[Die Kaappunters (from left): Willem Möller, Jackie Lätti, Riku Lätti, Jean Tunes Marias, Mark Louis Ellis. PHOTO: Wessel Krige]
Die Kaappunters is a Cape Point-based Afrikaans pop supergroup that is sweeping the Cape with its energetic blend of alternative Afrikaans pop and Voëlvry-era protest rock that leaves audiences nostalgic and energised.
[Cam Trichart performs alongside Almost Alive at The Daisy Jones Bar. PHOTO: Supplied/Golden Blue]
Golden Blue is the solo project of Cam Trichart, a Cape Town-based musician, producer, and sound engineer. He combines a range of guitar styles with sparkly synths and electronic production to make a soundscape that is impressively cohesive.
[“I do a bit of video editing here and there but music has been my main thing for most of my life,” Sarah Blake tells us. PHOTO: Supplied/Sarah Blake]
Sarah Blake is a bassist, guitarist and vocalist sharing soul-soothing songs through honest lyrics and a sound as smooth as morning sunshine creeping through your curtains. Her music combines an education in jazz composition, playful vocal rhythm, and Brazilian grooves.
Gladiolus Tristis is Aaron de Kock’s, better known as RT Palmer‘s, second official EP. This project follows his 2021 release, Amalgamate, which featured BLACACTUS. Gladiolus Tristis marks the first-ever solo project from RT Palmer and is one that he took the time to meticulously curate into the oscillating seven-part production that was released on 9 December.
[Aidan Fraser performs at M-PIRE music on 8 November. PHOTO: Supplied/Aidan Fraser]
Aidan Fraser is a rising indie artist from Johannesburg with an eye-catching, androgynous fashion sense. He got started making self-produced demos for YouTube in 2019, was handpicked for a collaboration with local star J’Something of Mi Casa in 2020, and has now been signed for a full album with the label, Just Music.
[Sold Ash released his self-titled debut EP on 28 April 2020. PHOTO: Daniel Luckhoff-Wessels.]
What began as a performance in an 11th-grade talent contest has evolved into one of the most prominent acts on the Cape Town psych-rock scene. Ruan Vos, better known by his stage name Sold Ash, has been making waves locally with his muted yet extravagant showmanship, lyrical prowess and meticulously-curated sound.
[Ben Jamieson (left) and Benjy de Kock (right) at Concept Records on 30 November. PHOTO: Pierre-Louis Bredenkamp]
Ben Jamieson and Benjy de Kock are the duo behind Concept Records, an independent recording studio nestled in the suburbs across from the Rondebosch Golf Club. However, Ben and Benjy view it as much more than that: a growing creative community that fosters connections among local artists and discussions about the state of the industry as a whole.
Zwoog is the brainchild of Marcel van der Veen, a musician and producer currently based in Worcester, South Africa. The electronic music project began in the midst of the lockdown in 2020. The music is intense and hard to categorise, but it stays true to its roots and genre.
Enchanting vocals, jazzy rhythms and smooth instrumentals are delivered effortlessly by the Cape Town-based afro-soul artist, KhiweG. Her debut EP, Bhotani, showcases the creativity and dexterity of this singer-songwriter. The project tells a story of the journey towards self-awareness through the difficulties of life, and the relationship between a grandchild and their grandparents, or “guardians”.
Cistamatic, which began as a solo project by Gabbi le Roux, has since April evolved into a riot-punk trio, that has taken the Cape Town punk rock scene by storm. The band sum up their sound in five words, “Gutsy, angsty, punk, cheeky, and existential.”
