With his ear to the internet, picking up tunes from far afield, DJ Mixanthrope returns with a new feature-length mix of tunes from the archipelago nation of Seychelles. Deep in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa, the culture is a mix of African, Arab, French and British influences, with growing influence from China and India. Mixanthrope’s mix presents tunes that don’t get much distribution outside of the islands, so it’s a cool opportunity to fill in your mental musical map for a place often left off on maps of any kind.
You can definitely hear the influence of séga music from relatively
nearby Mauritius but through whatever avenues, Seychelles artists
have been also influenced by hip-hop and reggae, which have a way of
catching on wherever they go. Expect drippy, cheesy synths, rootsy guitar, and beautifully sung harmonies.
It’s a great mix with a lot of musical variety, and really has me wondering how soon it’ll be safe to do some boots-in-the-sand reporting for Afropop...
