Meet Thakzin a musical prodigy and known pioneer of the 3-Step sound that’s taking over Afro House currently. He describes the sound as being the baby of Afro House and Amapiano. Through his innovative and forward thinking approach to music Thakzin sheds light on culture, the birth of 3-Step its future and fashion.
How did you get into music and has it always been a part of your life?
Yeah, music’s always been in my life. My father was a musician, so he’s the one who plugged me into music. I started at a very young age. Late 2010 is when I started producing but I started DJing 2009 and I’ve been doing it ever since.
When you first got into DJing was Afro House the genre you focused on, or did you start with other genres?
Yeah, it was really Afro House, I think because the genre at that time and even now is considered to be ‘a young man sport’ I think. So at home myself and my family would all have favourite genres. My mother would go for Gospel, my father would go for Jazz, my sister would go for R&B and I’d go for House and the local gem we call Kwaito.
I’m familiar with Kwaito
Yeah! That was what I was taught by my father.
With Kwaito, I have been researching a lot into the genre and with the Amapiano sound a lot of people say that the sound pays homage to Kwaito. Do you agree?
I do agree. I do agree!
From the vibe, the energy it gives even the lyrical part where it’s like free language. It’s a language that we are used to, but there’s also the simplicity of it that makes the whole thing.
I was introduced to you from the MÖRDA – Asante album, by the track ‘Ndiyekekeni’when I first heard it, I thought mmm this sounds a bit Afro Techy but it’s got a different vibe. Your name is plastered everywhere when it comes to ‘3-Step’ and you are seen as one of the pioneers of the sound.
What three words would you use to describe ‘3-Step’ in comparison to ‘Afro Tech’?
Three words to describe it? Mmm. I have a sentence, if Afro House and Amapiano were to have a baby it would be 3-Step. It’s a blend and combination of the two.
How did you go about generating and engineering the sound?
It was during covid times, 2020 where we couldn’t really go anywhere and my sound was Afro House but then later I’d go to clubs, and they’d be playing Amapiano. I’d get there, I’d play my sound and I could feel that there was a little bit of a disconnect with the crowd. So then I started listening to what was moving the people from Amapiano and I took that and I incorporated it on the Afro House sound and it sort of birthed the new thing that is, the new sub-genre 3-Step.
What would you say has inspired you musically, like when we look at the beginnings from Kwaito till now, which musicians, which songs captivate your spirit?
Yoh. It’s songs, its energies, it’s life itself. I can get inspired by just seeing someone who’s listening to music and seeing their energy and how it makes them feel. I believe music is a hidden component and for me it’sseeing the power of music and how it heals people.
That’s one thing that has always inspired me. Why do people listen to happy music when they are sad? I seepower in that, and I saw that at such a young age and by the music that was instilled in me by my father. It’s a blend of the old school and the new school and it’s about also painting the future.
I see myself as a product of the past, the present and the future. You know, I’m inspired by the past because I draw inspiration from it, from the people that have paved the way for us and the present because I listen to whatever is happening and I’m able to incorporate it. I try to paint the future and how it’s going to be, by imagining and that’s the power of music.
I agree, I think with House music it is very spiritual, even with 3-Step. It has such a vibrant sound, it’s hard to stay still. It gets the people moving and it’s uplifting so thank you for contributing to that. So!What’s next for Thakzin?
That has always been one of the most difficult questions. I always find it-
I don’t like saying what’s next you know, I like surprises.
But there’s so much to experience, even with 3-Step a vibe that is happening right now. There are so many parts of it that hasn’t been explored. You know, you go to different countries and then you listen to the music that they listen to and you’re like ooh! I can incorporate that into the music that we’re doing.
Definitely, more international features, more international connections as I don’t only want to connect the sound by what is happening in South Africa. I’ve had the privilege of travelling and seeing what is happening out there and so that is one thing I’d like to bring over.
