Gqom
Dark, broken Durban house and techno with heavy bass and no four-to-the-floor kick.
History
Gqom is a South African electronic dance music genre from Durban s1. It appeared in the early 2010s s1. Producers such as Naked Boyz, Rudeboyz, Griffit Vigo and DJ Lag created it s1. The music is minimal, raw and repetitive, with heavy bass s1. It does not use the usual four-on-the-floor house rhythm s1. Instead, it uses broken and syncopated drum patterns s1. The sound mixes elements of kwaito, afro house, tribal house and broken beat with techno s1. The word gqom comes from a Zulu sound that copies a hitting drum s1. The label Gqom Oh! and the DJ Lag helped the style travel outside South Africa s2. Gqom became known internationally around 2016 and 2017 s2. It is often played loudly in taxis and at street parties in Durban s2. The style has since mixed with amapiano and afro tech s1. The music is often made for very loud sound systems s2.
Sound
- Heavy, deep bass
- Broken, syncopated drums
- No four-to-the-floor kick
- Dark, minimal sounds
- Shouted or sampled vocals
Key figures
- DJ Lag — Durban producer who carried gqom worldwide
- Rudeboyz — Early Durban gqom producers
- Griffit Vigo — Early gqom producer
- Naked Boyz — Early gqom producers
Labels
- Gqom Oh! — Durban , 2016
- Afrotainment — Durban , 2005
- Kalawa Jazmee — Johannesburg , 1992
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Afro House , Kwaito , Deep Tech
Sources
- Gqom — Wikipedia
- South Africa's 'Gqom' Club Sound is Hard to Describe, Easy to Feel — Bandcamp Daily (2017)