'Amuzed' - 21/11/97

Hy!

Here in Cape Town, the 30th anniversary of the first 'summer of love' is in full swing. December approaches, bringing with it an influx of Hip-'E's, Vaalie-ballers, back-packers and two-wrists all ready to soak up the sunrays and good energy that is continually present at the foot of Flat Mountain. As always, a multitude of soundtracks are needed to accommodate all the extra ears and the local music folk are busy laying out their wares to catch the unsuspecting lobes. The established radio stations, Good Hope FM, Radio 5, Metro and KFM are facing stiff competition from the groove-jazz sounds of P4 and FMR while Bush Radio and Cape Talk are picking off the fringe listeners.

New SA releases continue to pour into the CD stores and clubs. 'New World Music/A Journey Through The Townships' is a hot new compilation showcasing the current sounds from the Cape townships. The Jam Band, one of the bands appearing on this CD will be playing at the Free Peoples Concert which is happening in the Company Gardens on November 29th. Henry Ate have grabbed the prestigious support slot on the upcoming and eagerly anticipated tour to SA by the British PC-punk group Skunk Anansie. The Afrik-kuns crowd in Stellenbosch are abuzz with the news that Anton Lamour has returned to rejoin Valiant Swart. Now that the 'Swarts' are back to their original incarnation, we will soon be seeing the rereleased and remastered versions of 'Mystic Boer' and 'Dorpstraat' on CD. Talking about dorps, um, Dorp are set to release their second album and it will be reviewed in Beat Speak during the next few weeks along with a beer-fueled Lager Mentality interview. Their new album is a five - track CD called 'Five Steps Off The Pacemaker' and it's a fun-filled ska-fest.

If any SA mag can be said to have their fist wrapped around the pulse of the local scene then it surely must be Get The Funk Out (GTFO). This CD-sized monthly sits unassumingly on the music mag shelves alongside its A4-sized musical cousins and offers all the info your media-muddled mind needs as well as an unmissable CD at the back with all the new SA music soundbytes. For up-to-date online gig info, look no further than http://www.gig-guide.co.za.

GTFO's current 'Funk 5' is drooled over in our Reviews section as is the new Fetish album. If you haven't yet submitted your list to Space Station Discs then do so immediately as you never know when those Mars Attackers are going to swoop down and at least you'll be ready. Rodriguez is definitely alive, and we found him, so The Great Rodriguez Hunt has now become The Great Rodriguez Website. See some recent photos of the king of SA cult stars or post a message on our web-board. One World, our online CD store, offers you the largest selection of brand new SA CD releases as they hit the racks and secured online ordering and distribution to all corners of the known global market. If you've got any SA music news, contrary views, new releases, gig reviews or dates or just want to say "hy", email me at Sugar@cd.co.za.. Keep your feet on the stars and reach for the ground.
Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman

The five CDs currently being played constantly in the Amuzine hard drive's "coffee-holder":

(1) Get The Funk Out 5 compilation CD - it's got the Honeymoon Suites' 'Luminous Anonimity' on it!
(2) Fetish - I love this cover. I keep rubbing it against myself while I'm listening. Aaargh…
(3) The Verve 'Urban Hymns' - listen to 'Lucky Man' and 'Sonnet'. Album of the (y)ear.
(4) 'The Best of Rodriguez' - especially 'Street Boy', which isn't on the other two CDs.
(5) Dead Sea Surfers 'Eating The Humour'. Watch out Stellenbosch - Pretoria rock is coming!

by stephen 'Sugar' Segerman