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artists, Spoek is hitting the world hard. It is clearly African music,
but like none that has ever been heard or made before. Mathambo grew up
in Soweto, South Africa. His early work included collaborations with South African producer Sibot, who also worked with Okmalumkoolkat on “Nice Shandees”.
In 2010, his debut album Mshini Wam was released on BBE Records The album includes an award-winning cover of Joy Division’s ‘She’s Lost Control’. The track received the Young Director Award at the 2011 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.Meanwhile Mathambo was nominated in the Best African Act category at the 2011 Mobo Awards.
In 2012, Mathambo released his second album Father Creeper on Sub Pop,gaining him a second nomination for Best African Act, at the 2012 MOBO Awards. He was also nominated for Best African Act for the third time at the 2013 MOBO awards.
The edgy, unorthodox figure of Spoek Mathambo heads the Fantasma project, a South African band made up of musicians with very different backgrounds and styles who teamed up to create a sound that is far more than the sum of its parts. Fantasma are electronica producer DJ Spoko, from Pretoria; Bhekisenzo Cele, from Durban, on the accordion, guitar, bass and vocals; guitarist Andre Geldenhuys, from Cape Town; and, last but not least, on vocals, producer Spoek Mathambo, from Johannesburg, whose albums have been released on several prestigious labels, including Sony, Mad Decent and Sub Pop. Into this melting pot go dozens of styles, skills, sounds and influences, from deep house (one of the most popular genres in the country) to psychedelia by way of Zulu traditions, hip hop psych rock, ancestral beats, Bacardi house (invented by DJ Spoko) and even aspects of surf music, one of Geldenhuys’ areas of expertise.
