DJ Spoko - Cucumba

Joining the True Panther family – sometime home to to Teengirl Fantasy, Tanlines, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and way too many others – is DJ Spoko, hailing from Atteridgeville, South Africa. Whilst DJ Spoko might not be a name that’s necessarily familiar, he has clear ties to many of the underground sounds to have been exported from his homeland to these shores – he studied sound engineering with Nozinja, creator of the Shangaan Electro style, and was also the uncredited percussionist behind DJ Mujava’s mini-classic Township Funk in 2008.

DJ Spoko’s release for True Panther is named after the area of Atteridgeville that he lived in – Ghost Town, near the town’s cemetery. Cucumba, taken from his ‘Ghost Town’ EP, is a percussive beast, a simple and addictive funky dance track (a style known as ‘Bacardi House’, apparently) with rhythmic guest vocals from the Ghetto Boyz Entertainment crew. It’s ace.