Kaloli

Kampala has an insatiable sense of groove. While neighbouring capital Kinshasa is better known for its industrial mix of percussion and electronics, labels such as Nyege Nyege Tapes are at the forefront of Ugandan creative enterprise. Nihiloxica released two EPs with them in 2017 and 2019, and their debut album – this time for Crammed Discs – sees the collective at the height of their powers. Consisting of members from the Nilotika Cultural Ensemble and UK producers pq and Spooky-J, Nihiloxica enliven the interstitial space between club dance floor and musical tradition, with each of Kaloli's tracks taking a traditional folk rhythm as its basis. ‘Tewali Sukali’ is hypnotic, marrying dense iterative percussion with engaging modular development, while ‘Gunjula’ is fast and frenetic. Elsewhere, ‘Mukaagafeero’ demonstrates the versatility of the Bugandan drums, its ingenious construction of melodies afforded by the complex pitching system of the engalabi (long drums), namunjoloba (small drums) and the empuunyi, which offer a ferocious low-end.

The album's title is fitting – kaloli are carrion birds that thrive off urban waste, their natural beauty sullied by the cityscape. Here, the brutal juxtaposition of pq's caustic synth-led assault and the reverential majesty of the ancestral Bugandan drums re-renders heritage for our chaotic contemporary moment.