Spoek Mathambo

Father Creeper (Sub Pop)

Rapper/DJ Spoek Mathambo certainly doesn’t sound like he’s from around these parts. The South African MC summons hip-hop out of worldly, idiosyncratic places. No tumbling boom-bap or fog-burning synths – his Sub Pop debut, Father Creeper, is built on stringent, live-band guitars, patchy beats, and ramshackle drums. These are linear songs, flexing organic craftsmanship and a peppy demeanor – undoubtedly the work of a young man’s wit. The clattering “Dog To Bone” puts motherland rhythms right alongside bristling guitars as the bandleader toasts over a bulbous, East London bass throb on “Skorokoro.” All the feature spots are ostensibly adopted straight out of Cape Town’s vibrant but criminally underwritten subcultures. We’ve heard polychromatic African skitter-pop on American indie labels before, but never this naturalistic. Mathambo rants from a place that feels relevant, inviting, unique, and incredibly difficult to pin down. (Fri., 12mid, Red 7)

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This article appears in March 16 • 2012.

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