NATIVE SOUL - TEENAGE DREAMS Vinyl LP
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On their debut album released by Awesome Tapes From Africa, Native Soul demonstrate the depth of the musical well they draw from. The drawling tempo and synth chords on "Way to Cairo", the album’s second song, are reminiscent of a certain type of Kwaito popular with pantsula culture. The most discernible nod to Afro House on Teenage Dreams comes in the form of "Dead Sangoma"'s percussive drums. Similarly, the aptly named “United As One” carries a tinge of Moloko’s Sing It Back which was released in 1999, became anthemic in South Africa and continues to represent a belle epoque of electronic music in the country.
Speaking about the conspicuous lack of vocals on the project, Mhlanga says “Vocalists are scarce in my area. I usually create a project and if a vocalist wants to collaborate, I give them the same project for us to take forward.”
There is no single song that stands out far above any other on Teenage Dreams, it is Native Soul duo’s experimentation, composition and arrangements that make the album a strong first offering which exceeds the expectations of the young duo. Throughout the album, each song develops patiently—introducing various instruments and elements in turn. With each layer added, the emotion elicited from the listener is deepened. In this way, Teenage Dreams is not just a dance album, but one that understands what can be gained when artistic maturity meets experimentation.
Speaking about the conspicuous lack of vocals on the project, Mhlanga says “Vocalists are scarce in my area. I usually create a project and if a vocalist wants to collaborate, I give them the same project for us to take forward.”
There is no single song that stands out far above any other on Teenage Dreams, it is Native Soul duo’s experimentation, composition and arrangements that make the album a strong first offering which exceeds the expectations of the young duo. Throughout the album, each song develops patiently—introducing various instruments and elements in turn. With each layer added, the emotion elicited from the listener is deepened. In this way, Teenage Dreams is not just a dance album, but one that understands what can be gained when artistic maturity meets experimentation.