Electronic Sound July 2015 (Regular Edition) | Page 36

ALBUM REVIEWS

approach. He’s responsible for giving
Shangaan a futuristic sheen akin to the
relentless innovation of producers such
as Caribou and Tessela, both of whom he
has worked with in the past.

NOZINJA
Nozinja Lodge
WARP

The founder of Shangaan electro
shares the South African style with
the world
Dance music has long been sculpted by
fiercely defined regional scenes. Over the
last decade, the impetus to look beyond
the usual suspects has meant that cities
such as Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro have
had their turns in the spotlight. Recently,
the focus on South Africa has been
particularly strong, with artists like DJ
Mujava and DJ Spoko enjoying attention
in the wider world. Which brings us to
Nozinja, otherwise known as producer
Richard Mthetwa, the architect of the
Shangaan electro sound.
Rewind. Shangaan electro? What
exactly is that, then? Forged in the rural
Limpopo province of South Africa, it
derives primarily from the traditional
dance music of the Shangaan tribe, but
it’s given a modern treatment, with bass
and guitar replaced by marimba and
organ. More important, however, is the
corresponding change in speed. Shangaan
electro is fiendishly fast, with tempos of
180 or even 190bpm. Yet it doesn’t feel
intimidating – the music here is warm
and welcoming, retaining its soulful
origins despite Nozinja’s forward-thinking

In 2010, Honest Jon’s Records released
the ‘Shangaan Electro’ compilation,
helpfully subtitled ‘New Wave Dance
Music From South Africa’. Nozinja was
heavily involved with this release and
the album had a considerable impact
on Western producers. For one thing, it
coincided with both the jungle revival
and the rise of footwork outside Chicago,
two genres which seemed to sit well
alongside Shangaan in high energy DJ
sets. A companion collection followed,
‘Shangaan Shake’, with artists as varied
and respected as Theo Parrish, Ricardo
Villalobos and the late DJ Rashad
queuing up to reinvent the source
material.
Now Warp is bringing us the latest
chapter. Thankfully, ‘Nozinja Lodge’ is
an absolute treat. Most of the detail is
in the midrange and there’s very little
emphasis on bass. It’s far more suited to

summer barbecues than dingy basement
clubs. As Nozinja has said, “Shangaan
music is about love. We are familyoriented musicians”. Airy and spacious,
the melodies are as bright as the record
cover, a fantastic patchwork of African
colour and steely futurism. The sound
palette is particularly refreshing to the
ear – there are textures that plenty
of Western dance producers would
reject for being too cheesy, but here
they contribute to the inclusive and
celebratory atmosphere.
Nozinja’s ambition for the sound he has
helped to create is unconstrained. He
dreams of playing all over the world, of
being nominated for a Grammy. While
the latter might seem a little implausible,
that it even seems possible at all is
testament to the already far-reaching
and transformative power of Shangaan
electro. It will be fascinating to see how
the new musical dialogue between South
Africa and the West develops on the back
of this great album.
COSMO GODFREE