Given the conditions of quarantine, remote collaborations have decidedly become the “new normal”. But going back to the music days of Myspace, South African singer Khusi Seremane and Brooklyn producer Gabriel Cyr had been exchanging remote recordings under the handle Thaba (taken from the Free State town Thaba ‘Nchu), connected by a mutual love of ’80s R&B and traditional African styles.
Since 2016 Thaba had been working on their debut full-length Eyes Rest Their Feet, bending the rules of their foundational genres to create a retro-leaning yet inherently modern electronic sound. Sadly just this July though, Seremane passed away at the age of 41. That said the ten tracks were completed on Eyes Rest Their Feet, which was finally released as Thaba’s sole album last Friday. It’s a bittersweet release given the circumstances, but it’s a record you can’t afford to overlook. And with all that in mind, unwind on this work week and reflect on the fleeting things in life with “Throw It All Away”.