If Thakzin could described with a single word, it would be innovator. The DJ and producer’s belief in an interlinked world has shaped his approach to music, which has been journey of experimentation that has made him the versatile producer he is. Inspired by sangomas (Zulu traditional healers), Thakzin has a profound belief in the healing power of music and the virtues of spiritual elevation & positive energy through the universality of dancing.
During the Covid lockdowns of 2020, Thakzin sought to reclaim African house music. He felt like sound was drifting further and further from its origins, and to bring it back to its roots, the producer brought together amapiano and Afro house to create 3-step. A genre that announced itself to the world with the release of Thakzin’s “The Magnificent Dance.”
Named for its three-kick-drum framework, 3-step is a genre where each and every sound matters. It is driven by the rhythm and the communication of drums, with the creation of tension and releasing being key. It ignited conversation and was soon endorsed by the likes of Sun El Musician, Themba, MÖRDA and Oscar Mbo on the South African scene, and Jimpster, Osunlade, Atjazz and Keinemusik globally. This in turned Thakzin into a globally recognised name in the house music space.
Now a decade and a half since he began learning how to produce music, Thakzin has finally released his debut album, Gods Window Pt. 1, and to say it’s long overdue would be putting it lightly. Yet it’s a project well worth the wait. Gods Window Pt. 1 is an album that truly showcases the philosophy of 3-step as a sound and Thakzin as an artist. It is ever evolving and a diverse palette that absorbs influences from across Africa.
From its opening with “Makukhanye,” the album establishes itself as spiritual. It ebbs and flows into the tribal, the soulful, the jazzy and the sensual. It’s 18 tracks are an experience that has to listened to as a whole.
“Utlwa” has driving drums and vocals that dive deep into tradition with a West African in their delivery. “Hamba Nami” is a percussive heartbeat adorned with intricate lyricism and paired with groovy synth. This layered music experience is tempered down by the R&B led “Need Your Groove,” where Jordan MoOzy’s vocals shine.
“When We Play” arrives almost devoid of vocals and instead offers up a jazzy shuffle where Xolani Guitars’ strumming twinkles beautifully over percussion. What Thakzin delivers on Gods Window Pt. 1 is a project where the artist’s inspiration guides the genre, instead of the genre being a blueprit for creation. While it remains a 3-step album, in some moments it is amapiano that comes to the fore, in others deep house, then jazz, then gqom, all while maintaining a beautiful quality of music.
For the triumphant “One Light Many Hands,” a song that bubbles with percussion paired with stream of horns, Thakzin joins hands with Mhaw Keys. “Water” that draws in Mörda, Osaze and Lyrik Shoxen, “Galela” with Mörda again and Leko M, and “Botho Begins With Her” with Mankabosane Cultural Group all draw from traditional South African soundscapes and are tinged with the tribal.
The softly sung “Ke Nna Yo” with one of African house music’s most gifted voices in Jinger Stone is an offset to some of these more layered sounds. Along with “The Calling,” a sensual R&B track with pillowy drums. “Start Anew” sees Thakzin go at it alone, and it goes back to the original sound of 3-step before twisting and delivering something fresh, but with an undercurrent of the old. This is mirrored by “Jabula” featuring Baby S.O.N, which interpolates Brenda Fassie’s “Weekend Special” to beautiful effect.
Across 18 tracks Thakzin proves that 5 years later, a sound can sound as beautiful as when it was initially created. This is not just a project years in the making, but a reflection on a culture and the blueprint for its future. Gods Window Pt. 1 is simply a brilliantly done album of African house.
House rating: 8.8/10
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