Joburg – the business capital of South Africa – is known for its bustling, fast-paced environment, however, the ‘Mamba Boyz’ have chosen to showcase the vibrancy and life of Egoli in their groovy, ethereal masterpiece of an album, ‘Mamba Juice’. The ensemble consists of uBeyond, Tojie Cai, and Dan Gregory, who all make this nostalgic Jozi instrumental project come to life in a way that only makes me wonder, as a Joburg native, ‘when’s the next one coming?’ ‘Mamba Juice‘ is a 10-track LP that grips you from the first track, ‘Halfway Gardens’, a punchy, Jazz-Hop blend that transports me to the quiet, serene atmosphere that a long traffic-filled morning drive down Beyers Naude could only provide me.

That punch offered by the intro turns into a haymaker as the album only continues to build on the momentum with a track like ‘Tropicana El Segundo’, whose floral keys and hypnotic background vocals halfway through take me to a remote island, off the coast of some South American paradise, where all my troubles and maladies are allowed to be washed away by the waves.

The album overall truly excels when the African influences are readily apparent, as in songs like ‘Nyoni’ and ‘Umqhele’. ‘Nyoni’, which means ‘bird’, and the song captures the almost tranquil grace of a bird taking flight in its ethereal synth melodies.

‘Umqhele’ means “crown” or “headwear” in Zulu, and the song captures the feeling of being in attendance of a coronation, the vibrancy, life and warmth all on display in the bouncy, rhythmic drum pattern mixed with the colourful keys help elevate the background vocal harmonies akin something you could hear at some sort of Zulu celebration.

My personal favourite song on this album is ‘Checking the Weather’, with the Zulu influence of this song in the choir harmonising from 40 seconds in. The prominent percussion layered over the smooth, emphatic keys brings me back to the school days in Joburg when my friends and I used to slide on the frosty astro turf brought on by a winter you could only feel in the heart of South Africa. The song also reminds me of a rain dance with the hymn-like vocals I mentioned earlier.

The ‘Mamba Boyz’ have truly impressed me with their vibrant sounds on the LP. With uBeyound and Tojie Cai, producer/multi-instrumentalist Dan Gregory has managed to craft a soundscape that is so rich with texture and sonic depth, that even on a 3rd listen it continued to leave me in awe. Elevated by the visual direction of Gift Banda, the Mamba Boyz leave me eager for what they might have in store next.