I try to cover material outside of the United States as much as possible, but there is so much out there that it is next to impossible to keep up. This is even true for artists and genres that are extremely popular in relatively accessible parts of the world such as South Africa. This is a roundabout way of saying that I have not encountered the electronic dance music style amapiano before checking out DJ Black Low's debut album Uwami. But what an introduction it is! At first blush, amapiano, as DJ Black Low (aka Sam Austin Radebe) presents it, is definitely some variety of house music, although not like any I've heard out of Chicago or elsewhere in the continental US. It's extremely wet but thin sounding, with a restrained sense of momentum. Sometimes the beats sound like a viper darting around a steel drum attempting to catch a frog, bounding off the rim and doubling back, narrowly missing its quarry again and again. At other times, it sounds like a Can exploring disco's more commercial lane, attempting to make wedding music that will flex your frontal lobe as much as your hips. The style is apparently a combination of various African house genres with jazz, set to the tune and tempo of a kwaito lifestyle and approach to making and enjoying music. Again, amapiano is apparently very popular in the townships of South Africa and I'm excited to learn that such an evocative art form such as this can be viable anywhere. I can't speak with a deep knowledge of what I'm hearing, but what I've found on Uwami, I like a whole lot. It's really scratched an itch that's been prickling on the inside of my skull. Uwami is a promising debut for DJ Black Low and I'm looking forward to hearing more from him (and more amapiano in general!) in the coming weeks, months, and years.
