The Stories of State of the Nation

What you hear on this album will provoke, challenge and entertain. With the initial hopes of democracy fading, appalling corruption, and jarring inequality, South Africa has arrived at a crossroads where the choices we make today will perpetuate our legacy. What kind of future do we want? Are we ready to step up to the very real challenges and uncertainty that the future brings? Who knows, but one thing is for sure as you will see, we are not alone in this rapidly changing world.

Babylon State challenges the economic system that we see as 'normal' and how it is structured in such a way as to deny anyone who does not conform to a certain set of view and values the opportunity to thrive. Despite the challenges that South Africans face, we love to jol (party) - if you can't dance to Floorfilla, then you need to take a chill pill my bru. In 1955 a band called "The Ink Spots" recorded their version of the Schuster & Little 1932 classic Old Shanty Town which we found on YouTube. There is much debate about whether the band actually was The Ink Spots or not, but it can be said with certainty that the original line up made huge strides in race relations in the USA in politically turbulent times. South Africa and the world could do with a little more of this, so we thought we would cover the track and pay homage to this classic. We, of course brought it a little more up to date.

The track 41,000 Sisters reflects on the horrifying scale of violence against women in South Africa where 41,000 was the official number of reported gender violence incidents in 2017. The chorus “41,000 sisters strong” embodies the 1950’s protest chant “Wathint’Abafazi Wathint’imbokodo!”- “You strike a woman, you strike a rock”. Similarly When Her Body Remembers illustrates the innate power of women from birth to the very end and the importance of the realization of that power. Not to be afraid of a challenge, our efforts to produce the next James Bond movie soundtrack are a commentary on the institutionalised, corporate and political corruption prevalent throughout South Africa that reinforces inequality in our country – for no matter what bullshit the guilty parties speak, The Money Never Lies. In a similar vein, but perhaps less polite, Rand Theft Auto is a rant on the looting of the state in a process described as “State Capture”. Because this rapidly changing world isn’t all bad, Fatter Crappier introduces a range of South Africanisms into the mix including a hen, in a cage, waiting for grandma to administer an axe to it. This would spill its African Blood into the dusty township soil. Here is a provocative track that draws on the strength of African character in an era of new dynamics and cultural assertion.

The old-school reggae track How Many Names sticks to the topic of culture, reflected in the various stages of life that South African women go through and how society around them acknowledges these stages. Welcome to Welkom is a tongue in cheek showcase of a town in the Free State that is in the throes of a declining mining industry and with many challenges of unemployment and limited opportunities. Welkom is indicative of many similar places in South Africa that are taking the strain in a declining economy. That does not mean people do not know how to party – Nyabesaba is a Gqom track and represents the new genre of South African music that has taken the world by storm. The ‘Bank Robber’ featured in the The Clash’s 80’s hit is arrested, bailed, then released as a reformed ex con. Sung by the sweetest voice you will hear this side of Durban. If you cant make your fortune robbing a bank then Flashlights is a valuable commentary on fame and fortune in the age of instant gratification.

Finally, no discussion of South Africa can ignore the topic of land – Midnight Oil’s Beds are Burning was a number one hit in South Africa in the 1980s – here it is revisited, just for fun in the form of skater punk because without land you have to be skating on thin ice.

In between these tracks is a collage of narration, ‘ad breaks’, and commentary, all of which is intended to provoke, make you think, and reflect upon not only the state of our nation, but also your own.