Take a look at the inspiration behind ‘Zenzile’, the track created by Southern African producer Muzi and remixed by the UK’s Hannah Wants for our This is PERi-PERi film.
UK DJ, producer and radio presenter Danny Howard travelled to London to meet up with Muzi and discuss the story behind the track, as well as what it’s like handing the reigns over to a producer from a completely different genre, let alone a different continent. Muzi takes Danny to the Roundhouse, Camden, where we first met the rising South African producer back in 2015 as part of Nando's Music Exchange programme.
Hailing from a South African township near Empangeni in KwaZulu Natal, Muzi’s sound combines Johannesburg-originating kwaito with universal electronic rhythms. He finds inspiration in anything from the traditional Zulu ceremonies he attended as a child, to the underground electronic music scene he was privy to whilst recently living in Berlin. Muzi’s sound is always diverse, and he’s recently caught the attention of electronic powerhouses such as Rinse FM, The Prodigy and Diplo because of it.
Brummie-born Hannah, who’s playing at festivals like Hideout and South West Four this summer, is no stranger to mixing it up when it comes to music. Like Muzi, her sound sits at a genre-bending crossroads. Known as ‘bass-house’, it’s a mixture of garage, dubstep, and house, or, as Danny puts it, “house but with a bit of attitude”.
"house but with a bit of attitude." Danny Howard
Walking around London the pair swap stories about their local music scenes and chat about the importance of good venues to today’s dance music culture.
Check out the video above, and get your fix of the exclusive Zenzile track here.
