AudioBoyz - The Rise of Gqom

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  • Part of what makes South African gqom unique is its monotony. Literally. Many gqom tracks feature just one pitched note, rumbling along beneath graceful syncopated percussion. The Athens label Hypermedium, in the press release for The Rise of Gqom, calls the aesthetic "drum'n'drone." The record's creators, the Durban crew Audioboyz, have previously downplayed the second half of the formula. Last year's Danger on Blank Mind was all about scalpel-sharp drums and fleeting melody. The Rise Of Gqom goes the other way. Synth strings, pads, choir oohs and trance-preset leads are all pressed into the service of that single droning pitch. On "African Conga" these elements mount and mount, slowly throttling the drums until the feeling of ominous tension is almost unbearable. "Spotlight" and "Drifting Away" throw in trademark gqom vocal shouts. The former is distinguished by its particularly thunderous tom fills, the latter by brash lead lines, which even venture a little three-note riff. But they share "African Conga"'s tense feeling, a suspense expressed in the language of Hollywood scores—a very modern kind of dread trapped in amber and sculpted for the dance floor. "Monster" is the standout because it ever so slightly twists this mood. The chords drifting across its mid-range suggest not angst but melancholy. It's just the thing to set off the EP's monochrome gleam.
  • Tracklist
      A1 African Conga A2 Spotlight B1 Monster
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