Mars is a military man who has given the service his all The Roman God of War has nothing to be ashamed about.
Mars' career was nothing short of divine. Spotless, however, it was not. Salting the earth at Carthage was extreme. Then again Julius Caesar was not quite an ambassador of goodwill either. Mistakes were made. Atrocities were committed. Walls were certainly built; and within them rests the war god's timeless legacy. Look no further than the the deity's resume. The 'v' in Mars's CV actually stands for 'Victory.' But nothing, not even the immortals, are meant to live forever. Time, that cruel mistress, has come: Mars is set to retire, joining the ranks of Ares, Horus, and Odin. A teary, farewell press conference is in the works
Vaya con dios, Marte.
Fortunately, is set to take place. A worthy replacement has been groomed. Anyone seeking a deity of death and destruction need to look no further than South Africa. All hail Spoko! The Pretoria, Mzansi Dj had a very good 2014. In addition to the full-length debut - titled, yes, War God - Spoko, real name Marvin Ramalepe, was featured on the naasMUSIC compilation Laaitie and as being the subject of compilation curated by Spoek Mathambo. Most notable, however, is the artist's boosted international profile. Spoko is no longer a mere semi-anonymous an anonymous entity. The beat-maker responsible for "Township Funk" - which the author deems to be sacrifice worthy tune - has evolved. Not only did Spoki appear at MoMA PS1, but the producer was also lauded with a 40+ minute podcast on Resident Advisor.
And all for good reason.
Bacardi House, Spoko's style, is seemingly different. Unlike a global house house aesthetic, international tastes are discarded. If need be, worldwide audiences can adapt. Vocal samples are seldom heard as kwaito becomes more relevant base than bubblegum. Heady musical concepts are not explored here. Only one critic, without shape or form, matters: the streets. If for other reason, then, a Spoko beat is direct and incendiary in its simplicity. Syncopation is essential kindling. Soon a fire rages under the dancefloor as dancers stomp to put it own. A semblance to Gqom is certainly heard because Spoko, after all, relies heavily on short, resilient drum loops. But herein lies the primary difference: unlike Sbucardo, Juelz da Deejay, Infamous Boiz (or Cruel Boyz or Dopeboyz or really any seemingly inconspicuous Kasimp3 composer), Spoko drills the melody. Atmospheric synth is retained but, as only a War God can, the melody is elevated. Valhalla is the ultimate destination.
Such is the case on the fast-paced "War Neva End." An otherwise typical Spoko beat, the song below is not pop so much as straight dance, and tthe run is ascetic at best. No a single resource is wasted. While one synths lay the groundwork for a solid harmony, the second set of keys float high above establishing nboth aerial and melodic superiority. The rhythm is constructed around a snare/bass/cymbal beat. Here Spoko borrows from American trap and drill, where hit-hat triplets are taken for granted. Spoko, however, is far from ordinary. The bell on a crash cymbal performs 1/16 beat duties; meanwhile kick drum carries a 4/4, as ride concludes each bar. Unsurprisingly driven forward by snare.
Yet only half the song has been covered.
While Spoko has featured vocalists before, their role is normally hype (wo)man. Samuel Turpin is nothing of the sort. This Johannesburg based MC holds his own with a breakbeat flow. The is style Mzansi, but the cynicism - with past lines such as the Alice in Wonderland inspired "Back to the shack as the average thoughts of many / And it's got to be stopped, but without a tin penny / Cause governments lie, it don't matter which party" and the navel gazing "It's like, I just wanna see / But I need to work, to get the perks and avoid the quirks / And I need to lurk in the back and make a...track"- is all his own. Turpin's contribution on "War Neva End," follows suit. While the tempo and energy is maintained, the vibe is all tongue in cheek. The flow is spontaneous. No definite structure is ever established. Instead, Turpin stimulates both mind and hips at will. Tales of ordinary, daily (mis)adventures are juxtaposed with scenes of pleasure and escapism. shots are fired at religiois and political establishments. Ultimately, empowerment is the answer
Spoko and Samuel Turpin have cearly won the battle, hopefully they win the war as well.
(first spotted at OkayAfrica)
- John Noggle
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