The Gqom Trilogy

Description

This unique trilogy highlights the ongoing evolution of gqom sound from Durban, South Africa, influential worldwide, and features three different artists from its fertile musical landscape. The collection captures a new wave of gqom innovation from veteran producer DJ Skothan/DJ Scoturn, DJ Scriby, and the young 20-year-old DJ MaRiiO. DJ Skothan/DJ Scoturn has been a key figure in Durban's underground scene for many years. His gqom and house tracks have quietly provided a rumbling engine for the Durban scene, and Nevegation is his debut album, offering a complex diagram of his versatility on the dancefloor. This is not the gqom one might expect, and right from the opening with "The Gringo," familiar sounds—punchy kicks, chopped vocals, sampled gasps, horror movie strings—are mixed into atypical patterns, creating jagged soundscapes rather than the usual dance rhythms. DJ Scriby, 25, has been working behind the scenes of this scene since 2013, helping the first wave of gqom innovators promote their sound in Durban and beyond. In 2017, he joined the London label Trax Couture to release The Clermont EP, and he presents here his long-awaited follow-up Izingoma zeGqomu. His approach to gqom is well-studied and assertive, giving him the ability to extend the sound's reach across the diaspora, from Atlanta trap synths on the dynamic "Friday 13th" to tight grime snares on the opening track "Goi." DJ MaRiiO, the youngest artist in the collection, started producing at the age of 12 by watching videos on YouTube. Thus, his sound is completely unique: the basic structure of gqom is still present, but MaRiiO enhances these elements with youthful energy and a carefree use of unusual sounds and production methods. Opening his album Zulu Man, "GQom NyeGe" manages to blend trance synths, DMZ bass, and a catchy wood-block rhythm that reminds you of his Durban roots, while the strange "Ngom ya Phesh," featuring Hot Chicks on vocals, pushes the gqom model into the red, with oversized kicks and bewildering surrounding sounds. These three records offer a 360-degree view of contemporary Durban's underground, winking at the past, present, and future of gqom. It is a constantly evolving genre that moves from the rooms and basements of South Africa to the main stages and cinema screens around the world. Collection of 3 vinyl records.