- Nozinja is the South African producer credited with formulating the fast-paced, jittery Shangaan electro sound that took underground dance music by storm when Honest Jon's released a compilation of the style back in 2010. He's now signed to Warp for his first official solo release as Nozinja (following last year's 12-inch for Jiaolong as Xitsonga Dance). "Tsekeleke," presented in two versions, is quite a debut.
The original version is endearingly rough. The heavy kick drums distort just slightly, and the track's high-end sounds—junky Casio synths and deeply weird chipmunk vocals—have an abrasive sibilance. The general feeling is of chaos, with tom-toms and other rhythmic elements careening every which way. The vocal mix cleans things up a little: the drums are still fluttery but less overwhelming, while a measured female vocal replaces the hectic outbursts of the original. It would have been nice to get two different tracks, but the difference between the two versions—warm and human on the vocal mix, mechanized and harsh on the other—shows the Shangaan sound and Nozinja himself both have room to evolve.
Tracklist01. Tsekeleke
02. Tskeleke (Vocal Mix)