Kush Arora and Jahdan Blakkamoore are no strangers to connecting dots and pushing reggae music into the future, and this slab of kuduro and reggae is no exception. After collaborating together on remixes and originals for a variety of labels over the years, the SF and Brooklyn artists decided to push the limits of what is known to be reggae music with the kuduro sound that they have both been so in love with since they first heard it.
The original version of this song first appeared on the UKF tinged “Spanish Street Riddim” released on Top Billin' Recordings out of Finland in 2012, and quickly gained steam throughout the reggae underground. It was featured on the chart topping Dreadsquad's “Riddim Machine” release remixed into dub in 2012, and Kush has been holding on to this version ever since. Enter a world where Angola's bombastic Kuduro sounds meet with Blade Runner inspired asthetics, and the unmistakable dancehall vocals of Jahdan Blakkamoore. Cobra snake riddims, fast paced sound design, and bassline waterdrums pepper the abstract landscape of this tune. This is the first in a series of releases focusing on Angolan and South African sounds that Kush will be releasing through the year, trying to bridge Jamaica, San Francisco, and Angola together.
Jahdan Blakkamooore has a history of groundbreaking reggae music, with over 3 full lengths to his name and collaborations too many to even count. He sung the hook on “Lighters Up” with Snoop Dogg and Movado, the biggest tune on the “Reincarnated” album by Snoop. His performances and songs with Major Lazer were instrumental and continue to be for the band as they became one of the most major forces in electronic and reggae music today. Jahdan has been hard at work with his group Noble Society for over a decade, and collaborated with the likes of Kabaka Pyramind, Smif and Wesson, Dead Prez, Subatomic Sound System, the Jacka, Marcus Visionary, Liondub, Ticklah, and so many more. Always on the road, the tune's titles is a prime example of the day in the life of Jahdan.
For over 23 years. Dub, dancehall, niche african dance , industrial, and Indo-Caribbean influences merge into Kush's melting pot of madness.
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American black metal at it's most powerful and raging moment. Wild dick dale of metal guitars, drums to destroy anything, and atmospheres as moody as it gets, the energy is something that inspires me. Kush Arora
Blut Aus Nord are a wet dream for me. Combine the best elements of Godflesh, extremely technical and dissonant icy metal, and hypnotic patterns. The band evolves alot - listen to their vast catalog. Kush Arora
PURE power from the best in Lisbon's kuduro circles. From the thunderous triplet intro shredding indian flutes with kuduro to some of the finest tarraxo out there, a must for any african music fan. Kush Arora
The stunning new EP from Jaijiu pulverizes club sounds like techno and reggaeton into a million fragments, resulting in wild, bracing music. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 11, 2021
Kush Arora's latest EP features his trademark meticulous sound design, delving fully into a bleak, cold experimental world. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 22, 2019
Music built for a world in flux, with dancehall, Afro-Latin soundsystems, techno, and even heavy metal in the mix. Bandcamp Album of the Day May 16, 2023