We can have 3-Step Gospel, 3-Step R&B, that is what I see of the genre where the sound isn’t just linked to Afro House but linked to music as a whole.
Which artists or producers would you love to work with in future?
I think for me, it’s always about the energy. I wouldn’t chase a collab or a feature if it’s not reciprocal energy. I’m all about whatever comes my way I go towards.
One of the people I’d say internationally who I’ve always seen as innovative and forward thinking is Pharrell. I know it’s out of my Afro thing but he is one of the people I’d like to work with and there is also an artist in South Africa called Thandiswa Mazwai. I draw a lot of inspiration from those people because they’re not boxed in. You never know what they’re going to come up with. I like having that element as an artist where you don’t know where the next thing is going to go, but you know, it’s going to be nice.
Like Pharrell you don’t know what he’s going to drop or what he’s going to do but you know it’s going to be nice. You know, it’s that trust. That trust that I want to build with people, it’s the trust I want to build culture, I just want to have a positive contribution to the culture. Where people are able to look at me and say, ‘you did something.’ When the time comes and you go to the heavens or wherever you go, God forbid, but when you get there you have something to say. That’s me.
It’s funny you’ve mentioned Pharrell, because he’s incorporated fashion, music, culture all into one, you know even with N.E.R.D. I can see that you’re quite fashionable you come across as someone who’s on trend.
Which fashion brands would you say you’re interested in or like wearing?
I’m a huge lover of Kick, I’m a huge lover of New Balance.
I’ve got New Balance on
You see! You’ve got the vibes. It’s New Balance but I’m also liking Nike, but my biggest love is New Balance.
I mean, the trainers are comfortable. I really like them, it’s either them or Stan Smiths.
True, there’s also so much local brands from home that I’m like this is it, this is the future. I would love to support. There are so many, for me it is about wearing something that is comfortable, that will make you look good because if you look good
You feel good
You feel good yeah! By the time you’re ready to play you have nothing else to worry about but the music. You’re not like ahh I don’t like it, you know with confidence, the fashion it builds confidence in you.
Do you have a stylist or is this all you?
Unfortunately for now this is all me but all thanks to everyone who supports me. I am open to ideas to whoever may come to me as a stylist but for now it’s just me rocking what I like.
After a performance, obviously it’s hectic the vibes are there, you know you’re feeling amped up. How would you go about unwinding and just relaxing?
For me, I need just two minutes of zoning out. Those two minutes of zoning out. So, usually you see how everyone is out there right now, I’d just come to a space like this where there is no one and call above. Pray, do whatever but I need that time of just focusing on me.
Before I let you go, we’re here in London, I know it’s not your first time in London. How would you describe the London crowd as opposed to other crowds?
London feels like home! I’ve been telling the guys; I’ve had the privilege of going to different places and this place specifically feels like home. The people are vibrant, the people are willing to listen, they are willing to go wherever you want to go. Their ears are really open, they yearn for something new. It feels like a place that is yearning for something new, something innovative. So being here makes me feel like I’m really home and it encourages me to do more and explore. There’s so much diversity in this city and that’s one thing I really like and appreciate about London.
Meet Ola Zainab, an Afro R&B artist from East London who’s passionate about singing and expression, whilst describing her gift for singing as innate.
With the release of her single ‘Wandering Eyes’ earlier on this year I discuss with Ola her interests, inspirations and what keeps her creativity flowing.
How has your 2023 been?
It’s been productive! It’s been exciting and motivating compared to 2022 which was difficult.
Last year, I completely gave up on the music. I wasn’t present and so with 2023, it’s off to a fantastic start!
I’m glad to hear that you’re now in a space where you feel motivated, why wasn’t that the case last year?
To be honest, two of my closest friends had passed away and I knew it had knocked me, but I didn’t realise how much it had stopped me in my tracks. The whole situation was like ‘Argh!’
But towards the end of the year I realised I needed to take the time out and I wish I knew that earlier on in the year because I felt a lot of guilt. But I needed that time and I decided to give myself the time out so that I could then get back to feeling present.
