Die Antwoord Announce New LP, Premiere "Banana Brain"

BY Gregory AdamsPublished Jul 22, 2016

After teasing the release with a mixtape a couple of months back, South African rap duo Die Antwoord have formally announced their next album release. While it had previously been given the title of We Want Candy, the outfit have given the project a zef new name: Mount Ninji & Da Nice Time Kid.

Set to be released September 16 via Zef Records/Sony, the 16-song effort is the first proper album from Ninja and Yolandi Visser since 2014's Donker Mag. As previously reported, the duo entered the studio with producer God to work on the material.

The record revisits Suck on This mixtape track "Gucci Coochie," featuring Dita Von Teese, and also features guest spots from comedian/musician Jack Black ("Rats Rule") and Little Tommy Terror. While Cypress Hill's DJ Muggs helped out a bit on Suck on This, it's the Cali hip-hop outfit's Sen Dog that appears on Mount Ninji & Da Nice Time Kid number "Shit Just Got Real."

A statement from the group explains that the album had gone through a couple of name changes before arriving at its final title. It had originally gone by Rats Rule, as "we sometimes feel like 1 level below the underdogs in this fucked up pop world," but was then changed to We Have Candy for a minuteA final burst on inspiration led to them renaming it Mount Ninji & Da Nice Time Kid.

The band explained:

Recently while we was finishing up this album another layer exploded out of our dark wild juicy core like a giant supernatural mega aura and suddenly our album was so epic and sometimes vulnerable and sometimes sweet and romantic and so brave and full of mystery and win. Like when you going through hell, and the mission feels impossible, but you not allowed to fail, and all you can do is keep your chin up and keep going, then when you least expect it you emerge from this dark never-ending hole, and... you made it! And you can't believe it, and you've changed inside and you're better and stronger and calmer and more fun than you were before you journeyed merrily in2 hell. And as we stepped out into the light, a little bruised and battered, but still ok, we blinked and tried to focus then looked at each other and laughed out loud.Then ¥o-landi said, "Why don't we call the album Mount Ninji & Da Nice Time Kid? And Ninji's shoulders relaxed and he slumped back into his chair and said, "You a fuckin genius! I love you!

You'll find a stream of the set's mashed-down dance track "Banana Brain" below, where you'll also discover the tracklisting info for the album and the remaining dates of Die Antwoord's already-in-progress tour.

Mount Ninji & Da Nice Time Kid:

1. We Have Candy 
2. Daddy
3. Banana Brain
4. Shit Just Got Real (ft. Sen-Dog)
5. Gucci Coochie (ft. Dita Von Teese)
6. Wings On My Penis (ft. Lil Tommy Terror)
7. U Like Boobies? (ft. Lil Tommy Terror)
8. Rats Rule (ft. Jack Black)
9. Jonah Hill
10. Stoopid Rich
11. Fat Faded Fuck Face
12. Peanutbutter+Jelly
13. Alien
14. Street Light
15. Darkling
16. I Dont Care

Tour dates:

07/29 Saint Paul, MN - Myth Live Event Center
08/10 Budapest, Hungary - Sziget Festival
08/12 Saalburg Ebersdorf, Germany - Sonne, Mond, and Sterne Festival
08/13 Almeria, Spain - Dream Beach Villaricos
08/14 Landerneau, France - Fete du Bruit
08/16 Gelsenkirchen, Germany - Amphitheater Gelsenkirchen
08/18 Kiewit Hasselt, Belgium - Pukkelpop
08/20 St Poelten, Austria - Frequency Festival
08/22 Prague, Czech Republic - Žluté Lázně
08/24 Zurich, Switzerland - Zurich Openair
08/26 Reading, United Kingdom - Reading Festival
08/27 Leeds, United Kingdom - Leeds Festival
09/23-26 Las Vegas, NV - Life is Beautiful Festival
09/26 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
09/28 El Paso, TX - Tricky Falls
09/30 Austin, TX - Zilker Park (Austin City Limits Music Festival)
10/02 Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
10/07 Austin, TX - Zilker Park (Austin City Limits Music Festival)
10/09 Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works
10/10 Columbus, OH - EXPRESS LIVE!
10/11 Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom
10/12 Milwaukee, WI - The Rave/Eagles Club
10/14 Indianapolis, IN - Old National Centre
10/15 Detroit, MI - The Filmmore
10/16 Toronto, ON - Sound Academy
10/17 New York, NY - Terminal 5
10/20 Boston, MA - House of Blues
10/21 Port Chester, NY- Capitol Theatre
10/22 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
10/23 Washington, DC - Echostage
10/25 Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore
10/26 Atlanta, GA -The Tabernacle
10/27 Birmingham, AL - Iron City
10/28 New Orleans, LA - City Park

Latest Coverage