Ben Sharpa and DJ Cadik in Budapest

Ben Sharpa recently returned from Budapest where he performed at Sziget Festival with DJ Cadik. The photo above was taken on a boat on the Danube river on their way to the festival. The building behind them is the Hungarian Parliament.

Cadik is a stalwart of the Hungarian electronic underground party scene. He’s a producer, promoter, radio DJ and live performer. Ben and Cadik have been working on collaborations which should be out soon. Watch this space.

While Ben was at Sziget he also ran into Gas Lamp Killer so they got their pose on…

For more about DJ Cadik, check out his Tumblr

That’s how we rrrrrrrrroll!!

Dplanet, Ben Sharpa and KONFAB feature on historic Jarring Effects release

Our friends at French independent music collective, Jarring Effects, are about to release their 100th project, FX100. Instead of releasing the usual retrospective to celebrate this symbolic event, JFX have created a 3 disc collection of exclusive tracks, unexpected collaborations and remixes that bring together the vast majority of artists who have made up the ​Jarring Effects catalogue over the years.

FX100 is a box set created in the image of Jarring Effects, consisting of meetings, ‘confrontations’ and a mixture of genres. Each of the three CDs that form this collection represents a facet of the label’s musical identity, where dub, hip-hop and music that is harder to classify meet to form a single entity.

Pioneer Unit first worked with Jarring Effects back in 2007 when they released Cape Town Beats, a compilation that featured Ben Sharpa, Kuti Kult and Rato. Since then, the label has released The Sharpaganda Theory: Lesson 1 (on vinyl) and B. Sharpa, both by Ben Sharpa.

We were extremely excited to be asked by Jarring Effects to contribute music to FX100. Ben Sharpa collaborated with Thavius Beck and Dplanet worked with K-the-I???. Dplanet also contributed a collaboration with KONFAB.

You can pre-order FX100 for just €30 (R288). The 3 CD box set comes with a 40 page booklet and a t-shirt. For serious collectors, a vinyl edition is also available.

Pre-order FX100 at Ulule now!

That’s how we rrrrrrrrrrrrroll!!

New Music | Tumi Vs. Dplanet

Tumi aka T from the V aka Tumi from the Volume aka The Poet MC and Dplanet go H.A.M. on this heavyweight street banger. The track features hard, warped synths, window-shaking bass and Tumi’s vicious vocals.

“I’m on my J.O., flow fresh not a day old, you can see me in The Star tonight – Galileo.”

To download the track, click the small black arrow on the right hand side of the music player below: Dplan – Tumi by PioneerUnit

Catch Tumi and the Volume on Saturday night (18th June) at The Assembly in Cape Town. Click here to buy tickets.

Follow Tumi on Twitter: @tumifromthev

Follow Dplanet on Twitter: @Dplanet

That’s how we rrrrrrrrrrrrrrroll!!

Pre-Election Day Special. The Government by Rattex and Ben Sharpa

With South African local government elections tomorrow, we decided to liberate a track that is just as relevant today as the day it came out 3 years ago. On The Government, Rattex and Ben Sharpa break down the government’s failure to deliver on its promises, especially those made around election time.

The Government is another Planet Earth banger. In case you’ve been on holiday in a different universe, Planet Earth is the Guguletu-based producer now famous for creating Driemanskap’s breakthrough hit S’phum’eGugs (We’re from Gugs).

The Government is yours to download for FREE – just click the small black arrow on the right of the music player widget below.

The Government – Rattex Ft. Ben Sharpa by PioneerUnit

Use your vote wisely!

That’s how we rrrrrrrrrrrrroll!!

Pure Solid Release Sphithiphithi Spazatronic Remix

Pure Solid have released a remix of Redondo’s classic Sphithiphithi, one of the darkest, most gritty tales of ghetto life ever released in South Africa. Driemanskap member Redondo has been through a lot in the last 10 years, and he pours every bit of his pain and frustration into the lyrics of this haunting track.

The original track was produced by Planet Earth, now famous for creating Driemanskap’s breakthrough hit S’phum’eGugs (We’re from Gugs). Sphithiphithi appeared on Driemanskap’s debut release Igqabhukil’ Inyongo.

