- DJ Spoko may be little-known outside South Africa, but in his hometown of Atteridgeville he's been making waves since the late '90s. He also helped produce 2008's Township Funk with DJ Mujava (albeit, until recently, entirely uncredited). And if being a force behind one of the biggest surprise hits of the decade isn't enough cred, he also honed his craft under Nozinja, the brains behind Shangaan electro, a sound that took electronic music by storm in 2010.
Spoko's debut album, War God, serves as a showreel for what he's dubbed "Bacardi house," a blend of house music and kwaito. As a style it's immediately gratifying, a mess of punching staccato basslines and cheerful melodies. The synths are basic, almost cheap-sounding, and for the most part lacking reverb or delay. The percussion is heavily swung and often unpredictable, with the snares obtrusively loud in the mix. It's a sound that demands you get up and pay attention, refusing to simmer away in the background. It's also unashamedly fun—every track is aimed squarely at the dance floor, and while the rudimentary mix-downs make some tracks sound a little flat next to most Western club music, it's difficult to imagine a DJ Spoko set being anything less than utterly ecstatic.
Yet for all its strengths, War God is in serious need of some editing. 20 tracks is a big ask, especially when they're all built from the same basic sounds. An aesthetic similarity to UK funky might make it more accessible on first listen than, say, Nozinja's music, but the absence of vocals can make War God a bit of a slog to get through—only one track, "Oreng Mo," has any at all. If the album's mission was to provide a primer on Bacardi house, you get the feeling this could have been achieved more effectively. That said, there are no individually weak tracks that need trimming. It might not be something you listen to from start to finish, but War God gives your your money's worth.
Tracklist01. War Of The Pizzi
02. Dikwakwa
03. Trigga Happy
04. Motota Mutapa
05. Mshongoville
06. Angels And Demons
07. Chitahuri Dance
08. War God
09. Mzansi
10. After Party
11. Planet X
12. More Pain
13. Bula Ma
14. Oreng Mo feat. DJ Mujava
15. Man In Black Suit
16. Phelindaba
17. Civil War
18. Captain Jack Spoko
19. Thugs Of The Nite
20. Moon And Sun