Ancient Astronauts talk about Kampala Fire EP

The five-track EP takes the listener on a sonic adventure that includes the strong spiritual drumming influences of Nyabinghi – a Rastafarian culture from Western Uganda. The culture is mainly carried by the Nilotika Cultural Ensemble, which is featured on the release. Other guest artists include Blessed San, C Wyne Nalukalala, Spyda MC and Bani Fyah. 

These artists are characterised by an independent mindset, hard work and socially conscious lyrics, which are delivered in Luganda and English. They are an embodiment of a misunderstood generation struggling to have its voice heard. This voice talks about poverty, corruption, substance abuse, but is yet to find mass resonance.

Comprising Kabanjak and Dogu, Ancient Astronauts is now preparing for the release of the Zik Zak Afro-European album, which arrives on 22 January. Three singles off the anticipated project are already out: ‘Photoshop Reality’, featureing BANTU, ‘Ziinga Zanram’, featuring Burkinabe rapper Art Melody, and ‘Tebamanyi’ – a collaboration with Ugandan singer MoRoots. 

Ancient Astronauts recently spoke to Music In Africa about their new EP and shared their thoughts on the music scene in Uganda.

MUSIC IN AFRICA: How did you discover the Ugandan underground music scene?

ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS: Through Dogu’s frequent travels to East Africa, and especially to Uganda, we got in touch with a lot of local artists. Our label Switchstance Recordings has partnered with East African Records in Kampala for a couple of years now, and through them we were introduced to a lot of Ugandan artists. Also, his deejaying gig at the first Nyege Nyege festival connected him with other artists from across the continent.

Your first project in Uganda was during a workshop you held in 2017. Tell us more about that. 

In 2017, Dogu and Lee Bass of Gato Preto were invited to northern Uganda to be part of the Rhythm Is Life tour in the Gulu, Kitgum and Lira regions in Uganda. They facilitated workshops with local artists about basics in the music business, artist self-management, studio production and deejaying. During this tour, they demonstrated that it was possible to produce a sound recording with proper equipment without necessarily being in a proper recording studio. They went on to record some of the workshop attendees behind a youth centre and in public bus transportations. From those recordings, we released the Rhythm Is Life compilation. After that, it became a natural move for us to pay homage to that powerful vibe of Kampala.

What were your initial thoughts when you first connected with the local artists?

We were overwhelmed by the incredible talent that mostly nobody in the Western world knew about because most of these artists only have a small local following. We felt like we had hit the jackpot. We have always preferred to work with undiscovered but talented artists as opposed to big names.

What inspired the recording of the EP?

With the EP, and also our upcoming Zik Zak album, the inspiration came out of a need to put Africa in focus. We have a good following of people respecting our music, and we want to use that influence to channel some fresh and highly talented voices to their ears. Working with all these different artists who live what they sing about, without showing off big egos and attitudes, feels like a blessing to us. Working on these songs brought us some of the best memories in our 20 years of making music.

The hip hop and reggae scenes in Uganda are vibrant but underground. Based on your experience, is this the case?

Yes, that is true. The real hip hop is underground, but that is mostly the case all over the world. Those who go commercial and pop are the ones you see in the mainstream media. But it is the real hip hop, with conscious messages, that unites people and helps communities and builds up local scenes. It cautions the youth against violence and crime. The scene reminds us of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s in Germany when good hip hop was imported from the US and became a positive movement for the youth. But after some years, that US hip hop went bling-bling and gangsta and that was the time we concentrated more on the music side of hip hop and got inspired by labels like Ninja Tune, Catskills Records and Mo'Wax to introduce an instrumental side of hip hop. Hip hop these days, the one you see on TV or the charts, is so overproduced and hollow, without a real message or essence. What we love about the genre, the same as in reggae, are conscious messages that have a positive impact on society and local communities. We love the originality and pureness of the artists in Uganda.

Talking about reggae, why are most African artists yet to penetrate the continental and global market?

For reggae, 90% of the world only looks to Jamaica. But nowadays, the leading music coming from Jamaica is hard gangsta-style dancehall, or very commercial. The real rasta reggae has become kind of niche again, with only a few artists getting world recognition. On the continent, reggae is one of the genres that can survive commercial indifference and the lack of a public face. These musicians are perceived as outdated and on the verge of extinction. Vanilla and materialistic lyrics have replaced the focus on human rights and politics. Africa has real potential, but somehow nobody cares. Of course, there are big names like Alpha Blondy or Tiken Jah Fakoly that have been around for decades and always get recognition, but what about the rest? There is such a vibrant and unique music scene on the continent with colossal potential, and we shall keep pushing for it.