Multiple talent Herbie Hancock — American pianist, keyboardist, bandleader and composer — also influenced the development of turntablism. 1983’s spacey sounding ‘Rockit’ is the first recognized popular single to feature scratching and other turntablist techniques by DJ Grand Mixer DXT. Written by Hancock, bass guitarist Bill Laswell and synthesizer/drum machine programmer Michael Beinhorn, this song is part of the groundwork for the DJ culture to follow soon afterwards.
 
 
 
Spoek Mathambo – ‘She’s Lost Control’

The 1979 Joy Division song focusing — according to Wikipedia — on Peter Hook’s ‘cool, droning, minimalist bassline formed over a methodical and mechanistic drum beat’ is inventive in its original post-punk version, yet visionary Spoek Mathambo manages to take its initial finesse even further and turns it into a tech-driven apocalypse dance.
 
 
 
Stevie Wonder – ‘Pastime Paradise’

Child prodigy Stevie Wonder adds to the list of early innovation with ‘Pastime Paradise’ — a breathtakingly beautiful anthem of insight. It is also known to be the first song to use a synthesizer to sound like a full string section and has been covered and sampled by many acclaimed artists, the most famous being West Coast rapper Coolio with the 1995 Grammy-winning smash hit ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’. Let’s start living our lives, living for the future paradise!
 
 
 
George Clinton – ‘Atomic Dog’

This funky future-inspiring tune was the p-funk collective’s last to reach number one on the US r&b chart yet failed to reach the Top 100 of the Pop Chart at all. Over the last two decades it has, however, gained greater popularity due to samples of the song appearing in rap songs. Give it a listen, you’ll recognize at least one or two familiar songs.
 
 
 
4hero featuring Ursula Rucker – ‘Loveless’

This 1998 release showcases the true 4hero sound with its blend of spiritualism, environmentalism, talk about astrology and extraterrestrial life forms and rhythms that sway through jazz all the way towards breakbeat hardcore.
 
 
 
Sun Ra – ‘Space Is The Place’

Believing he was of the ‘Angel Race’ and originally born on Saturn, Sun Ra was a pioneer in many regards. From a famed career as a jazz composer and synthesizer player to his work as a poet and philosopher he is recognized for his eclectic and unorthodox music and lifestyle. ‘Space Is The Place’ originally was an 82-minute science fiction film that depicts Sun Ra as a leader who decides to settle African Americans on a new planet before Earth is destroyed.
 
 
 
MF Doom – ‘Doomsday’

An example of a musician who has taken afrofuturistic elements and put their own contemporary twist on it. An English born hip-hop artist who favors soulful beats and lyrics that twist together dreams and harsh realities. Doom’s physical appearance is extremely rooted in the extraterrestrial; he is not seen without his metal mask that is styled after the comic villain Doctor Doom.

Words by Christine Hogg and Emma Remington

Obscure to a point of not existing, WU LYF appear only through rumors and whispers. Go Tell Fire To The Mountain, their debut album, is the only concrete evidence they exist. We got hold of it and decided to see what all the fuss was about.

Late ’70s Manchester, a crowd gathers to hear a band play. They’re not sure who this band is nor do they care. No hype, no press, who is this Joy Division anyway? That’s the overall impression I get from WU LYF. People don’t seem to know what to make of them and their antics; shunning all press and promotion. This band is not one you’re going to have mixed feelings about, you’re either going to hate them or love them. We’re here to dissect the only thing that matters though, their music.

‘L Y F’ is the opening track and sounds something straight out of a Catholic Sunday service. It should because the album was recorded by the band independently in a church. The sound is almost immediately mesmerizing, soft, inviting you in, but then you hear the vocals. The biggest challenge listening to WU LYF is definitely getting over the fact you will not be able to make out most of the lyrics. You’ll probably be craving a Halls just listening to them, but given enough time they melt into the music which is simply brilliant. ‘Cave Song’ shows us more indiscernible lyrics, but with haunting pain the band plays on. By this point you should know whether to snap the album in half or continue listening.

