Browsing Tag

Cape Town

Spotlight Feature: Tunde 2deep came in hot in his Afrobeat EDM hit, SUCCESS FEVER

Posted on 29 May 2023

Cape Town’s hottest independent artist, Tunde 2deep, elevated the emerging Afrobeat EDM scene with his euphorically mantric single, SUCCESS FEVER.

With Dancehall running right through the rhythmically intoxicating progressions, EDM beats that pound floor-filler material into the release and Tunde 2deep’s infectious brand of high-energy soul, SUCCESS FEVER is an introspective anthem that the Afrobeat scene will never forget.

All too often, high vibe anthems fail to speak to the people that need to hear that before the highs come the lows, SUCCESS FEVER conveys the fears and dark days which punctuate the journey to greatness and lets the listener know exactly how to overcome them. Regardless of the mood SUCCESS FEVER catches you in, it will be brighter once the entrancingly sun-slicked earworm has had its intrinsically rhythmic way with you.

“Afro-EDM has been gaining popularity in recent years; the hype inspired me to blend traditional African rhythms and instruments with electronic dance music. Success Fever is a high-energy track that celebrates achievements. I fully believe that greatness exists within us all; you just have to know how to unlock it; I hope this single is the key for my listeners.”

Add SUCCESS FEVER to your motivational Spotify playlists, or stream the official video via YouTube.

Follow Tunde2deep on Instagram and Twitter.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alt-Hip Hop artist Kai Thursday steers us inside his psychedelics-loaded mind on ‘350blows’

Posted on 3 April 2022

With an astute harmonious pencil streaming deeply from his visionary mind and featuring a Dennis Rodman reference, Kai Thursday shows us that he is prepared for the next step as he dreams his way into that manifestation that he knows is possible on ‘350blows‘.

Kai Thursday is a Cape Town, South Africa/Canada-based indie neo-psychedelia alt-Hip hop artist, skateboarder and music producer.

”The record is produced by longtime collaborator Hashi, formerly known as Andrew James. The music video for 350 Blows was shot, edited and directed by ingenious filmmaker, Jacob Webster.” ~ Kai Thursday

Showing us that he is headed in the right direction as he closes his eyes and visualizes where exactly he wishes to land when his intellect is back into reality after this important expedition, Kai Thursday might be one of the most fascinating artists on planet earth right now.

”350 Blows is an immersive outlook on his day to days during spring of 2021, travelling across South Africa with his skate team. A day in the life of a creative twenty-two-year-old street-fashion aficionado, experimenting with psychedelics and finding inspiration in Spielberg classics.” ~ Kai Thursday

‘350blows‘ from Cape Town, South Africa/Canada-based indie neo-psychedelia alt-Hip hop artist/music producer Kai Thursday, is a highly innovative single from a sharp mind who is floating right now as he works out what is real and what isn’t. After seeing the world for what it is – this feels like a statement track that is opening up a whole new path – from an underground artist who wants that success so badly but will never sell his soul for the sake of his priceless art.

See his innovative new music video on YouTube.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Cherry Vynil has released their optimism-imparting indie rock single, ‘Lights’.

Posted on 6 July 2021

Cape Town’s most promising indie pop-rock outfit Cherry Vynil released their latest single, Lights, which explores the meaning of life through shimmering melodies, vibrantly uplifting vocals and an anthemic level of energy.

With a sound that sits somewhere in between Bastille’s and the 1975, they’re seamlessly in line with the jangle-pop trend, but with their optimism-spilling lyricism, they well and truly set themselves apart on the airwaves.

Lights officially released on June 25th; you can check it out on all major streaming platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Find Your Spirit: South African music producer Kindred Music SA drops crisp atmospheric ambient EP to heal our souls with ‘Before We Dream’

Posted on 29 June 2021

After having our hungry bodies grooving in utter delight with his ‘Exposed‘ album from March 2021, Kindred Music SA returns triumphantly with more delightful tunes to help us replenish our lost energies with his six-track release called ‘Before We Dream‘.

Mckai Du Toit aka Kindred Music SA, is a prolific Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa-based ambient composer, DJ, and music producer. He makes that sky-gazing soundscape and thumping foot-tapping techno influenced vibe, which has you looking around calmly, and finding true peace through the ear-warming music.

