Picks of the week
Hezron Chetty: Chasing Kings
This is Hezron Chetty, a violinist from Durban who recently released his album “The Fallacy of Composition.” This particular song ‘Chasing Kings’ has a very African feel to it, with the use of the marimba and drums that set the groundwork of the song. He displays some incredible violin skills, played in a somewhat unusual way, which makes the song ever so intriguing with its folk-like sound combined with modern elements such as bass guitar.
The music video was produced by Julienne Fenwick and Hezron Chetty and directed by Alfonzo Franke. It takes you on a journey through the forest, being chased by the ‘king’ and his guards in their fantastic costumes. He creates a very thrilling sound and his skill is undeniable. Hezron Chetty is making a definite mark on the local music scene and is said to share the stage with Arno Carstens at his Kirstenbosch concert later this year.
Cute Couple: Noble Rot
This is possibly one of the weirdest, quirkiest videos I’ve seen in a long time. Cape Town duo and besties, Mark Reichardt and Conor McCarthy make up Cute Couple, and claim their name from teachers in high school threatening to give them the “cutest couple” award at prize giving events. Hylton Jandrell and cute couple themselves produced the 90’s inspired and wacky, Noble Rot.
The music video takes place around Cape Town, and features some well-known spots like, De Waal Park, Company Gardens and Whale Street. From naked portraits to matching swim suits and crying around the dining room table-this video is a must watch for anyone seeking sweet, sexy and locally grown indie-rock.
FAKA: From a Distance
FAKA is a performance art duo based in Johannesburg that focuses on issues of the black queer body. “We wish to create a dialogue that transcends the bounds of queer activist rhetoric,” said Thato Ramisa better known as Fela Gucci and Buyani Duma (Desire Marea). They say that they regard their ‘From a Distance’ piece as an on going performance that celebrates the world aesthetics that often don’t have the space to be validated on a large scale in contemporary creative culture.
They further say that, “We feel that there is an exclusion of a certain demographic of valid voices who could strongly contribute to the progression of global culture. This is an economic factor, and coming from disadvantaged backgrounds this is something we have been confronted with. Even within the supposed progressive art world there is a classicism that excludes this demographic.” There is something almost hypnotic and trance-like about the song, and I believe that the level of strangeness and uniqueness it portrays is exactly what we define as “fearless authenticity”. This creative duo is brave and inspiring through their body language, movements and purely enigmatic sound.
Beatsofreen: Slowly Rising
‘Slowly Rising’ is a single from the debut album Full Circle by King Deluxe of Dutch musician and beat maker Bestiaan van der Vlist, better know as Beatsofreen. The video was directed and animated by Hideki Inaba who says the music reminded him of the sun and it’s life-giving power. It displays fantastical bright flower beings that also look like insects and jellyfish that are dancing in space. I mean, what more can you possibly want if you’re looking for something beautiful to watch while listening to soothing electronic music?
King Deluxe states that, “Full circle has been four year in the making and includes a mosaic of beats, synths, jazz and classical soundscapes, combined with field recordings and plenty of Beatsofreen’s own instrumentation such as: piano, guitar, harp flute, percussion, claps, and his voice of course.” Listening to the rest of the album, I can definitely say that Beatsofreen is extremely mystical and includes a great combination of real and electronic sounds; this is well worth listening to.
December Streets: I’ll Try
Ever since I first saw December Streets four years ago at the Big 5 Concert in Durban featuring the likes of Aking and Prime Circle, I’ve anxiously been waiting for any of their music to be released. With their energetic trumpet, Bass, Sax, and smooth voice of vocalist Tristan Coetzee, they never disappoint to put me in a dancing and inspired mood. Their new single ‘I’ll Try’ is a perfect example of the motivation that they portray through their music. This song is purely just beautiful. The video was created by Run Jump Fly Creations and features a little girl, who is also an aspiring ballerina, dancing around the hospital room, staying with her comatose mother until she eventually grows up. Get ready to grin from ear to ear and keep on smiling long after the song is over.
Zebra & Giraffe: It’s All The Same
This beautifully shot music video is the new single from Zebra and Giraffe’s new album ‘Slow Motion’ starring Elsa Bleda and Adam Heyns. The video was directed by Tristan Holmes and produced by Greg Carlin and Alan Shenton. The story takes place on various train trips from across South Africa and starts with a lone musician that meets a girl and they fall in love.
For a while the video revolves around beautiful scenes of the couple gallivanting around the train, until she takes a peek inside his book where she discovers various pressed flowers between the pages (his other love conquests). After this he tries to make things right, but it ends with her walking away…damn straight. The song is catchy and easy to listen to, definitely a tune to sing along to for Summer.
