Mx Blouse’s debut album, Elementality, was born out of a desire to create songs about human connections and not with the intention of creating an album. Upon realising that 8 of the tracks they had recorded worked together, Mx Blouse decided to compile and release them as an album. “I think I ended up making 15 or 16 songs and then I worked backwards from there to see what songs work with what. I found that 8 of those tracks worked perfectly sonically.” The resulting 8-track album is a dance record that sees Mx Blouse build on the sonic aesthetics they have developed over the years.
Despite being relatively genre-fluid, Mx Blouse has cemented themselves as a leading figure in contemporary kwaito. Their latest offering remains rooted in the genre while simultaneously exploring a variety of sonics that have shaped them as an artist, including house and hip hop, resulting in a record that pushes the boundaries of what one expects from a kwaito release. In fact, the intention was never to create a kwaito record. “I really wanted to make a dance album. I don’t think it’s a move away from kwaito, I like to think of it as a progression from the sound that I put out before. I think my delivery is still in the Kwaito realm”.
Delivery aside, the kwaito influence can be heard on tracks such as the opening, Micr.Pluto and Eye on Feather produced “Phuzamanzi”, with its laid-back, yet bouncy bass-line or the driving kick of “Zandla Phezulu”, also produced by Micr.Pluto as well “Third Place”. The album also includes the Eye on Feather-produced “Yesterday’s Nostalgia”, a track which was first created in 2018 after the release of “Is’phukuphu” but which has seen a number of updates since then. “We’ve made a lot of additions to the track as time went by. It’s one of those tracks I’ve been holding on to for quite a while, and it just didn’t feel like it worked with the EP, and finally, with this bunch of songs, it felt like it had a place.”
Contributions also come from other producers such as MISSU, who produced “Hold Me Down” and “Self-Love”, the former standing out, thanks to its lively drums and shimmering guitar intro and the latter a high-energy offering with Mx Blouse delivering their raps at a furious pace over rhythms reminiscent of jungle breaks. “A Broken Heart”, produced by Bakai, sees Mx Blouse shifting their energy, pushing more low-slung raps over an equally lazy beat which features a punchy bass and mellow keys. Finally, long-time collaborator Parabyl returns, producing the closing track “Candyflossin’”, punctuated by a broken beat and phased synth chords that give the track an air of nostalgia.
Photograph by Zander Opperman
As a dance record, Elementality encapsulates the raw energy of South Africa, which, while ranging from the low-slung to the energetic, still manages to remain cohesive, and its theme of human connection makes it not only a danceable but also an incredibly relatable release.
Credits:
Pink Dress by: Amanda Laird Cherry
Shot by: Brett Von Dort
Blue jacket look styled by: Bee Diamondhead
Shot by: Zander Opperman
Make up: Orli Meiri
This article first appeared on Bubblegum Club.