”Kindred Music SA started playing acoustic instruments at an early age, inspired by rock, soul, reggae and jazz from the era of the early 60’s, up to the late 90’s.” – Kindred Music SA

All six track are rather sizzling like a tasty classic Spur burger, however particular gems must be ‘Day Dream‘ and ‘Counting Sheep‘. These are sure-fire winners that has your curious lips tingling in admiration and your blood-thirsty heart beating rather quickly – as you imagine being on that sweaty dance floor – and pulling out all those moves you have been aching to use again.

‘Before We Dream‘ from the hard-working South African music producer, DJ and owner of Pocket Food Audio named Kindred Music SA, shows us a home-studio made collection of superb songs, which will surely help you feeling so glorious again. This is a skillful musician who is clearly only getting better, as he has us daydreaming rather sweetly again.

Hear his marvelous creation on Spotify and see more of his vision via IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Taking us to a special place: Cape Town’s EMERGER dazzle brightly on the exquisite ‘Round We Go’

Posted on 11 February 2021

Back with the follow-up to ‘State of Mind‘ and oozing original creativity laced into their lovable fabric, EMERGER, take us on a colorful journey into your curious inner soul, with their excellent new single ‘Round We Go‘.

EMERGER are an ever-evolving Cape Town, South Africa-based alt-pop duo, formed by Gerry Matthee and Emma de Goede, who together make that special type of music that fills you up tenderly with hope, as you gaze happily into their carefully created sonic soundscapes, with a calm mind intertwined into your consciousnesses, breaking free after from being over-stimulated and rushed, in this fast-paced world of madness and hooting cars at every corner you cross.

”Being immersed within a tank of thousands of lights, the video portrays how the creative process can be all-encompassing”.- Emma de Goede

With consistently quality content on a regular basis, you feel like they are truly emerging on the world stage with their aesthetically pleasing music videos, crisp production and honey-tipped vocal delivery, which together fills your hungry palate with a scrumptious experience that feels outer-worldly at times.

Directed by Emma herself and with the renowned South African cinematographer Hugo Brand recruited to add his vast experience to this project, this is a marvelous music video that fills your mind up with positive energy and lets you soar into the clouds of creativity above, boosting your senses and opening your eyes to those possibilities you thought unfathomable before.

This is the story about how art can imitate a romantic relationship, with the first creative thought taking a life of its own and the different layers of complexities is something special, sometime happy, sometimes challenging, but must never be taken for granted. Learning about yourself and your chosen partner is a wondrous journey, that is meant to be discovered together through all the good and bad days.

‘Round We Go‘ from Cape Town, South Africa’s enticing alt-pop duo EMERGER, is an eager look into the present and future with an 80’s synth-pop feel, alluring your heart with luscious vocals and a beat that will make you blush in exhilaration.

See this wonderful video on YouTube, hear their Spotify music and see more visuals on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Heavy and hard: Cape Town’s Stranger of Earth scorch all doubt away on ‘Pandemic’

Posted on 16 January 2021

Stranger of Earth are back with their signature electric energy force fields that have blessed our tired souls on the hard-hitting new single ‘Pandemic‘.

Four-piece Cape Town, South Africa progressive hard rockers Stranger of Earth are a band that you hear once in your life and never ever forget. Their have a spectacular style that smashes through the fragile speakers and will thud a big dent in your bedroom walls; to certainly wake up your startled neighbors.

This is about these dark and gloomy times and how the current world is in a huge mess. Our sins have been found out and this is the liberation time when we recreate, reboot and reinvent ourselves. Some of us might of forgotten our names and what our purpose is but with these strong vocals, groovy electric bass-lines and thunderous drum melodies, your mindset will be clearer and without restrictive cobwebs.

They are a must-see when gigs open up again in the locked-down band scene in Cape Town where so many venues have been unfortunately biting the dust, due to this horrific time in the world. Whilst new bars and venues will emerge and pop up again, the motivated band have been hard at work, evolving their sound and becoming tighter as a well-oiled unit.

Stranger of Earth are so hungry and passionate on ‘Pandemic‘ and shows that their clear approach to hooks and tones is working, as they have a pure sound that gets you motivated to get up and grab that blood flow pulsating through your veins.

We live in wild times but its all made a bit easier to handle by a South African band who have a powerful sound that is world class.

Turn up the volume for this one on Spotify and see more on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Having the right mindset: Emerger guide us through the smoke of 2020 with ‘State of Mind’

Posted on 28 November 2020

The alt-pop pureness from Cape Town duo dreamers Emerger is exactly what we need to stay sane during these apocalyptic times. The squawking birds flutter around with more confidence as they can feel the earth healing from the less smoke and pollution in the sky. The calming but chilly waves offer a peaceful environment to reflect on these unimaginable times in the world, as quarantine has us all feeling like lab rats in a science experiment gone wrong.

Her voice is elegantly enticing enough to dare us to daydream again, while the natural production adds a layer of escapism from the current affairs that can consume your mind to unearth unhealthy levels of anxiously. The combination of the vastly beautiful visuals and sonically stunning soundscapes, make this exhilarating new single a mood changing experience of pleasurable proportions.

The dazzling and always well-dressed duo have been performing and recording music for many years after meeting while studying music at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Their vision and passions are forever interlocked and it feels like they take a step up each time I listen to their wonderful creations. Their humble nature only makes them more likable as in a world full of too many flashy fakes and petty posers, their dreamy alt-pop music only calms the heart rate to help you feel encouraged and brave enough to face the wild world again.

Being in the correct frame of mind is so tough right now if you don’t have a strong support system to stay positive. Luckily, we have the recently engaged Emma De Goede & Gerry Matthee from Cape Town’s Emerger to show us the way to the beach with a smile and a deliciously created beat to make us all remember how to blush again.

‘State of Mind’ teaches us that everything is going to be okay again and we all need to stay positive as love and groovy music can exist, if you want it enough deep inside your soul.

See the visuals here on YouTube and follow their music journey on Facebook and IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

ELIAZ has dropped latest single How

Posted on 22 April 2020

ELIAZ has dropped her latest piece ‘How’ through this Pop track a lot of emotion pours through the vocals and the soft instrumentation.

Pure emotion pours through the vocals as the lyrics have this poignant meaning, through the powerful vocal range and instrumentation this track is truly mesmerising and the feelings that come through the voice giving it that brittle tone.

The piano keys create this calming instrumental as the vocals get higher and higher, having that smooth texture to them, sometimes the voice tends to crack and the brittle tone comes through more so when the vocals are at a lower volume.

But ELIAZ has a wide variety of tones when it comes to her voice, she’s not afraid to take it higher and she’s certainly not afraid to push this overwhelming emotion through her voice. The instrumentation does take a bit of a turn near the end, it has this more Hip-Hop style electronic beat where the vocals have this more distorted texture to them then going back into the slow pace style, an incredible piece.

This is one to check out for sure, we can’t wait to see what ELIAZ does next.

Listen to ELIAZ How by heading on over to Spotify now.

Review by Karley Myall

Nicholas Hennink releases moving single Warriors: ‘A tribute to first responders’

Posted on 10 March 2020

Nicholas Henninks poignant track ‘Warriors: A tribute to first responders’ is truly astounding in so many ways.

A Paramedic and Singer/Songwriter who began his musical journey during his childhood, he embraced his acoustic guitar and created inspirational lyrics making his name well known in his homeland Cape Town, South Africa.

He creates music that gives those a voice of hope and the ability to be able to speak up about how they feel. It’s hard rock at it’s finest, his voice has this roar emotion behind it and it gives the track a whole different meaning, it’s so overpowering and hooks you in within the first few seconds.

It shares this heartbreaking story of what it’s like to be a first responder and the devastating things they have to go through daily. Nicholas has these compelling vocals, the word ‘Warriors’ is one that stands out from the rest, the overall sound gets heavier as he wants the audience to hear the most important parts.

Be sure to check out Nicholas Hennicl’s track and moving music video by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Karley Myall

Frances Clare – Go: Acoustic Guitar-Fueled Up Tempo Pop

Posted on 26 December 2019

“Go” is a wonderful blend of elevating mainstream pop and folk-pop. Looking at the bigger picture, Frances Clare’s sound could be best described as the meeting corner of Ed Sheeran and Alanis Morissette. Especially about the latter, I can definitely sense an influence in Frances’ singing.

Don’t you dig it when your uplifting pop music features some subtle violin? Musically, this is a song that in another life it could have been a part of Ed Sheeran’s catalog. The song’s backbone is a cute electronic beat -which doesn’t mean that there isn’t some actual drumming there. Acoustic guitar chords accompany the rhythm as well as a lucid bass line that is discreet yet completes the structure of the song delightfully.

“Go” features a happy-go-lucky, charming chorus which brings to mind images of people losing their hats to the wind as they’re driving in their convertible. If you have already started working on your beach body, best of luck to you. If you have already started working on your beach playlist, listen to this song and consider adding it. Listen here

Review by Nektarios Oikonomakis