Father Creeper

Singer, rapper, songwriter, producer and instrumentalist Mathambo (real name Nthato Mokgata) was born and raised in Soweto. I was about to describe him as part of a new wave of post-apartheid talent, but he's no such thing of course. That was 18 years ago, so we are already well into the post-post-apartheid generation. Arguably, that means his music is further removed from what we might regard as an authentically African sound. Yet the pride in his culture is still there, even as he explores electro, house, dubstep, rap, kwaito and other urban beats. He calls it township techno, which is as good a label as any: his second album ranges from the Eminem-influenced, Detroit-styled rap of ‘Kites’ to the techno-grunge-metal of ‘Let Them Talk.’

His Soweto origins emerge at unexpected moments, such as the jive guitar intro to ‘Dog to Bone’. It's the sort of record you might have expected to find on Honest Jon's and credit to Sub Pop (the Seattle-based label which discovered Nirvana and invented grunge) for taking a punt on a record that may just be the most potent sound to come out of South Africa since DJ Mujava had a leftfield hit in 2008 with ‘Township Funk’ on the Warp label. Mathambo's hybrid is more experimental than K'Naan's mix of pop, hip-hop and African influences. But it's in the same spirit and should strike a similar chord.