Bleep

Coming straight outta Durban, Gqom Oh! is a very necessary document of the raw, street house sounds currently circulating in South Africa and receiving praise from the likes of Kode9 and Mumdance. This fifteen track comp perfectly showcases the different sounds within the scene featuring OG productions from the producers pushing the sound FWD the most, among them Citizen Boy, Cruel Boyz, Emo Kid, TLC Fam and Formation Boyz. By mixing elements of sound system cultures with hip-hop flavours and house that has a UK Funky feeling engrained within its DNA, but with a deep tribal African vibrations, this tight-knit scene are creating some of the most vital underground sounds in the world right now.

Dominowe's Africa's Cry starts off with a euphoric diva's vocal before luring the track into a darkside house twist with cavernous snares and tight claustrophobic atmospheres while DJ Mabheko's Syagwaba (704 gqomu) is a lesson in tight, precision-led techno. Citizen Boy's Ghetto Mafia (Club Mix) takes elements of 06 dubstep and grinds them down into a crawl that sounds like a cross between DJ Mujava and Vex'd. Much like the Teklife crew and the Principe label, Gqom Oh! is not only the sound of a scene but the sound of the streets its emerging from, frighteningly tough urban music born in the internet age of instant messaging and tracks being rinsed on as many iphones as dubplates, like the early Tempa's Dubstep Allstars CD's and Planet Mu's Bangs and Works vol. 1 comp Gqom Oh! The Sound of Durban Vol.1 is a future classic that will be looked back on years to come as a crucial moment when a new underground sound was truly given the platform for exposure it so necessarily deserves, super loud double 12" pressing and housed in a sick full artwork sleeve we'd say this is about as essential as they come no matter what you are into.

Track List

1. Dominowe - Africa’s cry,
2. Forgotten Souls feat. Formation Boyz - Hhaibo (Remix),
3. Dj Mabheko - Syagwaba (704 gqomu),
4. Emo Kid & Dj Bradolz – Iyona,
5. Citizen Boy - Tribute to DSB,
6. Cruel Boyz - Umeqo Emagqomini (Dub Mix),
7. Citizen Boy - Ghetto Mafia - (club mix),
8. Formation Boyz - Zulu war,
9. TLC Fam - June Bani Bani (dbn dance),
10. Julz Da DeeJay - Gunz & Soulz,
11. Forgotten Souls - Sgubhu 6 (Gqom Edit),
12. Emo Kid - Table Funk,