This is Pure Solid’s first release since their debut double EP, Ghetto Dubs. In keeping with their style, the remix features head knocking drums, darkly warped electronic bass and hypnotic synths – strictly for spazatronic soldiers. The remix is yours to download for FREE – just click the small black arrow on the right of the music player widget below.

Sphithiphithi Spazatronic Remix – Pure Solid Ft. Redondo by PioneerUnit

Jaak and Bronstibock on a mission with Africa Unsigned

Afrikaans rapper Jaak recently teamed up with Dutch bass music production team Bronstibock and crowd funding facilitator Africa Unsigned. For those of you not familiar with the term ‘crowd funding’, let me just cut and paste straight from Wikipedia…

“Crowd funding is the collective cooperation, attention and trust by people who network and pool their money and other resources together, usually via the Internet, to support efforts initiated by other people or organizations.”

By crowd sourcing through Africa Unsigned, Jaak and Bronstibock aim is to raise $1,000 (US) to enable them to record and promote an EP. After the tracks have been recorded, the next step will be to get Jaak and Bronstibock to share a stage in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

So, we’re asking you people out there on the internet to contribute a small amount of money to help make this project happen. You’re probably thinking, ‘what’s in it for me?’, and that’s a good question. There are a variety of supporter incentives including free downloads, tickets to shows and even a personalised freestyle by Jaak (although you have to dig deep for that!).

Anyway, watch the video below and head over to Africa Unsigned for more information about this project.

That’s how we rrrrrrrrrrrrrrroll!!

Manqoba unleashes ‘Passop’ Ft. Driemanskap off his ‘The Winner EP’

One of Spaza’s brightest rising stars, Manqoba, has decided to liberate a new track off his debut EP, The Winner. Manqoba teamed up with South Africa’s most talked about hip hop crew, Driemanskap, to deliver a spaza banger produced by Driemanskap’s El Nino.

The track is called Passop – which means ‘beware’ in English – so watch your backs and protect ya necks! It’s yours to download for FREE – just click the small black arrow on the right of the music player widget below.

Passop – Manqoba Ft. Driemanskap by PioneerUnit

Check out The Winner EP by Manqoba.

That’s how we rrrrrrrrrrrrrroll!!

Ben Sharpa Features on Audioactivism Vol. 2

Our friends at Jarring Effects have just released Audio Activism Volume 2. Continuing the mission from Volume 1, expect more hybrid hip hop, bass, electro and dub(step) crossovers.

Naturally the album features Ben Sharpa alongside a whole host of JFX artists and collaborators including, Bleubird, Dälek, Grosso Gadgetto, K-The-I??, Kaly Live Dub, Oddateee, Picore and Playdoe.

Check out Audioactivism Vol 2 on the Jarring Effects website

Buy Audioactivism Vol 2 at cd1d

That’s how we rrrrrrrrrrrroll!!

Ben Sharpa and Human Player Improvised Jam Session – Video

Check out these videos of Ben Sharpa getting down with Human Player in Toulouse, France. Totally improvised and live…

HUMAN PLAYER & BEN SHARPA vol2
Uploaded by leclercremi. – Explore more music videos.

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Ben Sharpa Featured on New Foreign Beggars Remix Project

Our very own Ben Sharpa features on Foreign Beggars new project Beggattron Remixed. Calling on a slew of the most credible names in electronic music to rework last year’s United Colours of Beggattron LP, the 18 featured tracks cross the boundaries of dubstep, D&B, grime, glitch and more to create a bold and exciting record that fuses UK hip-hop with electronic, bass-heavy music of almost every variety.

Other feature artists include grime allstars Wretch 32 and Dot Rotten, UK heavyweight Jehst as well as Kashmere, American soulstress and ex – Macy Gray/Plantlife vocalist Audra Nishita and newly celebrated Graziella of Miss Frank and X-Factor fame.

For more information check out the brand new Foreign Beggars website.

Listen to and buy Beggatron Remixed direct from Foreign Beggars’ Bandcamp site.

That’s how we rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrroll!!