It’s bad enough on an emotional level when you’re forced to spend time away from close friends or family, but what about all of the practical things that get upended as soon as your best friend from childhood decides to forgo the weekly monopoly night in lieu of something stupidly ambitious, like pursuing his or her dream career in a different town?
Some people turn angry and resentful as a result of such potentially-discriminating relationships. Others, like Okzharp and Manthe Ribane, willingly adapt to the new circumstances— and that’s exactly the story behind their new album Closer Apart, out July 6 on Hyperdub. Both artists called South Africa their home until Okzharp (you may be familiar with his work in Hyperdub mainstay L.V.) decided that London would be a better fit. But obviously, that geographical separation was emphatically and gloriously overcome for the sake of this new, fun-KAY release.
The blueprints for the album were sketched last year, when they had the chance to tour together. Okzharp and Ribane actually spent time in the airport terminal “putting musical ideas down” on laptop speakers, as well as writing the lyrics — both were inspired that day by the sights and sounds of the Salone di Mobile design show in Milan — and the rest of the album was apparently composed long distance via those internet tubes on which we humans now mostly rely. Ribane in particular is otherwise pretty keen on dance and style in general, so she contributed mightily to the impending visuals for the album, alongside Chris Saunders.
Closer Apart is due July 6 on Hyperdub. Keep your eyes peeled for ordering info, check out lead single “Dun” down below, and maybe consider writing a nice, hatchet-burying email to that old college friend of yours who studies Penguin migration in Antarctica now.
Closer Apart tracklisting:
01. W U @
02. Make U Blue
03. Why U In My Way
04. Zagga
05. Never Say Never
06. Never Thought
07. Blue Tigers
08. Time Machine
09. Tide
10. Kubona
11. Theletsa
12. Dun
13. Treasure Erasure
More about: Manthe Ribane, Okzharp
