Matt Lutz’s (Classical Trax) Fave Kasimp3 Finds

 

With Resident Advisor throwing the spotlight on South African house music and British artists like Piri Piri and Moleskin pushing specific, regional sounds, kwaito, gqom and other forms have been brought to the forefront as of late. That being said, no external purveyor could elucidate the polyrhythmic complexities of the aforementioned sounds without the power of the internet, specifically Kasimp3 and Datafilehost. These sites act as both host and archive, as well as the face, of gqom, kwaito and other South African dance forms, allowing artists like DJ Lag, DJ Sdunkero and Altra to flex out their tunes in a public forum. The notorious lack in sonic quality of many tunes on both respective sites has only added to the legend, a fervor wildly inventive 96kbps clips, tracks and songs, some taking the form of instrumental sketches and some coming out as fully formed pop entities. We asked Matt Lutz, DJ and curator of online club music conversation hub and community Classical Trax, to compile his favorite Kasimp3 finds and he came through with the following classics and rare finds. These are some of the best tracks on the site, but its only a quick dip into the depth of quality that Durban, Johannesburg and other South African cities have to offer. Find the rest of our 2014 coverage, including contributions from Riley Lake and Tomas Fraser (of Coyote Records) here.

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I recently discovered this incredible genre of South African house music, mainly based in Durban known purely as IGQOM  or Gqom. The music is raw, banging and sounds pure and rugged. I wanted to put together five of my most played tracks that I have discovered from this past year. Finding these tracks can be a hassle, but using sites like Kasimp3 and Datafilehost along with numerous searches on Facebook and Soundcloud can bring some much needed treasures for your sets.I hope everyone will find their own favorite tracks and please support the artists!

(No Particular Order)

1. Altra – True Colors

I discovered the young producer Altra through the amazing label Goon Club All-Stars and Moleskin as he has done a few powerful mixes and will be releasing some tunes in the near future from some of these artists. True Colors is unlike any track I have heard before and will make you earn for more. Download “True Colors” here.

2. Local Boiz and Ma-Leven – 1st Gathering

This track has a incredible broken glass intro effect and then just goes off into another dimension perfect for dancing and club atmospheres.

3. C&C Music Factory – Keep It Coming (DJ Lusiman Remix)

The track was made 3 years ago but taking the durban house sound and mixing it with a 90’s house track just seems to be a good fit! Download Lusiman’s “Keep It Coming” remix here.

4. DJ Lag – Ice Drop

Lag has so many rhythmic blast songs and off kilter noises that its hard to pick a favorite but Ice Drop is one of his tracks that i enjoy the most and is perfect to mix in with some modern day club! Download “Ice Drop” here.

5. Ice Boiz – Places

I don’t know much about the Ice Boiz…but Places is a incredible track which uses a lot of raw sounds and a typical sounds. Download “Places” here.