WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?
It came from the heart, lol, kidding. Behind this body of work is a much bigger project that inspired it.
I'm currently working on a African fiction book called "Zulu from the future". Zulu From The Future was originally a poem which Ends in a phrase that goes "Zulu I love you To The Roots And Back". And that is how the TTRAB project came about in Preparation for "Zulu From the future" which is now a Book in construction. Yes it all comes from a single poem. Yes a poem that is now to be expressed in a number of Songs and a 20000 word Book.
I'LL TAKE THROUGH IT A LITTLE BIT.
The single.
TTRAB only had one single out before its official release. EGO (Seng'swenke kangaka). Below is a video I did to introduce it and explained it. It was published a few days before EGO dropped. Check this out.
The project.
19 July it dropped that was some exciting stuff. The feedback and the wave was way more than we had Anticipated. Below I'll be briefly explaining our experience with each piece.
Inqolobane
This one was never part of the plan, I remember the night we did this song it was a spare of a moment thing. It happened right in the middle of our smoking session when I started playing the melody, it was meant to be funny when i started singing but SoundzTabuu joined me instead of laughing and it started sounding better. "Lets do that again... but with the mic on" He said. The rest is history.... I think.
Closure
I had been memoring lyrics to this song way before the instrumentals for it existed. We tried starting the song but we were uninspired, or rather tired. Masta, SoundzTabuu and I had just finished finalizing "WERFY (Uncaged)" and we were just a bit in denial that we needed rest. Then Months later, Masta made me listen to what he worked on and it sounded so complete as he had added his own Pre-Vocals as part of the instrumental. I was so excited I recorded it right there, the session didnt even last 20 minutes. I'm not making this up.
Black Pill
Here's an interest fact about this song, The beat to this song includes a Sample from one of my 2015 singles Titled 'OVERDOSE'. Where we looped the part at the end where I sing "Cannot stop......more". Yes i sampled myself. Why not bro?. As digital as it is, This Black Pill is 50% voices, 30% Ditigal instruments and 20% Real drums. Heart Piercing Song this one. I can't perform it live without reaching a certain emotional level.
EGO
Please Find Youtube video above for this song's details/info.
HLISA
It was one of the breezy autumn nights when DJ Zwa came for a night session at my house, initially we were supposed to start a song from the ground up but when Zwa heard Ego, he played us a beat that was originally a house beat. He then changed the tempo and the rhythm matched the EGO's one. It came out as what we call "INDLAMU" a sound we reinvented and introduced. The main vocal in the song is a One-take recording that i took right after I listened to it for a few minutes. We then added backing and chants right then. This was fun.
POTOZA GAME
When Simmy Sims came by my house for some work, We spent the whole day trying to figure out what to even sing about. I played a few chords that were in my head at the time during our brainstorming session, I remember playing this other chord and Sims started singing and it sounded so sad we were both like "naaaah". Again, I didn't wanna force the vibe so we set up another day. Before Sims left, SoundzTabuu suggested we try one more time. "Try play a chord that TRESOR would jump in. A happy chord". Lol immediately I thought of the Beach. And when i started playing it, everyone was dancing. I'll explain how the "Potoza Game" Part came about some other time.
MZALA
I'd say the timing of this piece was rather appropriate. With that said, I pretty much touched an issue of an everyday life for everyone in an abusive relationship. The arrangement of this Piece was a reference I made from ColdPlay's music especially the song "Lovers in China", There's a lot i learn from other artists/bands, as original as my music turns out to be. My favorite part of this song's recording was my guitar's recordings. Soundztabuu was dancing the whole time.
MNGANI WAMI
This was one of the pieces that just came out naturally as the subject matter is almost too common for anyone in their mid 20's and older. Mseti Wadibuse wasn't even expecting us to record anything that day, he was just visiting. We were outside smoking and I took out my guitar as usual and SoundzTabuu took out the drum and we started jamming. We put it on record later that night.
BAD BLOOD
My first Afro Beat song ever. I was always fascinated by Shona lyrics from the moment I payed close attention to the craft of Jasid (The Locks Guy from Bongo Maffin). It so happens that I have artist friends from Zimbabwe, our close friend Lion Paul was delighted to help when I invited him over to our house. I sat down with him to discuss what the song should be like and what to say and he translated everything for me, not only did he translate for me, he also arranged lyrics in a proper rhyme scheme just as I would always prefer. Watch out for Lion Paul, we're currently in studio with him by the way and his music is ....never mind.
JUNGLE
I had been performing this piece for a while and that created a bit of a demand for it and I didn't like the sight of peoples' disappointments in their faces every time I told them its not on record. So the day before this project's release I decided to do it. LOL it felt good using the pen again, I had to add quite a few more bars (roughly two 16's) and that was too much to remember for me not to write. The only Rap song here. Shout out to Leo Greens AKA Fur Coat Jones AKA Lord John Kabayashi AKA Tinyo Deluxe.
MAWUHAMBA
Bro! Ain't you tired of people that just wanna walk in and out of your life as they please?! Imdolofiya yento nje. Ey futhi as'yeke.
KAMA SUTRA
We recorded this one in Durban when were too busy to record from home so we were forced to take the equipment with us everywhere we went. It was quite a spontaneous song, I came up with the lyrics as SoundzTabuu was composing it after I tried harming what its Bass would potentially sound like (the guitar was back home so my voice was all I had). SoundzTabuu played the Bass digitally after arranging the percussions that were inspired by a Hugh Masikela song.
YOU WATCHING??
This piece is one of our most recent recordings. I was coming down with the flu when I recorded this one but SoundzTabuu loved the one-take recording and I was just glad the voice wasn't gone.
NISALE KAHLE BANGANI EMAKHAYA
Weeee mngan'wam....Weee mngan'wami
ReplyDeleteAyxabananga yakhula
Sbu mf2, none of these tracks are on sound cloud. Where could I access them? Please help
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