Do you often feel like as a creative you have to be consistently on the go?
Like, there’s no time to recoup your energy and get focused?
100%. Especially with my age like in terms of the music industry I’m basically an OAP. I was teaching before, that was my career, and I was doing really well but to go from that to taking singing seriously I’m basically starting from scratch. Feels like I just have to keep on going.
But on the flip side, sometimes you need to listen to yourself because in the end you’re going to hurt yourself in the long run.
Just to flag to readers, I actually know Ola from school and since I’ve known you, you have always been singing. Tell me how you got into music and how you began this journey?
My first musical memory is actually from year 2 when my teacher was holding auditions for my school’s Christmas show. I just remember sitting on the carpet and her reaction after I had auditioned. I didn’t really understand what was going but she really liked it. She then called my parents and gave us the contact of a Saturday school for me to attend to for singing.
I have to be really grateful for my parents because they’re so supportive. There was one time I thought to quit main school choir and my mum was like ‘hell no’.
The support from church and family have always been great.
Congratulations on ‘Wandering Eyes’, let’s get into it. Where did the inspiration come from?
Okay so with writers, generally some are quite melodic, or lyrical and I’m on the lyrical side meaning I write first before I figure out a melody. I think I was either watching something or speaking to someone and they had mentioned ‘wandering eyes’ and I just thought about it and how it can be something to be explored. I thought about my experiences of being in a relationship with someone who’s not interested in you, yet they’re very much interested in everyone else.
That was the inspiration, but I knew that as much as I love R&B I also enjoy experimenting. I’m very experimental in my nature so I knew I wanted some funk in the song. I had worked with a producer and developed a beat and sound for the track. We finished recording back in 2021 but then re-recorded it again in May 2022. Didn’t touch but then it got to the end of the year and I was like, I need to release it I really enjoy this track.
Why did you not want to release back in May?
I just wasn’t ready; I wasn’t in the right mind frame. With my two other singles although I loved them, they weren’t fully me and representative of my artistry. I wanted to do this right. Not gonna lie I also did want to lose a bit of weight for the promo, but I just kept eating and eating! So, I had to just think you know what? That will come later.
You wanted to get your sexy back.
And I did get my sexy back and not in a way I had imagined. It was more of a mental thing, I just felt that I was now ready.
The track is definitely a sexy sultry song, even the beat.
Yeah, that’s what I wanted! That’s what I want to portray in my music is grown. I’m grown. I never wanted to tap into that before because I never used to believe in my sexuality. When you’re in a rotten relationship it really does a number on you and so I couldn’t believe I could be sexy. Then I thought no, this is how I feel about myself, this is how I feel about music and this is what resonates with me. It’s a song for the sexy sad girls!
How would you describe your artistry?
It’s experimental, it’s sensual, confident, and cheeky. Also, it’s really honest and the first two singles I put out did capture the honesty but it failed to capture the essence of who I am right now. I was unsure of myself and I was sort of going for what I thought would people would want but with ‘Wandering Eyes’ I just thought if you like it, you like it and if you don’t, you don’t. I’m going to find my audience and this song felt like it was for me.
I definitely do agree, I think in knowing you this song definitely encapsulates your personality.
Who would you say are your music influencers?
Solange, she’s bae. ‘A Seat at the Table’ changed my life I used to listen to that constantly from top to bottom. I’d also say Ari Lennox, Jasmine Sullivan, Rihanna of course. I think the reason why Rihanna is even up there for me is because she’s so experimental I get so excited about her albums. I just feel like that’s how music should be. I get that we have genres in terms of the business side, and you know finding your audience but essentially it is an art. You want to experiment. Things we have to say doesn’t just fit into one box.
But besides artists I get my inspiration from people around me, things I hear. It’s a mixture.
How do you deal with music blocks?
I’m quite fortunate to say I don’t usually get them. Even in my darkest days last year when I wasn’t present, I was still writing music I just wasn’t putting anything out. Sometimes I even find it overwhelming because I have too many ideas and not enough time to get them out.
This is why I think when it comes to music, I just know that this is God given and I’m supposed to do it.
Even when I have doubts and I’m like should I just give up? I realise to myself this is the only thing in my whole life that isn’t difficult in terms of creativity.
It just shows how passionate you are and how it comes so naturally to you.
Yeah, it feels innate that I can’t not do that. It literally feels like blinking, I can’t imagine myself not being able to express myself through writing or singing. It’s my medicine and I feel like it’s a way that I connect with God.
I guess this makes it harder to ask my next question but if you weren’t doing music, what would you be doing?
I’d be dead. Okay God forbid! But if it wasn’t for music, I’d probably be doing something creative. That’s one thing I’ve realised, like as we grow, we stop learning with our bodies and suddenly everything is just with our brains. I feel like especially with me discovering I have ADHD I feel like I just have to be creative or else I feel stuck. I’ve always been creative and seen the world differently. You know even with creative direction; I love that especially with music. When I create a song I think about how am I going to share this with the world visually.
With that being said, give me examples of a few music videos you really enjoy?
Erm, one of them would be my girl Gisèle – Dance & Gyrate, Rihanna – Work and We found Love. I enjoy when there’s a narrative involved, feels like you’re watching a movie. Oh! Can’t hold us down by Christina Aguilera and Lil Kim.
The ultimate feminist anthem!
Feminism started there! But also, Bootylicicous by Destiny Child I just love how fun it is with the colours too.
Which decade of music do you believe you resonate with?
The noughties, early noughties. I know people will say the nineties and usually lump it together with the noughties despite both decades being very different. But I just love the production, it’s so rich.
Let’s take Timbaland for example, there’s just so many layers with his music. Even the fashion of the noughties, you had the bling. It was extra, it was layered and over the top and that’s how I feel like the music was.
Who would you say is your favourite artist from the past and currently now?
An artist I’m currently enjoying is Victoria Monet, she is a superstar. She’s so incredible and talented. A past artist has to be Destiny Child I know it’s cliché but the impact they had, the vocals, the visuals.
Which phase of Destiny Child?
People are probably going to hate me…but my truth is Kelly, Michelle, and Beyonce. That’s the group I grew up watching, I grew to love. I can’t dance but I’d dance to their music videos, they are the ones I modelled my outfits on.
That’s what I miss from the early noughties, you had your singers who were performers. When it came to music videos the artistry, the visuals were on point. Like everything was a huge production.
Yeah, it was unapologetically cheesy and just over the top whereas I think now a lot of artists are faced with the pressure of having to maintain this act of coolness and not giving a f*ck.
I think, nowadays there isn’t so much of a market for music videos where artists are able express their creativity and capture their audience visually. Feels like there’s no music video culture.
Yeah and that’s a real difficulty because even with ‘Wandering Eyes’ we’ve actually shot a music video for it but I’m just thinking what’s the point? I mean of course there’s a point of putting it out there you know I love the concept. I love how my people came through for me to bring this production to life. But I do think do people even care about it? You know if it’s not on Tik Tok…
As an artist what do you think about having to use platforms such as Tik Tok to engage with an audience? Do you find it difficult if you aren’t on Tik Tok or if the song isn’t what people appreciate on there?
It is disheartening because you feel like you’re whoring your song out because you have to find the part of the song which people are going to like the most, use the most etc. When really and truly on Tik Tok I just want to be free and do dumb stuff. I get that some musicians may do that as a strategy, but I just want to put out music that people love and enjoy. I don’t want to have to force it down their throats, but I feel like in this day and age you have to.
Sometimes you really appreciate your song, and you don’t want to have to chop it up to appease a mass audience. I even feel the pressure when I’m writing because I am thinking will people on social media use this song? Are they going to be playing it with their ‘get ready with me’ videos? That does take out the beauty from it but at the same time that’s the realities of it you know making music is also a business at the end of the day and we have to respect the behaviours of consumers.
