The alternative music scene in Durban has always been a struggling one. Well the music scene in Durban isn’t the most ideal in general. With a great lack of resources and various other reasons that are a contributing factor. A lack of talent isn’t even in the equation, with plenty of artists having flourished outside the East Coast. Of course it’s become a monotonous conversation, to a point where artists know the solution to the problem – leave Durban. Overtime though there’s been various places in the city that serve as hubs or homes for Indie and Alternative artists. Khaya Records and S43 Home Of That Brewing Co. have always paid homage to all of these gems. The Werehouse has also become a place where Durban acts can perform more and has provided a good space for art makers.
MISSU pronounced “miss you”, is a DJ, composer and producer from Durban. He forms part of this group of alternative acts. Instead of following the precedent trend of leaving Durban to try and make it outside of the city, he chooses to grow the indie music scene in Durban.
An Education EP is his debut effort which is immense in Durban culture. Featuring various alternative acts to create what is probably one of the most important bodies of work to come from Durban. An Education is a tight packed EP that opens up with the Red Robyn assisted Dilemma, the song can be seen as the first official single off the project. Red Robyn’s vocals have a nostalgic and dreamy Pop aesthetic over the bouncy and wandering production. The song is just about the right intro, providing an exciting undertone feel that prepares you for what’s ahead on the extended play.
There’s a feature for every song on the debut effort, except for one song. Flow is the only song without a feature and it’s just MISSU showcasing his seasoned production. For about three minutes, Flow proves to be an adventurous song, with the robotic “flow” vocals on loop. MISSU’s use of synths on the song create a warm soothing element to the production. His work reminds me of History Of Man by Illangelo although MISSU’s work is a lot less darker. Equipped with a layered production kist, you find yourself getting lost within An Education.
What makes the EP standout the most is it’s feature selection, every feature makes sense and adds individual value to the project to create a cohesive story-line. This is because all the artists are from or have lived in Durban. Costa Besta provides one the nicest verses on the feature list on Coast. While Moonchild Sanelly ushers us out of An Education with Popcorn, which is honestly the standout song on the project all thanks to Moonchild’s style and delivery. The song sounds like old school Sanelly and it’s always good to hear her give us something vintage. Other features include Robin Thirdfloor. The album really serves as an important stamp on the Durban alternative scene with Durban acts coming together to create a blissful piece of work composed and guided by MISSU.