Feeling a bit bewildered, my attempt to describe their sound is this: it’s a pubescent James Hetfield screeching with sweet down tempo gospel rock sound that The XX has mastered and that’s not even close to accurately describing WU LYF. Before the album was released, the press had no idea who each individual band member was. Knowing now it makes no difference because they are all total new-comers, but with a sound years beyond their experience.

‘Such a Sad Puppy Dog’ is in no rush to pull your heartstrings, but it will with its soulful melancholy. We’re presented with a weak duo of tracks, ‘Summer Bliss’ and ‘We Bros’ are pretty average and can’t define the sound of WU LYF as well as their standout tracks. Then suddenly you’re bombarded with ‘Spitting Blood’ which in my mind is the track that will most often convince someone off the street to listen to more. With an anthem like value of mumbling along, don’t be surprised if this is the track that gets WU LYF on your radio. ‘Dirt’ begins with an addictive drum buildup and follows through with equally haunting organs and vocals. It soon turns violent with the vocals begging you to move, if I know what I’m talking about you will be. Easily the most beautiful song I’ve heard in a long time, beastly voice and all, is ‘Concrete Gold.’ The guitar is really put through its paces at this point, more evidence of a youthful prodigy that can only get better. ’14 Crowns for Me and Your Friends’ calms us down, bringing us back to the angst-driven vocals dominating the first half of the album.

Finally the band does their best to leave an impression with ‘Heavy Pop’ my personal favorite track which includes every decent sound extracted from the album in its entirety. If I sound impressed by WU LYF’s debut album, it’s because I am. One can argue that their hype can’t possibly live up to Go Tell Fire To The Mountain, but I came at this album from the other side. I’d never heard of them or their pranks on the press at all, not a single review nor shred of info. Given the album, I am convinced that it’s more than enough evidence of a band that will make a mark, especially for an independently produced and distributed debut album from a band with no history.

Keep an ear out for these guys, they’re going places.

Happening on the 20th of July at the wonderful Fugard Theatre, On The Boil is an attempt to showcase emerging talent. By all accounts the talent involved with these films speak for themselves already. The night is an experience not to be missed, attended by time-travelling Be Phat Motel, exciting new director Karlind Govender, critically acclaimed photographer Dale Yudelman, Cannes Film Festival darlings Pieter Hugo and Michael Cleary, industry veteran Garrreth Bird and the hypnotically macabre Black Milk Productions. With no entrance fee, the night is sure to have immense value (there will be an opportunity to donate what you think the night was worth).

Many South African filmmakers have no platform to get their films out to you when all they want is to entertain and awe. This is the challenge Karlind Govender and Garrreth Bird found themselves in with their respective films. They got together and decided to make it an event, inviting tip top talent to showcase their productions all together. Two heads are better than one and the theory is no different with six wholly unique films.  Did we mention there is no entrance fee, but you may pay what you feel the night was worth to you.

Enough chat, you must be wondering what you can expect on the night, let me try to tempt you with the following:

Hive by Garrreth Bird
If human nature were a hive, what would our queen be? The idea behind Hive is to challenge the viewer’s perspective on history and what can be learned from the “lesser” order species.

Control by Pieter Hugo and Michael Cleary
Spoek Mathambo is an artist always on the move and in this his cover of Joy Division’s “Shes Lost Control.” With numerous awards, this should be well worth a watch.

Witness by Dale Yudelman
The collective imagination of many is a powerful thing, come see that in action when a burnt out car is discovered just off Long Street.

Anatoemy by Karlind Govender
Karlind’s debut film “Hits the bent nail on the head” says VICE magazine. Promising to be off the wall and absurd, an impression is guaranteed.

Sweetheart by Be Phat Motel
Brought to you courtesy of a time machine, Sweetheart will thrill you with its amazing production value and its vision of our future from the past.

Jornada Del Muerto by BlackMilk Productions
A grim love story that challenges your perspective of death, war and destruction, the film is sure to linger in your mind long after you’ve left your seats.

All in all, One The Boil looks like an exciting night out with the promise of enthralling and enlightening it’s guests. Be sure not to miss it.