Over three years in the making, ZIK ZAK is an African musical odyssey, featuring some of the freshest talent from ten countries on the mother continent. Tying this remarkable range of artists together are German production team ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS, weaving the vocal talents of the African singers into their distinctive “Boom Dub” sound. Drawing on Hip Hop, Dancehall, Roots Reggae, Bass Music, Soul, Electronica and Breakbeat, the production incorporates live instruments and musical influences from all over Africa and its diaspora. 

The concept behind all these tracks is ZIK ZAK (“Zig-Zag” in English), mapping out each artist’s life of tragedy and success, of compromise and integrity, in a context of global inequality and ruthless capitalism. This album responds to the urgent need to understand the daily struggle for survival by creative artists and musicians from the global south. Each artist gives a unique voice to their rocky way through the contemporary African landscape, revealing a new perspective from a different city, country, religion, and ideology. This is ZIK ZAK.

It's easy to forget how much harder it is for artists and musicians to survive away from the relative comfort of the richer parts of the world. In Africa, employment levels are shockingly low and the welfare state non-existent, so that most artists live in a state of constant precariousness, with nothing to fall back on when the music industry fails to pay. Yet the mainstream African music industry constantly feeds us a capitalist wet dream, with fantastical images of artists living a “bling-bling” lifestyle of fast cars, swimming pools and supermodels with inflated chests. The artists featured on ZIK ZAK have all rejected this preposterous mythology, instead bringing us real messages from their everyday lives, demonstrating more talent, creativity and authenticity in a single album, than in a lifetime of over-produced, commercial music videos.

In ZIK ZAK, particular focus is on the intense and vibrant scene in Uganda, where local, mutant forms of Afrobeats and Dancehall have evolved away from the more familiar, globalized products of Nigeria and Jamaica. ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS established a base and partnership with local studio East African Records, allowing them to dig deep in the wells of talent in Uganda’s capital, Kampala. Elsewhere, they established friendships and musical relationships with enlightened artists as far afield as Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Togo, Guinea and Senegal. 

The ZIK ZAK project has provided these underground African artists an opportunity to reach a new worldwide audience, building on the success of ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS. This German production duo – aka DOGU and KABANJAK - have been working together since 2001, producing and touring with some of the biggest names in the alternative music scene: The Pharcyde, Tippa Irie, Akua Naru, The Jungle Brothers, Raashan Ahmad, DJ Brace, Nickodemus, Thievery Corporation, BANTU and many more. They are respected for their ethical and activist stance, as well as for their ground-breaking music: recently they were commissioned by Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Ian Urbina to work on the soundtrack to his important environmental book: “The Outlaw Ocean”. 

For the ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS, thus new album is an important project both musically and ideologically. In their own words: “With ZIK ZAK, we want to give a platform to young talents from Africa that are too good to ignore – they must be heard internationally. Africa is our motherland too, in the end. Civilization comes from Africa and that´s where rhythm comes from. After too many years of slavery and exploitation of the African countries, it is time to shine light on the great talent of Mother Africa.”

Stream & Buy

Ancient Astronauts present ZIK ZAK

Saigon chambers mix

I'm happy to be back with the second edition of the Parkcast. This one goes into more tribal, worldly vibes. Perfect for long journeys into the wild. 

===Tracklist===
fLako - Relief 
Cut Chemist - The Garden
Dan Lissvik - G
Dunmore Park - The Mali Shake
Mos Def - Quiet Dog Bite Hard
Sebastien Leger - SuperDrums (Sabo's Flying Edit)
Kauf - Through The Yard (Fort Romeau Instrumental Remix)
Auntie Flo - Su La feat. Anbuley 
Kiasmos - Looped
Nu, Mz Sunday Luv, Christopher Schwarzwalder - Choose
Jon Charnis - Prophecy
KMLN - Sabilu (Dunmore Park Remix)
RAR - Hool
MLiR - People
Leon Vynehall - Kiburu’s
Lemon Jelly - Stay With You AKA The Slow Train
Lancelot - Mover

