For his just released second album "Father Creeper" Spoek Mathambo – self-proclaimed "Prince of Townchip Tech" – invited friends and family to create a new dark style out of Afro-beats, Kwaito, Electro-rap, Post-dubstep and other urban genres with futuristic names. Not only his arrangements are eclectic, but also the topics of his lyrics: Punk-attitude joins utopia, while past and present seem to overturn.
Spoek Mathambo (Foto: Liam Lynch)
The 26-years old Nthato Mokgata aka Spoek Mathambo passed his younger days in the Soweto district of the post-Apartheid Johannesburg. He started to really appreciate the southafrican sounds when he went far away, to Malmö, where now he lives with his wife Gnucci Banana. In international clubs his name emerged in the context of crazy hiphop projects like Sweat.X and Playdoe or the penetrating-fascinating cover of Joy Division’s “She lost control” (2011).
To find out more about Spoek Mathambo’s influences (from his dad’s records to international inspirations), collaborations and some thoughts about the southafrican society, check out this video of a 2011 presentation at TedxSoweto:
Album review of “Father Creeper” on Sub Pop!
