Thaba is a collaboration between South African singer/songwriter Khusi Seremane and American producer/musician Gabriel Cyr. Tragically in July 2020, while the two were working with Soundway to prepare their debut record, Seremane died after battling health issues for several years, just a few days past his 41st birthday.
Thaba’s sound reflects a sonic duality referencing the double pop heritage of Mbaqanga and Bubblegum artists like The Soul Brothers, Paul Ndlovu and Pat Shange, alongside traces of Roxy Music, Grace Jones, Sade, and Talk Talk. The result is a very modern, electronic, layered, introspective and at times jazz-tinged production.
Connected by a shared love of kwaito, 90’s R&B, and classic downtempo, Seremane and Cyr collaborated for a decade after meeting online in the halcyon days of Myspace Music. While the pair initially planned for Seremane to guest on a Teleseen track, their ideas evolved into an entire record. Their debut, Eyes Rest Their Feet, was created remotely over several years, with the core recorded during a 2016 studio session in Cape Town.
After returning to New York, Cyr honed these recordings with several Brooklyn-based musicians, calling upon members of Antibalas, Underground System, Midnight Magic, Loboko and others… more
credits
released November 6, 2020
Artwork by Jakob Dwight
Mastering by Alter Echo
Lacquers by The Carvery Studio
Layout by Meurig Rees