Although, I may not always necessarily want to. I understand why certain artists would prefer to be signed and work with labels because as an artist you don’t want to be dealing with all of that. Like, I just want to make music.
But you know me I am also a Tik Tok addict, and you find that it can also create so many opportunities for people. I’ve connected with so many amazing people and so it can be very valuable.
You’ve previously mentioned how this year has been a much better year than the last. How is the rest of 2023 looking like for you musically?
I think content is king right now with getting music out there, I’m glad I’m having this interview. My first interview! But definitely more shows, more performances. I love performing that is my safe space. No matter what, I will perform. I’d like to work with more artists, producers and experiment a bit more. I’m trying to get all the stuff I’ve written out there and maybe start writing for other musician. I just want people to enjoy the music.
Meet Hagan a British born Ghanaian producer and DJ known for his rampant drum beats and bass. With the release of his debut album ‘Textures’ Hagan is making his mark in music and recently has been nominated by DJ Mag for best album 2022.
Congratulations on the nomination! How are you feeling about that?
Wow erm, thank you so much! It was actually quite a surprise to me, I got the email into my inbox and I was like… what?! Nominated for best album 2022, where did this all come from?
As soon as I saw it I just had a big smile on my face. It took me back to recording, I’ve been recording this album for three years! As soon as I got the notification I just started having flashbacks of the last three years, going back and forth to Ghana. The pre planning the whole ideation, putting it all together, the musicians. It felt good, I’m not gonna lie the work was getting appreciated, it felt good.
Before Textures
It’s really important to reflect on the past, you being a DJ, producer, artiste…
Why did you get into music and how?
Through church, there was always a segment – praise and worship. For me praise and worship was vibes, I didn’t even see it as praise and worship. I just saw it as vibes for me to just dance. They would sing in twi and with that you know there’s naturally rhythm there, there’s movement for you to dance to. So for me I was always intrigued by why is there so much rhythm in this music? I fell in love with drums, percussion from a very young age.
Would you say drums are your favourite instrument?
Yeah! Rhythm, the rhythm section of music is what I love dissecting a lot. I had to start utilising stuff in the house and started using pots and pans just to understand about groove and different tones. From sixteen to eighteen I started playing drums in church, started playing jembe and percussion too. When I went to uni, one of my friends who was DJing at the time, he went uni in midlands and that was the period where funky house was popping. He reached out and was like “Hagan I need you to make music that I can play that’s exclusive” and prior to that I was making music but very basic, I never thought I’d be making music like this. So I started making some basic UK funky tunes and it started popping off in Leicester. He used to send me videos of people vibing to my music and so naturally that gave me the motivation to continue. I kept sending over music and then one day a DJ from Rinse FM messaged me to say he’d heard my tracks and he wants to play them on Rinse. I remember I even missed my lecture just so I could hear it on the radio.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
I find that so hard to answer
*laughs* It’s such a vague question
It’s not even that it’s vague it’s just…I have no answer because my music is very unique to me. It’s a Hagan sound, it’s very much influenced by stuff that I’ve listened to whilst growing up. So that includes Afrobeat, Afrobeats, Afro House, African influenced dance music. There was a time where I was listening to a lot of Black Coffee, Black Motion and Kwaito house. Those grooves were very similar to the grooves and rhythms you hear in praise and worship. So naturally I was drawn to this, you know that tribal sound. My sound is very tribal but I love music from the UK club scene where it’s bass heavy and you hear that in my music. I also love sounds from the diaspora especially music from South America, Afro Brazilians, Afro Colombians and some of the percussion they use. I have a lot of influences or I try to listen to a lot of their music so I can bring it into my sound. It’s basically a melting point of all of those sounds.
Oh! I forgot to mention Highlife and Hiplife. How can I forget those two?!
