LoMhlaba EP Cee ElAssaad / Thandi Draai

The connected imprint continues its steady stream of quality releases with ‘LoMhlaba’ by Cee ElAssaad & Thandi Draai , a slick afro house release presented , classically ,in vocal,dub and instrumental forms. The pairing of Cee ElAssaad, a seasoned house DJ/Producer who has played alongside Louie Vega, Osunlade, Jerome Sydenham and many other legends as well as releasing for countless imprints, and Thandi Draai, a hugely gifted vocalist, producer and DJ who has graced productions by the likes of Charles Webster, Boddhi Satva and Culoe De Song, is an enticing prospect. The pair met by chance at ADE in Amsterdam, formed an instantly strong connection which lead to this long distance musical endeavour between the Moroccan producer and South African artist. ‘LoMhlaba’ is a gently building cut. Airy chords, kick/tom combos and a loose shaker sit atop warm, held bass notes while layered, looping vocal refrains build the track towards that all-too-rare a thing in modern house, a proper song complete with a heady, effortless and infectious voice driven crescendo. Clearly with one eye on creative DJs, the ‘Chants Dub’ and ‘Instrumental’ versions from ElAssaad and Draai will provide endless on-the-fly moments for listeners too.