the ineffable beauty of ASANTE III, the new album by MÖRDA (3-step, SA dance music)

Only heard this this morning, but my, what a glorious thing to wake up to on an early Spring morning. This is already vying for best thing I've heard this year so far.

It's taken a while for me to get my head around the genre known as 3-step, a recent development in the South African house scene not disimilar to amapiano and gqom, characterised by cyclical triplet rhythms and an emphasis on the first three beats of a bar.

But guys, no wait, come back because this is really special. It really throws into persepctive that 3-step is a genre in its own right and not just a derivative offshoot of amapiano music.

I was hooked by the second track 'Vault', an instrumental that strongly reminds me of Plaid; so much so that I wonder if the producers were listening to Double Figure or Scintilli when they made it.

Later we get into more diverse territory and some great guest-spots, a who's who of SA dance royalty including Thakzin (who I believe possibly invented the genre).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNPxz9CJ11k

Not many other full videos online, but here's a link to the dreaded Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5zi9wqbDdf4iBDSDWbzu6D?si=HI6Qw3DpT_2s1ceXTcelXg

And here's Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/za/album/asante-iii/1802662277

More info here: https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/sa-morda-releases-third-album-asante-iii

Wow Nomfundo Moh sounds good on this

Oh wow, this is good!

Reposting here in case this thread takes off

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnbGxTkel0E
Babalwa M feat. JAZZWRLD, Thukuthela & GL_Ceejay - Amaphutha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA8WcPidWvs
Dlala Thukzin feat. Funky Qla, Thukuthela & Sykes- Indaba

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYqqye2uwkQ
Dlala Thukzin feat. Zee Nxumalo, Funky Qla, MK Productions & jayJayy - Mahlalela

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21zI2dBKVj4
CIZA feat. Tems, Omah Lay, Thukuthela, JAZZWRLD - Isaka II (6am)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxeEvK28tuA
Jazzwrld & Thukuthela - Abasekho

Jazzwrld, Thukuthela, Funky Qla, Dlala Thukzin, and Zee Nxumalo are all over this sound

My apologies if dog latin wanted to center the thread around Mörda, I had remembered it as our 3-step thread but I guess that's an initiative.

no no, this can be the 3-step thread if we like!

My favourite track of the year is a three-step track!

screw it, may as well post it. it's from the OP album. I love it so much

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi-yVp_hT4I

So good!

i knew ilm would appreciate this record
he played "izigi" & a bunch of unreleased tracks (ASANTE IV) last weekend at descendants in new york, it was glorious

this only got two votes in EOY. shame on you ILM

Jazzwrld & Thukuthela were added to a Washington DC bill of Amapiano djs and more the other night but I unfortunately had a conflict and couldn’t make it

i considered it, but don't listen much to kelvin momo

dlala thukzin is here in march!

Listening to all the Asantes this week, and the first two are good, but the third one is just next level genious. Too bad it wasn't nineties enough for the ILX list, but oh well, perhaps next year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODvDcrqaMAw

WOWWW!

Need to find a digital copy of this asap