ELIEZER
words by Matthew Freemantle
Eliezer is a persona through which Lance Herman is making minimal folk music, performing here and there, usually in small venues with good sound.
“Hall of Dreams is Herman’s first EP as Eliezer. I am not qualified to comment on the technical quality of the songs. I can only say that as a lover of music I am moved by them, and struck by the honesty of the lyrics.”
DAVID BAUDAINS
interview by Matthew Freemantle
David Baudains is a musician living in Johannesburg. He made his name as lead guitarist for funk rock outfit The New Academics. When things on various fronts came to a head midway through 2010, he turned inward and found his attention shifting towards solo acoustic work, with beautiful results.
“The songs take on an identity and a name after they have been written.”
BATELEUR
interview by Matthew Freemantle
photograph by Dylan Culhane
We interviewed Bateleur last month. After the interview, the band spent two weeks in the mountains near Bain’s Kloof and recorded some new songs, one of which, ‘Twins’, they have given JRNL for exclusive release.
“[We] would like audiences to feel like they are just on their way to a holiday with all their best friends, driving through this mountain pass and the sun’s setting and there’s a little bit of terror like something could go wrong at any second.”
RATTEX
interview by Dylan Culhane
photographs by Padraic O’ Meara
The phonology of isiXhosa is characterised by a simple vowel inventory and a highly marked consonantal system with rich ejectives, implosives and no less than eighteen unique clicks. Between its dozen or so dialects it boasts the largest number of phonemes of any language on earth. It’s brilliant ammunition for hip-hop, and Rattex Rah – the crown prince of Khaltsha Spaza – knows this well.
