- The gqom innovator returns with an EP that introduces us to his softer, more melodic side.
- Dominowe's "Africa Cry," the lead track from the seminal Sound Of Durban compilation, was a literal and figurative battle cry, a percussive tour de force that introduced many listeners to the lean, mean FL Studio beats coming out of the Durban townships. The track still sounds as fierce and fresh today, with a sawtooth synth that borders on the uncomfortable. In the six years since, gqom has become—if not exactly ubiquitous—an undeniable force in both dance music and the culture at large, with DJ Lag appearing on the Lion King soundtrack (not to mention will.i.am trying to plagiarize his way in). Dominowe returns to Gqom Oh! with UMTHAKATHI, a record that polishes his rough-and-tumble workouts with bright melodies and the occasional vocal lead.
Dominowe has always operated on the darker end of the gqom spectrum, what he calls "[his] style of hardcore." You can't get much more hardcore than the aptly titled "Rah (Core Gqom)." Fiery and syncopated snares hit alongside vocals that sound like the screams of defeated bad guys in a vintage shoot-'em-up. Other tracks fire on all cylinders, too. "Vector (Club Music)" is like a more high definition version of "Africa Cry" while both "Blu Ritual (Core Tribe)" and "Seth (Broken Shandis)" play chicken with just how claustrophobic you can make your drumming.
There have always been lighter, poppier tendencies in gqom since the early days (just check the first track DJ Lag cited in his recent history of the genre). Dominowe shows us that he can make tracks that would sound as good on a radio as they would a Funktion-One. "Welcome To Alkebulan" uses an organ lead and a string breakdown to soften the steel kicks and the vocal and chunky chord stabs on "Woz (Original Vox)" are not so far off from Italo disco. The best of the bunch is "Amun," with a guitar sample somewhere between Balearic bounce and amapiano melancholy. The Zulu lyrics in "Woz" translate to "Let's go dance as if we got no place to sleep, everybody is dancing so don't you dare sit down," a refrain that nicely captures the energy across the whole record, which showcases the best in South African club tracks with a refreshing burst of pop color.
Tracklist01. Vector (Club Mix)
02. Rah (Core Gqom)
03. Blu Ritual (Core Tribe)
04. Seth (Broken Shandis)
05. Woza (Original Vox)
06. Amun (Guitar Mix)
07. Welcome To Alkebulan
08. Zulu In War 04:09