Zistwar fer per by Babani Soundsystem Gets A New Groove
Mauritius-based Babani Soundsystem releases a remix EP for their hauntingly meditative debut single Zistwar fer per (2019). The band blends the boundary between traditional Indian Ocean rhythms and new electronic influences, and has explored further with reworks of Zistwar fer per by Alma Negra feat. Celine Hubert, KR∆UT, and Sunken Cages - as well as the original mix and its instrumental version - into one big ritual.
Ravish Momin aka Sunken Cages is an Indian-born drummer, producer and educator. A structural / civil engineer by training, Momin has worked with a diverse cast of musicians from pop-stars like Shakira to avant-saxophonist Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre, while also leading electro-jazz ensembles in the studio and around the world. He has crafted his unique approach to making music by triggering sounds and textures, layering live-loops, and jamming on the fly to blur the lines between composition and improvisation.
His take on Zistwar fer per breaks down the track to highlight elements that hide in the shadows of the original mix – emphasizing certain sonic details, echoed and reiterated throughout the remix. There is a sense of foreboding and uncertainty, which grows into an excitable playfulness, teasing the tempo into a subtle crescendo, and back into the familiar chant – a fresh and gradual way of invoking the Babani.
KR∆UT is the moniker of Amsterdam’s household name Daniel Zuur, where he bring his audience a flux of world music-influenced electronica. A staple name in the alternative electronic music scene, his sets have been attributed to being melancholic, dynamic but above all, deeply melodic. As KR∆UT he released on labels like Shika Shika, Wonderwheel Recordings, Metanoia, Cosmic Awakenings, Tropical Twista Records and recently on new label The Other Eye, with a remix by Acid Pauli.
Echoing the spirit of the original mix, KR∆UT brings it to the forefront the percussions and accentuates them in a delicate, minimalist manner. There is a steady acidity heard as the repetitive, monotonous, and highly addictive synth riff that carries the beat and melody throughout the track. KR∆UT’s remix of the sacred-sounding Zistwar fer invites one to move in devotion and divination.
Basel-based twins Dersu and Diego Figueira have been spinning funk, house, disco and boogie across Europe since their teens and have converge together as Alma Negra. Coming from a musical family with strong Cape Verde roots, they soon embraced the Latin and African rhythms that are at the heart of the music they love. The Basel producers’ have gained support from the likes of Daphni, Ben UFO, Four Tet, Hunee and Antal and guest regularly at Gilles Petersons Worldwide FM.
Alma Negra’s distinct drive, rhythmic sensibilities and unique percussive sound has molded Zistwar fer per into a narrative with fantastical imagery. Lending her feminine vocals on the remix, Celine Huber jumps on the track and adds an ethereal feel to the piece. The mix is captivating, gentle, and intricately soothing – with live strings, horns, and piano complementing and completing the dance.
The artworks give life to each track, anchoring in on an imagery that’s cryptic, terrifying, yet irresistibly intriguing. Initially conceptualised by Mauritian illustrator, Guimero, the artwork hints at the boogieman and is reinterpreted for the remix pack by Reunion Island's Kid Kréol and Boogie.
Governed by the island’s traditional instrument, the Ravanne, one might scratch their head as to the genre Babani Soundsystem is – but what you might find is a spiritual recognition of sound rather than an easy pigeonholing of music. Listen and let the rhythm speak for itself.
Listen to Zistwar fer per Remixes with fresh new tales to the urban legend, elaborating on Babani’s spooky stories.