Garth Erasmus - Threnody for the KhoiSan (2024)

Whew!!! Quietly stunning music from Cape Town via Düsseldorf introducing KhoiSan descendent Garth Erasmus, a multi-instrumentalist channelling his South African heritage in fascinating, entrancing ways with voice and custom built kit, equal parts untraditional folk, ambient and free jazz - RIYL Ndiko Xaba & The Natives, La Timpa, Pat Thomas, Rat Heart, Moondog

Since 1985 Garth Erasmus has been active in applying indigenous knowledge of the KhoiSan - the original people of South Africa and surrounding regions - to endeavours ranging from politics to music. He was a member of South African First Nation activist group Khoi Khonnexion 1999-2012, and a part of Hamburg’s Kante thru his regular trips to perform in Europe. After recent inclusion on a TAL label survey (and a number of international compilations in recent years), Erasmus now takes his remarkable first solo bow, proper, on Stefan Schneider’s nomadic label.

‘Threnody for the KhoiSan’ slots snugly into TAL’s roster of far-flung spirits with a strong example of the label’s tastes for subtly usual moods and grooves, vibes and tonalities. It’s one where expectations should be left at the entrance and open ears will be rewarded with initiation to Erasmus’ unique soundworld, meshing field recordings with the distinctive buzz and scrape of his self-built instruments, united by his husky, accented voice and riddled by a crucial soupçon of electronics that crop up in consistently surprising stylistic fusions.

Aye we’re in special territory with this album. Between the arid, listing sax and offbeat flow of ‘Gwaing Reverie’ and an utterly absorbing, funereal closer ‘The Ascension of Milford Graves’ Erasmus summons a singular sense of spirituality from minimalist gestures. Passages of street poetry delivery such as ‘Lucelle Sista of the Soil’ gives way to a beautifully raw, nerve-strumming prayer ‘Mantis Praise’ and a series of vignettes including the incredibly haunting electro-acoustic phantom ‘Terug Blik’ and free jazz lament of his title piece. The hush of ‘Evidence of Things Unseen’ is surely comparable with La Timpa’s chamber pop, and jeez we’re simply left quivering by the gorgeous Enno Velthuys-esque ambience of ‘Rosedorp Requiem’. Yeh mate just got something in my eye, not weeping at all.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Garth Erasmus - Gwaing Reverie (2:06)
1.02 - Garth Erasmus - Lucelle: Sista Of The Soil (4:54)
1.03 - Garth Erasmus - Mantis Praise (2:09)
1.04 - Garth Erasmus - Amaseh Amen (1:16)
1.05 - Garth Erasmus - For Peter & Ruth (1:43)
1.06 - Garth Erasmus - Terug Blik (1:19)
1.07 - Garth Erasmus - Threnody For The KhoiSan (1:30)
1.08 - Garth Erasmus - Ambient Khoi (2:23)
1.09 - Garth Erasmus - Mcinci Song I (2:09)
1.10 - Garth Erasmus - Morenga (2:26)
1.11 - Garth Erasmus - Evidence Of Things Unseen (4:18)
1.12 - Garth Erasmus - Lockdown Duet: Milano-Cape Town (1:16)
1.13 - Garth Erasmus - Roesdorp Requiem (4:27)
1.14 - Garth Erasmus - The Ascension Of Milford Graves (2:16)