MUZI IN CONVERSATION WITH A-TRAK

uMUZI seems to be a very personal album. Can you tell us about some of the themes that you explore on it?It is a very personal album.

I explore my relationship with my parents and how it’s influenced my own parenthood with Zeno. I explore love for myself and for my people through electronic music. I also explore the love of my culture and the sounds of artists that came before me, whose giant shoulders I now stand on.

There is more traditional music on this album than on your others. You also mentioned some 80s South African influences. Tell us about the various musical influences that you wove together on uMUZI and what prompted you to explore them this time around.

I’d always get asked what influences me and what music I listen to so, in producing this album, I thought it’d be cool to just make the stuff that’s reminiscent of that era –so it can be clear what music I love and/or am inspired by. You get some 80s south African disco beats on here mixed with traditional mbhaqanga and maskandi influences. The hope is –through my music– people can explore more African music and see how diverse and wide the artistic/musical palette actually is.

On "A Letter to Zeno," you enlisted the help of legendary South African guitarist Madala Kunene. How was it working with him?

He is amazing. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for artists like him. He’s always been so gracious with me and I’ve learnt a lot from him. After I had finished the idea for the song, I sent it to him and he sent back 3 audio files. Like 6 min each of him just playing different guitar riffs that went with the song. He literally sent those back an hour after I had sent him the idea, so it was super easy to work with him.

You handle production and vocals on your songs. Do you usually start with the beat? Is every song different in that process?

Usually I hear the songs in my head and then I flow from there. After a chord progression, I usually follow with drums and then sing random melodies to later choose from when I actually write the lyrics. So the initial beat and the melody ideas come simultaneously.

What was it like collaborating with Chris Martin?

Amazing. I really look up to him –not just as a great artist, but also his humanity. Working with him is always so surreal because this is the 3rd time we’re working together, and I still don’t believe it. It's one of those things that just fills me up with a lot of gratitude.

Can you tell us more about the music video process for this album? It seems you had a hand in everything from directing to editing.

I worked with my friends Lunga Dlamini on the directing, Sims Phakisi and Earl Abrahams on the D.O.P/shooting. I just love having fun with the art, so directing comes naturally to me –the visual part too. To respect the ideas fully. I love collaborating whilst trusting my own eye.

Your first album, Boom Shaka, is quite different from projects like ZENO and Interblaktic, can you tell us about the inspirations behind your early music and where you've found inspiration recently?

Boom Shaka was a great learning curve for me because it's where I learnt most of my production skills. Whereas Boom Shaka is an electronic album with African music influences, the latter are African music with electronic influences. It all changed after I had stayed in Berlin for 2 years and went to Kenya. I realised that I needed to be back home if I wanted to inspire my people. I needed to be reachable/tangible. I start showing my face on Zeno lol.

Before you were a Fool's Gold artist, you were a big fan of Fool's Gold. What made you attracted to the label originally?

Originality. I love art that fucks me up in the best, most inspirational way, and Fool's Gold was that label for me. Has always felt like the label was about the art side of things, the integrity of artists and their artistry, and it's beautiful to know that I was right. Artists at Fool's Gold sounded like they really cared about the art, and I’ve always been inspired by that.

The listening sessions you've been doing ahead of uMUZI seem to be one of your signature calling cards when releasing a project. Can you explain why you and your team find them so important, and what you've learned from them?

We find them important because they are about people and community. Events can end up being invite only and not inclusive. I don’t like those events much. The people have helped me have a career, so I need to let them know that I see that and that I see them. I do the events for free because I couldn't go to an event in my early 20s if it wasn't free. I know there’s a lot of "me"s out there, so I just send out a public invitation for anyone that wants to pull through and hear the music before the rest of the world does. To share stories and talk to them, to inspire them, and to be inspired by them. To build a real community.