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The BIG Reason

Music, opinions, and portfolio of Mark Eagleton, musician and web developer in Northern CA.

Die Antwoord
South African, fully zef, fully bad ass techno hip-hop.

Die Antwoord

My buddy Scott turned me onto Die Antwoord a few days ago. I wound up with an advance of their forthcoming album, “$0$” and can’t stop listening to it. I haven’t been this completely blown away by an album in quite a long time. Maybe a decade.

I have pretty broad taste in music. There is brilliance in every genre. It’s not uncommon for me to get really into a live jazz combo recording, or a punishing machine-like industrial metal album, or sweet lovesick brother duets. I can now officially add Zuid Afrikan zef rap-rave to the list. I haven’t spun a record so many times in a row since I can remember.

It’s difficult to tell if Die Antwoord is serious. In the United States, comedy gets pigeonholed into a category of its own. It isn’t allowed to share the stage with any of the serious genres. When was the last time you saw a comedy win best picture at the academy awards? When something this ridiculous and seriously well written and well produced comes along, I can’t help but suck it up.

The combination of impoverished South African culture, ridiculously insane lyrics peppered with Afrikaan/English slang, tacky early 90s hip-hop style, and incredibly well written and performed techno-rave music is extremely appealing to me. I can’t turn it off. It is so good, I must urge you to take the time to watch these two videos just in case they strike a nerve with you, too.

Disclaimer: If you are offended by harsh language and/or the human body, this may not appeal to you.

Isn’t it just so fucking full flex?