Duke Makasi, and recorded the first of many solo albums - 'Peacemaker', 'Walking Spirit', and 'Peaceful Eyes' - during that time.
Spoek Mathambo puts the music of the jazz legend through a postmodern crucible of culture, creating a playful, vital two-step shuffle on “Estrella Perdida (feat Batuk)” and “Hawks in Flight”; neck snapping Boom Bap on songs like “Matinyo”, and an odd synthy Hi NRG funk of his very own on titles such as “Umkhonto” and “The Blessing”.
Spoek Mathambo is a South African artist, musician, songwriter & filmmaker. With eight critically acclaimed albums in his catalogue, as well as his collaborative band projects Fantasma and Batuk, and a documentary on SA electronic music (Future Sound of Mzansi), Spoek Mathambo is a prolific creative, showcasing and stretching the limits of electronic music and hip hop.
The portraits on the album artwork for the series of AFRO JAZZ GIANTS albums is a collaboration with renowned South African illustrator Anda Mncayi. His work has been praised for its “intense colours, swirling graphics and imaginative depictions, the work is offered as a prompt for feeling. The works call for a reconsideration of worlds through the use of technology and reveling in imagination.”
Tracklisting:
Estrella Perdida (feat Batuk)
Lockdown Level 7
Ho$h Suite Pt 1 (Wakkine)
Ho$h Suite Pt 2 (Dintshang Buddah)
Umkhonto
Matinyo (The Blues of War)
Deda Bumnyama
Brothers Union
Hawks in Flight
The Blessing (Symbolic To Wisdom
Spoek Mathambo - Hawks (Micr.Pluto Flip)
CONTACT :
SPOEKSPOEK@GMAIL.COM / + 27 66 205 7900
www.facebook.com/spoekmathambo/
soundcloud.com/spoektekamusic