SA’s DJ Lag features Novelist on new single Bulldozer

The track, recorded in London, is available for streaming and download on all major digital platforms.

The collaboration, the first to come out of DJ Lag’s Alpha Zulu world tour which kicked off in February, pairs monstrous gqom beats with Novelist’s high-speed lyrical flow to create a sound that feels both natural and new.  

“I want to blend genres and create new sounds along the way,” DJ Lag said. “This year is going to be about exploring and experimenting on stages and studios. The track came really fast. I started the beats from scratch while Novelist was writing the lyrics. In like 30 minutes we were able to start recording and in an hour we were done. I would definitely really like to work with him again.”

Novelist’s explosive lyrics, combined with the minimalist electronic production and syncopated rhythms, feel hefty enough to carry ‘Bulldozer’ past the dancefloor, where it could easily become a summer club hit, and into the hearts of listeners. Moreover, the song is one of the first to combine South African gqom and UK grime, with both genres sharing characteristics of lo-fi minimalism and DIY ethos exemplified by young black artists.

DJ Lag is considered the pioneer of gqom, a genre of electronic dance music that emerged in Durban, South Africa, in the early 2010s. He began his career with the release of his first EP on WhatsApp and has gone on to earn huge acclaim for his contribution to the success of the genre. His track ‘My Power’, which he collaborated with Tierra Whack, Moonchild Sanelly, Nija, Yemi Alade, and Busiswa, was featured on Beyoncé’s album The Lion King: The Gift.

Novelist, meanwhile, is a Mercury Award-nominated rapper and producer hailing from Lewisham in South London. He has produced for ASAP Rocky, Skepta, and Dean Blunt. In his teenage years, he played a key role in the resurgence of grime after developing his skills as a lyricist on pirate radio.