Dezemba is right around the corner which means South Africans are currently looking for our summer anthem. MFR Souls (Maero and Force Reloaded) no doubt know this, which is why they’ve put out their EP The Beginning just in time for you to learn the words and get your dance moves right for the coming holidays.
For those unfamiliar with MFR Souls, the duo from Katlehong came to prominence by collaborating with Kabza de small, DJ Maphorisa and Samthing Soweto on the AMAPIANO hit “Amantombazane” earlier this year. You’ve probably heard “Love You Tonight” which sees the duo teaming up with Kabza de small and DJ Maphorisa again, as well as Sha Sha. It’s the first single off of The Beginning which was released less than a month ago and is already sitting at over half a million views on Youtube. So, if you haven’t heard “Love You Tonight” yet, expect to this December.
https://youtu.be/GUGwOLpjkEw
While the genre may be called AMAPIANO, we’re treated to some incredibly smooth guitar riffage from Sipho Magudulela on the opening track “Promises”, and once again on track 6; “Harvard”. Personally, he’s one of the stand-out collaborators on the album and someone I’m going to keep an ear on.
Smoothness and collaboration are probably the 2 words I associate most with The Beginning. There are 13 collaborations across the 6 tracks, including fellow AMAPIANO pioneers The Squad and one of the biggest names in South African house music, DJ Tira. Each track has a unique feel to it thanks to all the unique personalities involved but they’re all underlaid with a smoothness that good whiskeys wish they had. “Dust”, a slow-burner of a closing track, is the only song without collaborators. While The Beginning may be an EP, there’s certainly no shortage of music as it more resembles an album in length. 9 tracks, each coming in at 5 minutes at the minimum, means you’re bound to wear out a few pairs of dancing shoes to this EP.