Who is your favourite Afrohouse artist/DJ?
My favourite…I know I’m probably not going to answer this correctly because I know I’m going to forget names but it might have to be Da Capo. Probably because of how broad his music is and I definitely can’t forget Black Coffee because when it comes to DJing his technique, the way he plays with the FX is how I learned. But with Da Capo I just like the music he plays, his style, he’s just so versatile. Also, Culoe De Song his music it’s just, he’s just got range. There are songs from where you’d get that dark Culoe De Song sound and then he mixes it up and you get that where his songs are a little bit more vibes, little bit more happier. Jackson Brainwave too, he’s another guy from South Africa, he’s got the tribal sound and it’s almost unforgiving. The way he plays and the way he makes music, he doesn’t care about the rules of low end. The low end is so heavy and basy with the mix and the sound, the quality of his mixes you can hear all elements and I love it.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
This is crazy, so the person I really wanted to collaborate with was Sango and that’s happened quite a few times and still till this day I shake my head at the fact I’ve collaborated with him. When I speak to him on whatsapp I’m like how am I speaking to this guy on whatsapp? He’s so cool and he was one of my dream collaborations for time. Who would I like to collaborate with now? Hmm, probably Mansur Brown the way he plays guitar…spiritual man. Its like the guitar is speaking to you and I just really respect him as a musician, his talent and where he’s taken the sound of UK Jazz music. It’s very unique to himself. It’s very black. The way he plays guitar, he’s a pioneer for his generation. I definitely have more people I just can’t think of them right now but yeah I just went to a Mansur Brown concert about three days ago and yeah he’s just given me some massive inspiration so it would be dope to work with him.
If you could open a show for any artist, who would it be?
I’d love to open up for Kaytranda, people like Kaytranada, people like Juls, people like Sango. The reason why I respect them so much is because they’ve created their own sound, like they can have their own show and just play their own music and you’ll vibe to it. That’s what I’m trying to do with my music, that Hagan sound so just being on a lineup where everyone is contributing their own sound would be ideal for me. Makes me realise that I’m doing the same for my music. Also KG from the London, she’s doing her own thing too.
A bit of a silly question but do you sing in the shower and which songs?
I sing everywhere. I’m joking, I can’t sing so what I do is beatbox or hum in the shower or on the way to work, on the way to the gym. It’s to the point where my mum thinks I’m crazy because I keep talking to myself, beatboxing to myself but it keeps the creative juices flowing. The other day I kept beatboxing to ‘Ku Lo Sa’ also Wizkid’s ‘Money & Love’ I was beatboxing that for days! I was singing the backing you know trying to hum to the backing, but my voice was too deep!
Do you have any upcoming shows?
Next year I have a few things planned, it needs to be confirmed but hopefully it’ll be a Hagan creative lineup. So yeah just trying to confirm that at the moment. Got quite a few nice ones around the March period, one or two festival books. Looking forward to 2023.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
The best advice would be from a guy called Elijah, he does ‘Yellow Squares’. It’s not really advice but it’s what he’s told me and he said “when you get opportunities that are given to you, for example you’re given the opportunity to buy new equipment for whatever reason you’ve acquired the money to buy some new equipment. Always make sure that you’re trying to inspire those that are either younger than you or do not have access to the equipment and give your old equipment to them.” That’s always stuck with me that with whatever success comes out of this make sure that you’re passing it down to those who are maybe starting, maybe those who don’t have the opportunity.
Textures
What I would personally like to know is where did you get the name from?
