The way I see it, Jozi’s Culture/Music websites have not really been on par, as of late, with Cape Tonian sites. Over the past few years we’ve seen the likes of Don’t Party, Mahala, My City By Night, BMP Life / BPM Mag and Cape Town Alive come onto the scene to become the authority on whats going on with young people’s general experience in South Africa (Of course JHB Live and MIO are still at it, and still very much an authority on SA music / culture but they’re the ones who’ve managed to stay alive for over a decade). But I’m not really sure what has been the Joburg equivalent recently. This is probably due to my sheltered / bubbled Cape Town existence so I am certainly keen on any website / blog suggestions.
But this is honestly the reason why I was so impressed by www.thiis.co.za when I first saw it. It comes across as a combo of all the sites mentioned above, but with a distinctly J-Sek focus it would seem. And this is important. Cape Town may host many of the country’s hot-shot creatives, but Joburg is a true representation of South African culture and vibrancy more than iKapa. So when I was asked to produce a mixtape and track for the site, I jumped at the opportunity (actually that’s a lie, I took my sweet time about it, but thats not because I wasn’t super keen, but more because its the way us creatives in Cape Town do it: painfully slow).
This mix represents a lot of what I love about SA electronica and dance at the moment, with a distinct focus on “Richard the Third” production…. (Narcissist much?)…
THIIS Mixtape by Richard the Third
Tracklist:
1. Richard the Third – EvildeMan feat. Fifi
2. Richard the Third – Boss feat. Rebone (Das Kapital Future Hood Remix)
3. Brenda Fassie – Weekend Special (Richard the Third’s Italo Dub)
4. Jumping Back Slash – Kwaai Sneakers
5. Spoek Mathambo – Gwababa (Krazy Fiesta Remix)
6. The Frown – The National (Richard the Third Remix)
7. Richard the Third – Ufunani feat. The Ruffest
8. LV – Boomslang feat. Okmalumkoolkat
9. Disco Trash Music – Bumper Cars feat. Spoek and Big Space
10. TKZee – Izinja Zam (The Third Boot)
11. SFR – Nci Nci
12. Richard the Third – Dragonfly feat. Zaki Ibrahim
Then there’s the track that Noku Phiri and I made for THIIS. I’ve always wanted to work with Nonku, she is truly one of the most gifted singers and lyricists I know, up there with, , dare I say, Zaki and Zolani. Having said that I certainly didn’t think it would result in “(THIIS) Unfortunate Fool” a piece of Trip-Hop infused Disco-Soul that is as foreboding and sinister as it is narcotically up-beat, and the perfect track for a wet, windy, cloudy, cold Cape Town winter. Check it out after the jump:
