Oddball electro hip-hop unit Die Antwoord have announced their next album, titled Tensions. To say the least, it's been an intense couple of years for the South African rappers. The zef outfit blew up as viral video favourites before touring the world on their debut LP $0$ and even made a short film with cult director Harmony Korine, but the band faced some hardships with the death of collaborator Leon Botha.
Now, in an interview with Spin, the group revealed that they holed up in a Cape Town studio to remind them of their origins.
"We needed to stay in Africa and return to the tension we had before our success," band leader Ninja said. "By staying home the acid trip of blowing up slowly faded away. The less that was going on the more creative we were."
Neither a tracklisting nor a firm release date has been set for Tensions, but the magazine was privy to a preview of five new tracks. "Tsotsi Taal" is described as an abrasive club banger akin to dubstepper Skrillex on steroids, featuring gang-style lyrics like "I'm indestructible / Gangsta number one / The harder they come, the harder they fall."
"We wanted it to sound apocalyptic or like warfare to represent the mood in South Africa at the moment," Ninja said of the tune, with Yo-Landi Vi$$er adding, "Everyone is pissed off because all the ghettos are still fucked."
Another new song called "The Money and the Power" starts off with a poem recited in Afrikaan, but apparently swells up into a thumper, tipping its hat to esteemed Geto Boys rapper Scarface.
"He's one of our favourite gangster rappers from America," Ninja explained. "Yo-Landi was listening to some old Scarface and she started shouting that hook -- 'money and the power, money and the power' -- over and over. But then she fucked it up and changed the lyrics. He sings it in this big, dark gangster rap style. But ours has a psycho-freak-mode pop style to it."
Other tunes include "I Think You're Freaky," "Fatty Boom Boom" and "Baby's On Fire," which is not a Brian Eno cover.
Tensions is expected to drop in January.
Now, in an interview with Spin, the group revealed that they holed up in a Cape Town studio to remind them of their origins.
"We needed to stay in Africa and return to the tension we had before our success," band leader Ninja said. "By staying home the acid trip of blowing up slowly faded away. The less that was going on the more creative we were."
Neither a tracklisting nor a firm release date has been set for Tensions, but the magazine was privy to a preview of five new tracks. "Tsotsi Taal" is described as an abrasive club banger akin to dubstepper Skrillex on steroids, featuring gang-style lyrics like "I'm indestructible / Gangsta number one / The harder they come, the harder they fall."
"We wanted it to sound apocalyptic or like warfare to represent the mood in South Africa at the moment," Ninja said of the tune, with Yo-Landi Vi$$er adding, "Everyone is pissed off because all the ghettos are still fucked."
Another new song called "The Money and the Power" starts off with a poem recited in Afrikaan, but apparently swells up into a thumper, tipping its hat to esteemed Geto Boys rapper Scarface.
"He's one of our favourite gangster rappers from America," Ninja explained. "Yo-Landi was listening to some old Scarface and she started shouting that hook -- 'money and the power, money and the power' -- over and over. But then she fucked it up and changed the lyrics. He sings it in this big, dark gangster rap style. But ours has a psycho-freak-mode pop style to it."
Other tunes include "I Think You're Freaky," "Fatty Boom Boom" and "Baby's On Fire," which is not a Brian Eno cover.
Tensions is expected to drop in January.