Textures…it just came from years of feedback given to me about my music. Everyone’s said to me that “Hagan, your music especially your drums it’s so layered and intricate so detailed” and that’s because I love making sure that there’s feeling within the groove. Even just capturing people speaking for example I would try and incorporate that into the groove and the drums, give it that human life feel to it. So if I’m making an album I need to extrapolate that whole mantra throughout the whole project. Not just through drums but through the melody, the visuals. Through the whole rollout and implementation of the project, I was looking through samples on youtube and compiled a playlist of sources of inspiration. Some of the things I was searching was African drummers, Ghanaian drummers in particular. The whole concept of Ghanaian Jama, the fishermen in Ghana, the very interesting thing about them is that when they go out into the sea to catch their produce they’re always chanting, like they always have a percussion that they’re chanting with and every time they start, things are very peaceful but as they go into the sea the sea conditions change and things become a bit rough and that depicts the sound of Hagan and who I am as a person as well. For years now I’ve tried to deny the calmness of my personality but everyone keeps on saying “you’re so calm” and I keep on telling people you haven’t met me on a frustrating or angry day. There are two sides to me; the calmness that you see from the fishermen and then I guess in my music the very bassy side is my aggressive side and again that’s depicted by the fishermen with the changes of the sea condition. Compiling all of those things together there are so many layers it’s not just me making music, many textures so I thought why not just call it ‘Textures’
So when I first listened to Textures, I would say it’s very experimental and different from your older stuff. Like with your older stuff, it’s very focused on Afro House but with this album it’s much more smoother. I mean, there are certain elements of Afro House in there but it’s also got a different sound as well.
Yeah, the thing is when you’re making the album you have to shape it so that there’s a journey from the start to the finish. So if I was going to make an album to keep people locked in for about 46 minutes then there needs to be a range of feelings and emotions. So you’re right there are elements of Afro House but there’s even Afrobeats in there, the merging of traditional West African instruments with club sound as well. So in terms of inspiration the core foundation for inspiration is just me coming from Ghana. That’s throughout the whole album, if you’re Ghanaian there are certain parts of it that you would understand than someone who is not from Ghana. The whole concept of Afrobeat as well, that’s why you hear the horns in the album because with Afrobeat music you hear a lot of horns. As I’ve mentioned before, Brazilian music as well ‘baile funk’ and you hear that in the collaboration with Sango and Luedji Luna. I just love the sound of portugese and I love Brazilian music so when the opportunity arose to collaborate with them I had to figure out a way where I can keep my sound in there but also bring theirs into it and that’s the melting pot you hear on ‘Telha’
When I listen to ‘Textures’ the main genres that did come to mind was Afro House and Highlife. Literally a fusion of the two and I’ve been calling it ‘When Afro House meets Highlife’ how do you feel when people describe this new sound as that?
Wow, I’ve never thought of it like that. I might have to continue doing that. It does make me smile because that was my aim. In this project I want listeners to hear where I’m from and hear what I love listening to which is Afro House. I just want this to be a project that when I listen back in 10 years I can say “I really like this” and I can show my children that yeah I’m trying to keep the concept of culture alive through music. I always say how am I going to retain my Ghanaian culture? Especially because I don’t live in Ghana. So for me this is personal, just to retain the culture through music so trying to make sure that I keep the Ghanaian forms of music alive but kinda merge it and twist it in a way that is contemporary and modern and unique to me.
Who is the lady speaking Twi at the end of ‘Pray for Me’?
So that’s my grandma, every week I speak to my grandma and she always prays over my life and one time there was this prayer she said that was very powerful and so I thought let me keep this because one day I’ll use this. So the whole idea for ‘Pray for Me’ came when I was with Ayeisha Raquel and I was like, I have a tune that I want to dedicate to the concept of prayer. So she started writing on the whole idea of prayer for someone who doesn’t really know about prayer.
Who are your musical inspirations, past, present and someone who you’re excited for in the future?