<a href='https://theartistunion.com/tracks/14fe2f'>Download for free on The Artist Union</a>

Parkcast Volume 2

Download the Mix

2007.
Remixed by Blockhead: https://soundcloud.com/blockheadnyc
From the 'Peanuts in your mouth' CD. It's a collection of B-sides and rare tracks, sold on tour in 2007.
Info: https://www.discogs.com/Blockhead-Peanuts-In-Your-Mouth/release/1065939

Peanuts in your Mouth (Blockhead Tour CDr)

Info

Hangar 18 - Baking Soda (Blockhead Remix)

This is the mix I played at Amissa Festival last year. I recorded it in my studio. 
I really love diving into different genres and trying new things.
The first song is a remix I created with Yaima, Anchorhill and Ivy Lab. I hope you enjoy!

Ginger | Amissa 2018

The Meantime

A dive into the deeper side of the mind of DJ Brother. A dream-tempo mixtape.

DENERAH DJ Brother Sides 1 & 2

released July 21, 2020
Written, composed and produced by Kabanjak.
Recorded at Evergreen Studios,

The Navigator

Originally aired on 2/2/21 - https://bff.fm/broadcasts/25692

Spotlight on Ancient Astronauts' latest release, ZIK ZAK.
DJ and producer Dogu, half of the music production duo AA, all the way from Cologne, Germany, sits with Nino today and explains the creative process of making the album and a few interesting stories from the African continent. 
Dogu is also sharing with us one of his recent DJ sets, "We Shall Overcome" during the second hour of the show. Enjoy

https://bff.fm/shows/espresso-sesh

ESPRESSO SESH

ZIK ZAK w/ DOGU - Espresso Sesh #242 - 2/2/2021

ZIK ZAK

Upliftment Skit Feat. C Wyne Nalukalala

Basonyiwe Feat. Spyda MC

Pagliacci´s Reprise Feat. Joyce Olong

Ghetto Youth Never Give Up Feat. C Wyne Nalukalala

Pump Up The Sound Feat. Bani Fyah

⭐️ Download

03 - Cicadas

The Ancient Astronauts are Kabanjak and Dogu, a bulletproof production and DJ duo hailing from Cologne, Germany. The phenomenon of “ancient astronauts, “a belief that extraterrestrial beings visited Earth in ancient times to mingle and trade ideas with early human civilizations”, isn’t an alien concept to these Ancient Astronauts.  The cross-pollination and mash-up of ideas, sounds, styles, and a collaborative spirit are their modus operandi.
Although, the long-time friends are quick to admit that they are not followers of the German music scene, Kabanjak notes, “for us music is and will always be an international phenomena”, and Ancient Astronauts are certainly not afraid to draw on influences from international artists and styles.
Self described as a “mash up of the distant past and far future”; these time travelers´ music is a mystic brew born out of an eclectic mix of ideas, sounds and styles. 
Already having remixed and collaborated with AM & Shawn Lee, Nickodemus, Fort Knox Five, Ladybug Mecca (Digable Planets), Zion I, The Pharcyde, Azeem, Analogik, Subatomic Sound System & Anthony B, Bajka, Vieux Farka Toure, Raashan Ahmad, Bajka, DJ Brace and Tippa Irie, the Ancient Astronauts always link up with a quality selection of sonic collaborators. 
 “At an early stage we realized that we are both big music heads so we started running parties in our hometown together”. Those parties became the catalyst for a production team that never forgot its roots. They specialize in diversity loosely glued together by a single thread. Like a good party, you don’t just listen to the music, you experience it. 
In 2001 Dogu of Ancient Astronauts started his own label Switchstance Recordings, which was developed as a way of allowing them total musical freedom. The label soon gathered momentum and built up an impressive international fan base. Switchstance Recordings is now famous in international club circles for the integrity of its production and style.

www.ancientastronauts.de


Upliftment Skit Feat. C Wyne Nalukalala

Ancient Astronauts

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