 | Warning: This piece is going to be a little heavy. Something happened towards the end of 2012 that left my social circle in disarray. A mate passed away. Whilst having to deal with any death is at best difficult, for the first time I was confronted with the compounded complexity of having to deal with a loss of someone twice. The second, being the death of the virtual existence. My mates and I were in a state of flux at ...read more |
Ghost in the Machine
Monday, February 25th, 2013 by Nolan Stevens, illustration by Colwyn Thomas
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Jacked by Nostalgia
Friday, February 22nd, 2013 by Ts’eliso Monaheng
 | I descended on Jozi’s inner-city this past Saturday to experience an experiment in audio textures, a modern-day translation of a conversation the townships have been having since the nineties – kwaito. That’i Cover Orchestra, the brainchild of Keleketla Library’s Malose Malahlela and Rangoato Hlasane, saw yet another incarnation this year with the great bra Louis Mhlanga directing the proceedings, while the likes of Paul Hanmer, Zweli Mthembu, and Siphiwe Tshabalala (the latter two part of The Brother Moves On) added ...read more |
Artisan Tattoo Sandwiches
Friday, February 22nd, 2013 by Ray van Wyk, illustration by Colwyn Thomas
 | “Can I sell lick on tattoos on the side?” “Of course people won’t be happy with you doing that, but I reckon go for it, you’ll be taking that whole convention for a poes, at least you’ll just be a poes to the few people who see you doing it.” This was the end of the conversation that lead to me selling fancy sandwiches at this year’s tattoo convention at the town hall on Darling St. Cape Town. ...read more |
Tackling Inferiority
Wednesday, February 20th, 2013 by Andy Davis
 | Bongeziwe Mabandla has one of those voices that can put a lump in your throat and make you rub your face pretending there’s something stuck in your eye. And it’s the blend of his beautiful voice, on point guitar melodies and meaningful lyrics that have differentiated this original, acoustic singer/songwriter from his many contemporaries on the South African folk circuit. On the back of his debut album, Umlilo and the set he played opening for Vieux Farka Touré, we ...read more |
Not the Cape Town Electronic Music Festival
Wednesday, February 20th, 2013 by Hugh Upsher
 | This weekend, while Cape Town’s mongers were gathered inside a massive parking lot at the Foreshore, praising the laser to a soundtrack of beats, blips and bloops, the Assembly tried to pull together the best, young, non-electronic acts to save the night and keep their cash registers kah-chinging. Hugh Upsher went to check it out with his sketch book. This is not the Cape Town Electronic Music Festival. ...read more |
The Bard in Baleni
Monday, February 18th, 2013 by Rob Scher, images by Jason Hartford
 | “Sweets! Sweeeets!” It’s an echoing chorus that accompanies us as we bump along the dirt roads in our condition-inappropriate rental car. Traversing endless foothills, narrowly avoiding potholes whilst passing sparsely clustered mud huts, there’s no mistaking the Transkei landscape. Excitable children gather like zombies at the sight of our car, demanding their candied brains. The Transkei truly is another country. ...read more |
Pandora’s Box
Friday, February 15th, 2013 by Mlilo Mpondo, illustration by Sasan
 | I recently joined a new department at work and found myself at yet another empty desk begging to be adorned with baby pictures, perhaps plastic flowers and any other paraphernalia which attempts to bring a sense of belonging to a place that you would rather not be in. If not to only placate the nudity of a desk that had bid farewell to its previous, newly promoted owner. I stared at the desk’s emptiness wondering who I would be sharing ...read more |
The Durban Bang Bang Club
Thursday, February 14th, 2013 by Samora Chapman
 | The idea is this: tour the city in search of the best and worst street photographers and get them to take my portrait. Then line up the firing squad and shoot them with my camera. It’s the battle of the lenses, and debut of the Durban Bang Bang Club. And next time you enter the inner-city warzone, you too can get a nice little snap to memorialize your survival of the Poison City jungle. ...read more |
The Platinum City
Monday, February 11th, 2013 by Morrel Shilenge
 | The first time I visited Rustenburg, like a typical nomad I asked people what made this place unique? The answer was obvious: the mines. “Is that all there is?” I murmered. Rustenburg is a city situated at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range in North West Province of South Africa, surrounded by various townships and semi-villages. Within these areas exist so many social contradictions. The city is considered a ‘Platinum City’ but the visible signs of poverty are everywhere. ...read more |
Enter the CTEMF
Monday, February 11th, 2013 by Yolande Botha
 | ‘Twas the month of Feb, when all through the city, not a creature was stirring, not even a Hout Bay hippie. The amps were plugged in, the V&A Breakwater Parking was looking its best. All in preparation for the Cape Town Electronic Music Fest. ...read more |
