Various

Ayobaness: The Sound of South African House

BY Ashley HampsonPublished Jul 20, 2010

With the World Cup wrapped up, it's the right time for Ayobaness: The Sound of South African House to make an introduction ("ayoba" being a catch phrase used in Johannesburg and the surrounding areas to describe excitement). The compilation is a platform for South African DJs to exhibit homegrown house that works on a global scale ― an eclectic exploration for artists flying just south of the radar. The album does succumb to a touch of uniformity as it progresses, the beats, percussion, synth work and vocals sometimes muddying into a continuation of a previous track. It has more than enough saving graces to make up for its folly, however. Pretoria's DJ Mujava ― whose hit, "Township Funk," was a global sensation last year, even making an appearance on Fabriclive 43 (mixed by Switch and Sinden) and Fabriclive 48 (Filthy Dukes) ― offers up "Mugwanti/Sgwejegweje," featuring crisp, rolling snares matched with a heavy bass drum and light synth work. Though most of the artists on the compilation are virtually unknown, the pulse of an expanding music community, where exploration of DJ culture is encouraged, shines through.
(Out Here)

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