Mixing and blending songs from the Indian Ocean, Yoruba Muslim ritual music, Ugandan percussion, Haitian Vodou lullabies, Lebanese Dabke, Tazania Taraab, Egyptian mystical jazz, music of the San people from the Kalihari, even some Kraut psychedelia, with grimey bass and beats. Richly layered tapestries of indigenous music and deep dub ebbs and flows, swelling into fiery bass and drums toward the end.
Nyege Nyege Festival in Jinja, Uganda, is about the infinite and timeless rhythmelodic traditions from the motherland and its myriad mutations around the globe, and their sometimes difficult to perceive but indivisible connection. It is my duty as rhythm ambassador to reveal the truth about these connections between ancient and future, between the so-called “East” and so-called “West”, in a visceral way on the dance floor; and it is what i have tried to do with this mix.
In recent times I have seen many articles such as Europeans did NOT bring shoes to Africa, The forgotten masterpieces of African modernism, and 11 Ancient African Writing Systems That Demolish the Myth that Black People were Illiterate. On one level I applaud efforts that dispel myths of the under-development of African cultures. But on another level I think articles like this are missing a crucially important point: older cultures in Africa and other places developed in different ways, formed different world views, with different concepts and different methods, cultivating different ways of life, which are often, objectively speaking, much more sophisticated, efficient, and effective, than Europe techniques. “Pre-civilized”, pre-modern, and non-Western cultures must be evaluated in their own context, on their own terms, according to their own criteria, and can not be judged according to “civilized” and modern standards, in congruence with Western definition of “achievement” and “progress”.
More extensive posts about East Africa will follow. For now, just a few photos.
Jinja, Uganda:
Baauer and RL Grime trapping fraternity kids
On a train going through the Czech Republic, random young Swedish travelers enthusiastically told me of their love for Trap music. Kids in Ho Chi Minh City are turning the f*** up to Trap. Vice magazine has made a documentary about Trap music and the ghetto streets from where it came.
Apologies that i failed to post about this earlier… been a hectic few weeks to say the least!
info and RSVP here.
See you tonight Madrid!
Nyege Nyege Festival warm up parties continue after last weekend’s epic vibes at Kompala’s oldest night club: Capital. 
East Africa Tour starts this Friday at the fabulous Tree House in Nairobi
Bigup Bad Mambo Productions
Toulouse again this weekend 4 Laid Back Open Air. Lets all pray to rain gods to chill!
On 24th of September going on a month+ tour in East Africa, Nairobi, Kampala, etc.! Hanging with the Boutique Electronique crew, collaborating with East African artists, and playing at festivals and clubs such as this one with an awesome lineup:
Join us for ECK IM SAVANE at Promenaden Eck on Saturday night for a special night of Cosmik Grooves from the Motherland and beyond. The collectiv Tropical Timewarpwith BestMate? and Bela Patrutzi will heat things up with their impressiv vinyl collection and will give service with an Afro beat – Afro funk mix then Léon Leon from FINOW ZOO and dj zhao will take us deep into the night with their multi-dimensional drum science.
8:00pm – 5:00am
Promenadeneck Schillerpromenade 11, 12049 Berlin, Germany
And on Sunday, we come together for Umbenennungsfestival (renaming festival),on the block where the infamous Berlin Conference of 1884 took place, to enjoy the afternoon and agitate for refugee rights, against Pegida, and the changing of the historic “Mohrenstr.” (N***er Street) to “Nelson Mandela Strasse”. There will be many speakers and artists, and like last time i will contribute with a dj set and a talk on Culture as a Global Process and Dismantling Eurocentricity.
2:00pm – 8:00pm
mohrenstr, berlin 10117 Berlin, Germany
A last minute FUN SESSION with the dope as fuck NANGDO and ME in the RAVE CAVE dropping the ILL DRUM SCIENCE!!! Tonight!
So that’s the first meme i’ve ever made, hope it goes “viral” 🙂 What do you think? GF thinks it’s too “polarizing”, but i think it’s kind of a necessary illustration of the false dichotomy.
Also, for the entirety of the month of October I will be touring in East Africa: mostly Kampala and Nairobi, playing at festivals and clubs, and working with local musicians. Super excited!!!
Expanding the boundaries of club music, CLUBLAB explores borderless poly-rhythms and infinite bass, and investigates the fragmented soul of the polymorphous planetary underground.
Fusion was as epic freaky fun as ever! (but this year seemed to feature even more music from the global south).
I’ve always loved Acid. Not only due to the squelchy palette of the misused TB303 being, for reasons i can not articulate (related to liking the smell of petroleum??), so endlessly delicious, sexy, and addictive, but also because Acid House and Acid Techno, ever since the beginning, have always been more overtly and unabashedly polyrhythmic than their bigger stylistic cousins.
Sorry about late notice but this is very important solidarity event for refugee rights in the very cool concert/club venue Zukunft am Ostkreuz. Bands start at 6pm, dinner for all (Ramadan fast break) at 9pm, And i play from 2am!
Laskerstr. 5, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany
Fusion Festival: Dj Zhao — Friday June 26 // 1-3am // Seebühne Stage
Post-Fusion high life:
