African Techno
Hailing from the Ghanaian capital of Accra is the one and only DJ Katapila, aka Ishmael Abbey, who was first brought to our attention by the always reliable Awesome Tapes From Africa, when the label reissued his now internationally acclaimed debut album "Trotro" in 2016. The record went on to feature in renowned publications the likes of The New York Times, Pitchfork, Resident Advisor and FACT magazine among others, which ultimately launched Katapila's touring career, where he "brought Ghana’s street party culture to audiences overseas [and left] a wave of joy and happy dancers in his wake".
Upon first hearing his tracks, one could be tempted to decry them as simple, devoid of depth or sophistication. But don't be fooled. DJ Katapila's straight-forward, fast-paced and unpretentious catalog is marked by an honesty and originality that have made him "a growing and singular voice in West African music". As such, he continued to expand and work on his "minimalist electronic productions" while on tour in Europe and the UK and is now set to release his latest EP this Friday, March 23rd via AFTA.
DJ Katapila's forthcoming "Aroo EP" is comprised of four tracks that are "steeped in his hometown rhythms" as much as they are inspired by his experiences abroad. "African Techno", for instance, which can already be streamed in the SoundCloud player above, draws from the contemporary sounds of London: “In Europe and the UK they like these techno songs and house music. They have songs that sound like African music, and we have songs that sound like house music and techno music,” he explains. That being said, you might also want to check out the blazing companion video to the EP's closer "Monkey" below. DJ Katapila is definitely back and turning heads!
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