Ghana-based Benjamin Lebrave speaks fluent French and English, and can schmooze in Spanish and Portuguese. He’ll report on new African music every other week. This week, he shares a mix from Wahib Soumade and Tyler Pope's new EP, SVMH RMXD003.
Sudan's mostly been in the news when lots of people die. Not so much for futuristic collaborations with Western artists. Well thank goodness Berlin-based Wahib Soumade of Media in Cooperation and Transition (M.I.C.T.) made some collaborations happen. Wahib's been handling a very interesting project called Sudan Votes Music Hopes, which started out as a cassette given away throughout Sudan in 2010, before the elections, as an extra incentive for people to take matters in their own hands and vote. You can download the tape and learn more about this project here.
Since this tape came out, Wahib's also been piecing together some exciting EPs. One came out last year on Innervisions and featured remixes of Emmanuel Jal by Henrik Schwarz and The Knife's Olof Dreijer. Needless to say, it made waves. The second EP, although more low-key, is actually my favorite. It features this sick remix by Dal-Gren and Kirikoo Des:
Wahlib reached out to me to see if I wanted to release a third EP project, called SVMH RMXD003, on Akwaaba. I very much down with the concept, and more so when he unveiled who was involved—Tyler Pope, of !!!, LCD Soundsystem, Hercules and Love Affair and Out Hud fame. Tyler had been toying around with some West African sounds. When he met Wahib in Berlin and they talked about working together on this project, it just made sense. They tapped Alsarah bka Salam Nubia, a Khartoum-born (now Brooklynite) singer/songwriter who's been experimenting with Middle Eastern and East African folklore. Word on the streets is she's dropping a taarab-infused album later this year. The EP's B-side features Sudanese heavyweight Yousif Elmosley, who gets the house treatment courtesy of Edward, one of Berlin's busiest club DJs and producers. The impeccable cover is by Parisian designer Paul Hamy. SVMH RMXD003 will be released just in time for Southern Sudan's Independence, this Saturday July 9th. You didn't know? Well now you have a soundtrack to celebrate to.
Download: SVMH RMXD003 Minimix