Past
I used to listen to Appietus, the Ghanaian producer and I just loved how dominated a lot of the Hiplife, Highlife music scene back in the day. For me, he was one of the top Ghanaian producers and he inspired me with how he was able to change the sound. Like, how he would go back and forth from the two genres and you could still see that he was bridging the gap between the two. I just liked the whole concept and his mindset. Of course, Timbaland! What I enjoy about Timbo’s music is the way he processed his drums. It’s very punchy, the kick drums always knocked, the snares were tight and he also found weird and wonderful sounds to sample. Also Ambolley, another musician from Ghana an Afro Jazz musician known for the ‘Simi rap’ and the reason that I like him he’s just so wavy the way he would rap on the rhythms and he’s very gifted, like he plays the saxophone, I’m sure he can play the keys too. I listened to a lot of UK Funky as a teenager because I found similarities with that sound and West African drumming. So early producers like Crazy Cousinz, Hard House Banton, Greyman, Scratcha DVA, Apple, Invasion Crew, Donaeo, Fuzzy Logik and more.
Present
I’ve already mentioned Juls and Sango because of how they’ve made their own sound.
Benjiflow – he’s very much a fusionist with a deep love for percussion and Brazilian music. He can effortlessly blend that with UK music styles to create a unique sound.
Nana Rogues – you can hear in his productions how he was inspired by The Neptunes. I respect how he’s utilised that sound to create rich melodic compositions. “To The Max” is a very soulful riddem!
Yussef Dayes – such an incredibly talented drummer in the UK Jazz scene and beyond. I’m really drawn to his style of playing and his high ability level. From a musicians standpoint, i just respect his craftsmanship.
Future
I’m very excited for Charisse C she plays Amapiano and Gqom and her energy and aura when she’s playing is sick. She’s got a great ear and knows how to keep the crowd going.
Musicians I’m excited for Mansur Brown, for my boy Alex Cosmo Blake who plays guitar he’s so talented! He’s played for Jaz Karis, he’s played for Wizkid’s album as well.
A lot of the Amapiano producers, that aren’t necessarily upcoming, inspire me. There’s a particular level of energy South African producers inject onto the dance floor. Producers such as Felo Tee, MFR Souls, Mellow and Sleezy, Kabza De Small, Vigro Deep, Thabza Tee and the list goes on
So as a listener of Afro House, I feel like with Amapiano is probably the only genre within Afro House that has been received quite well in the UK and I’m always trying to understand why is that because with Gqom I felt that it didn’t really hit the scene in the UK. I mean it was there but it wasn’t as rampant as Amapiano.
Yeah I think with Amapiano it’s a lot more slower so there’s time to really enjoy the music. There were also I guess world events that occurred that allowed people to take in the sound. So like during Covid, everyones inside and that was the time Amapiano started growing and people were taking to it. Also, I think with Amapiano there are a lot more songs compared to Gqom. I also think people enjoy listening to lyrics and singing along so if you have groove that’s infectious and tribal, that there are lyrics people remember and can vibe to and slow enough that people can dance to then it’s a winning formula. Also the groove you hear in Amapiano you do hear it in a lot of African music but the way the South Africans have been able to innovate with electronic music and have a nice balance with low end because the log drum is low end and very heavy and balance that with the chord progressions it’s a winning formula. Whereas with Gqom, it’s very much underground like when it first started and began to bubble within the scene it was very much within the underground scene. It didn’t really make its way to the commercial sound and wasn’t played at day parties as opposed to Amapiano. It’s a dark, night time sound so it depends where you can play the music. That’s one thing I had in my mind when I was making the album because I come from that underground sound scene, and I needed to make an album that has replay value. How am I going to do that? By slowing down the tempo and explore genres outside of what I usually do and make it more melodic.
So, the next question is a little striking, you may not want to answer but what is your least favourite and favourite song from the album?
Okay I’ll say the tracks I had the most fun making; ‘Pray for Me’, ‘My Love’ and ‘Welcome to Ghana’ because they were face to face. Many of the features on this album are based all around the world but the three tracks I mentioned, they are based here so it gave me a chance to work in the studio with the artists. We were exchanging life stories we weren’t just talking about music you know I got to know them on a personal level and those are some of the memories I’ll remember forever. I got to understand who they were as people before musicians, it was fun.
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